Feb 17, 2020 | Scott Price | 526 views
IceDogs Lose in OT vs Huron-Bruce
The PeeWee #2 IceDogs headed south to tackle the Huron-Bruce Blizzard in Game #1 of their WOAA Playoff. These two teams had never met during regular season action but a game in Lucknow is always a rough and tumble affair!
The game started off rather tame as both teams got their legs under them. A bit of a unfortunate bounce had the Blizzard getting the opening goal but the IceDogs bounced back when Ryan P out checked a Blizzard defender and buried the loose puck to knot things up at ones.
The IceDogs definately had their chances to open things up in the 2nd as the pounded pucks at the Blizzard tender but it wasn't until late in the 2nd period when they finally got rewarded. George I led a rush down the right side and ripped a wrister into the Blizzard goalie's pads. Rookie left-winger, Jake F., buried the rebound with 3 seconds on the clock and the IceDogs were up 2-1 at the flood.
Things got a little wild after the flood as the Blizzard came out of the gate strong, forcing Dusty V. to make some big saves. Riley J. would reverse the play behind his own net and spring Ryan P. on a rush. A low, hard laser into the right corner put the IceDogs up 3-1 and things were looking good. Buuuuuuuuut, something happened to the IceDogs after that goal. Maybe they felt a little too confident and they got away from all the little things that were making them successful. A few solo efforts led to turnovers and before you knew it, the Blizzard had tied things up at three's. Lance G. would lead his team down the ice and bury his own rebound to get the IceDogs the lead back but the Blizzard were undeterred and got the equalizer with 3 minutes left in the game. Overtime was looming.
Overtime was fairly evenly played and the IceDogs held the play in the Blizzard zone but couldn't get the puck to the net. For some reason, the Blizzard initiated a line change while the puck was in their own zone, a hockey no-no. Buuuuuuut, somehow, the puck squirted to centre just as the Blizzard player left the bench on the change--a breakaway goal ended the game and had the IceDogs learning a hard lesson in Game #1 of the playoffs--you can't take your foot off the gas and you have to stick to the plan if you want to win.
The IceDogs don't have long to put this one out of their mind...they tangle with their IceDog brethren on Wednesday in an epic show down on Wednesday night in Paisley.