Dec 23, 2021 | Scott Price | 437 views
Lakers Sink IceDogs with Late Goal
There are benchmark games in every team's season. Games that you look at on the schedule and say that game matters just a little bit more than the others. Tonight was one of those games. This was a classic Laker/IceDog matchup.
The IceDogs had reinforcements for this one as Aden M, Jake F and Lucas B. were called up. The IceDogs were fired up and ready in the room but something happened on the way to the ice surface and Shallow Lake pounced, scoring two quick ones to put the IceDogs on their heels early. Ethan S. would collect a puck after a terrific puck battle, won by Owen W. and scored a highlight reel goal to get the IceDogs back in it and it was 2-1 Lakers after one.
The second period was the IceDogs best. Newly anointed line of Owen M-Jesse P-Brayden P went to work on the cycle game and buzzed all over the Laker end and were FINALLY rewarded when Jesse hammered home a loose puck (assisted by Brayden and Owen). Owen M would snipe another backhanded beauty minutes later and the IceDogs had a 3-2 lead going into the flood and the 2nd intermission.
Maybe it's that Room 2 air in Paisley but once again the IceDogs came out flat to start the 3rd and the Lakers capitalized (like on every mistake we made!) and re-took the lead. Ethan would tie it up again on another beauty rush but some penatly calls didn't go the IceDogs way and that seemed to curb the momentum. The Lakers took the lead back on the power play but Karden C. came to the rescue with a laser into the top of the net to tie things up once again. The IceDogs were full marks for the comeback. Despite carrying the play, a defensive lapse in the waining seconds led to the Lakers getting a late chance and they made the best of it, scoring with 8 seconds left. Owen M. would take one last stab and get a shot away just as the buzzer sounded but the IceDogs had to limp away, losing 6-5.
Some games are a hard lesson to learn. Bad habits, tentative play are not the staples of the IceDog game. And they crept there way in on this night. If the IceDogs can learn from it, they will be a better team for it. It was a pretty angry group in the dressing room after. And that's why I know we will be a better team next time out.
"It ain't about how hard you hit...it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward...how much you can take and keep moving forward...THAT'S HOW WINNING IS DONE!"