Nov 26, 2022 | Scott Price | 168 views
U15 Rep IceDogs Steal One on the Road!
Good teams win ugly sometimes. Your U15 Rep IceDogs proved that old hockey wives tale true again as they came out on top vs the Drayton Defenders on Friday night.
It's not that the IceDogs weren't ready to play...the room was buzzing before the game with positive energy but once they hit the ice, they were just a bit "off" to start the game. Lucky for the IceDogs, Owen W. brought the A-game and made save after save in the first as the IceDogs were hemmed for stretches. You know a goalie is on when the difficult saves look easy and Owen was on. The first would end in a goal-less tie.
Drayton has always been a thorn in the IceDogs side and they pounced again as a shot ricocheted off a IceDog stick and into the net to give the Defenders the lead. Owen W. needed to be sharp a few more times until the IceDog caught a break....Alek F. spotted Owen M-8 coming on for a line change and he sprung him on the breakaway for a deke (he must do it in his sleep) and things were knotted up at 1 at the end of the 2nd period.
Coach P. wasn't very pleased with the execution and the effort needed to be better too. And the boys responded in the 3rd. Despite given up the first goal of the 3rd on some sloppy play, the IceDogs bent, but didn't break. Owen M-10 would outrace a Defender with some great hustle and ripped a backhand by the Defender tendy to tie things at 2. The IceDogs had played a lot of close games lately and with experience in their back pocket, they stayed patient and waited for the right time strike. Simon J would win a board battle, and with Ethan S. in perfect postion, he collected the loose puck and another backhand eluded the Defender goalie and the IceDogs had the lead with 4 minutes left to play. The IceDogs battened down the hatches and the Defenders never got another sniff of the IceDog goal. Even with some creative scoreclock management, the IceDogs weathered everything the Defenders could throw at them and escaped with a 3-2 win.
And it's a big win--you don't always have it going all game long and the IceDogs have lost a few of these kind of games this season...but not on this night...the proved that lessons have been learned. They still have a few lessons to learn and they have another chance to prove it as they tackle the Goderich Sailors on Saturday--3:00 puck drop in P-town!