A short handed PW LL#1 squad travelled to Hanover today to face the Hanover Falcons PeeWee #1 team.
With one Cole L on the IR and Anderson G enjoying the sunny south, our group of players, parents and coaches ventured into the Hanover P&H Centre, unsure how our outnumbered squad would face such a challenge. 9 skaters and one goalie.
The message in the dressing room to the players was short shifts and use puck movement on the big ice. The defence was urged to use their time and space if allowed to provide some relief to our understaffed forwards. For a few times during the game, Owen M stepped up from D to fill a winger role to give the forwards a break.
Lucas S stepped into the center role in Cole's absence.
Hands were shook and it was show time.
Right off the get go, our small crew began to control the pace of the game. Using puck movement and zone coverage to keep the pace we needed. Throughout the first period the boys stuck to great offensive zone coverage and our 4 defencemen thwarted many attempts into our defensive zone.
With the flu bug a distant memory, Owen W came to play and began to show his teammates that when indeed they got tired, he had their back. It was a scoreless throughout most of the period with many close chances kicked aside by Owen W.
Seeing their keeper beginning to stack the bricks on the wall, the 9 players in front of him pushed on.
With only 54 seconds left in the period, Austin L came out of a corner battle with the puck and put us ahead by one with a sharp angle shot. Icedogs up 1-0 going into the second.
The message from the coach was simple "You guys are controlling the game, keep it up!"
As the second period started, the forwards began looking back to their Defence in the offensive zone. With room to breath in his shiny new helmet, Daemyn E wound up the canon a few times, only to have his shots just miss or be blocked or deflected.
There were a couple great end to end rush opportunities by Ryan S and Nick P to help the tiring forwards with forward momentum. As the period moved on, Hanover's strength in numbers allowed them many sure goal opportunities. Many were surprised no one called the cops, because of the multiple counts of robbery by our tender.
Confident in their goalies performance, the players again pushed on.
With only 48 seconds left in the period, Kaden C dug the puck out of a scrum in front of the Hanover net, leaving it for a wide open Sean W who took no time finding the twine. End of the period and the boys are up 2-0
3rd Period...…….Bring on the great 88!
Owen W kept kicking aside the barrage of attempted Hanover goals, which just fueled our Icedogs to keep going.
After many attempts firing the lazer, the great 88 Lucas S finally found his mark. Kaden C lured away the Hanover defender with the puck and fed it to Lucas S, alone in the high slot, leaving him plenty of time to rifle it into the top left corner. Icedogs up, 3-0
A few minutes later, the great 88 was at it again. After a great defensive break out, Lucas S walked into the Hanover end and made it 4-0 with 5:52 left to play.
As the game wore on, the Hanover team took advantage of a weird bounce in Daemyn E feet and finally managed to beat Owen W with just over 3 mins left to play.
Final Score, Icedogs 4, Hanover 1
Heads were held high as the boys left the rink today. Thinking they were the underdogs when the puck dropped, they showed their teamwork and hard effort payed off. They didn't give up. They believed in each other, and overcame the obstacle.
A great game and a great effort. Good Job Icedogs from a very proud coach.