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Sarnia Jr Sting vs Oakridge Aeros
October 22, 2007
The Oakridge Aeros were in town to
provide opposition against the Sarnia Minor Peewee M.D. hockey
club Monday night at Clearwater Arena. Sarnia had pressure on
the Aeros early and often as the five some of Dean MacEachern,
Nicholis VanBilsen, Leeam Ridley, Calvin Hughson and Chris
Maitland had eight shots on goal during the second shift.
Oakridge goalkeeper J.J. Wood was under siege being out shot in
the first period 15 to 3, but able to hold the goose egg. The
Aeros got on the board first, half-way through the first period,
as Chandler Bousfield rifled a backhander from the left face-off
circle that bested keeper Scott Gray to the far side. Justin
Frehner and Shawn McKenzie were credited with the assists.
Early pressure by the Aeros to start
the second period forced Scott Ferguson to clear the zone and
take the icing call.
Sarnia got the break they were
looking for as Christian Kerrigan held the puck in at the
blueline and sent it ahead to MacEachern in the slot. From
twenty feet out, at the left hash mark, MacEachern fired the
wrist shot that sailed over the right shoulder of Wood and into
the upper corner of the cord cottage to tie the game at one. The
buzz in the crowd of Sting faithful had not completely subsided
when 24 ticks of the clock later MacEachern struck again. This
time a little dipsy-doo deke to the backhand to fill the yawning
cage. Konnor Harris had saved the puck at the blueline to keep
the play onside and followed that with a pass ahead to Leeam
Ridley. Ridley stick-handled deeper into the zone and shuffled
it over to MacEachern in the slot.
Defensive zone face off in the
Sarnia end after Gray froze the biscuit for the stop in play.
Draw won by Oakridge and good shot from # 10 Bousfield. Puck
taken off the toe and the rebound directed to the corner as the
quick reflexes of Gray took center stage. Oakridge switched
goaltenders, Alex Makrakos in to spell off Wood for the second
half of the skirmish. Hard wrist shot off the stick of Mitch
Hodgins, taken on the shin of the Aeros defenceman and he was
felled by the shot. The face off following a short delay, won by
Marcus Dusseault, straight back and held onside at the line by
Hughson. The left defenceman wound up for the howitzer, snagged
by the gloved hand of Makrakos! Hodgins called for the
interference infraction late in the period and the Aeros took
advantage. A two-on-one saw Bousfield slide the puck across to
Nathaniel Phelps to tie the score at two apiece.
Third period action, four shots on
goal in the first shift alone, highlighted by a goal one minute
and nine seconds in by MacEachern, his third of the contest. The
referee had an arm aloft to signal a delayed penalty call
against the Aeros as the puck was banked in off the boards by
Hughson. Picked up on the wall by VanBilsen and on to MacEachern.
Dean dashed behind the net and stuffed the puck in the short
side on the wrap around. The referee was intent on finishing the
penalty call and did not notice the puck was in the back of the
net. Aeros scooped it out and scrambled to line up at the face
off dot to the right of the goal in an effort to sway the
ruling. The two refs conferred and the signal came with a point
to the center dot to acknowledge the goal, Sting back in the
lead 3-2. Face off at centre ice, won by Oakridge. Right
down the sheet of ice they go and score to even the score again,
just twenty seconds after Sarnia took the lead; the game is back
to a stalemate.
Oakridge took a
penalty for charging at 6:33 of the third but Sarnia was unable
to get the go ahead marker on the power play. An Oakridge
forward carried the puck up the wall, attempting to clear the
zone when he was rocked with a solid shoulder from Kerrigan.
Aeros trainer over the boards to assess the damage and question
the referee, both appear to be fine as play resumed.
A real scare for the Sting to end
the game; Bousfield chipped the puck passed Harris at the blue
line and skated down ice for a two on one. Angled off to the
corner by Kerrigan but managed to send the pass out front to his
line mate. The bang-bang play forced Gray to come up with a big
save with one second remaining on the score clock. Face off to
the right of the Sting net ended this three-three sister kisser.
Unofficial shots on goal had the
Sting in front 31 to 10. |
