Feb 19, 2020 | Scott Price | 564 views
IceDogs Battle IceDogs in OT!
Two very competitive, very even IceDog teams went toe-to-toe on Wednesday night in Pixley in Game #2 of the WOAA Round Robin Playoffs.
The two teams had split the regular season series at a game a piece and this one was dead even from the get go. Neither team was giving an inch and when they did, the solid net minding of Owen W. and Nathan A. kept the game at zeroes after one period of play.
Nick P. of the PeeWee #1 squad would break the deadlock early in the 2nd period with a bullet drive after a nice rush. But the PeeWee #2 squad has made a habit of bouncing back and with Lance G. driving the zone and firing a puck in deep, Jake F. would collect the puck and feed Ryan P., who ricocheted the puck in off Owen W. for the game tying goal. The two teams dug in again went back and forth before Austin L. made a Savard-ian spin-a-rama play to put the puck in behind Nathan and the PeeWee #1's were back in front at the 2nd intermission by a score of 2-1.
With both teams refusing to back down (or hit the dressing room for the flood!), the crowd knew they were in for a frantic finish. With the PeeWee #2's applying pressure, Ryan P. would collect a loose puck off a nice Lance G. check and go roof daddy with a shot in close to tie things up at 2. Then, all-star d-man Riley J. would gallop into the opposing IceDogs end zone and bank in a shot to put his team up 3-2. The IceDogs continued to battle and a long hard shift put the PeeWee #2's on their heels in the closing minutes and Austin L. made them pay with a last minute goal to send this one to Overtime.
Overtime was fairly one-sided, as the PeeWee #1's hemmed the IceDogs in and wouldn't let them get out of their zone. Lucas S. would gain the zone and fire a harmless looking shot toward the goal that would deflect off a defenders' stick and behind Nathan, giving his team the OT win.
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose but both IceDogs teams were full marks for their effort and sportsmanship. It was a bit of an unfortunate ending but that's the way hockey goes and why you always put pucks toward the net. Good luck to the AEMHA PeeWee LL #1's on the quest for the banner.