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Saturday
November 8, 2008
Flags Split
Weekend Games
Lost in Belle
River on Friday, Pick up Win Over Wallaceburg at
Home
by Deb Lawrence
On Friday the
Flags were hosted by the Belle River Canadiens
and returned home with a 5-1 loss. Facing 40
shots was the losing goaltender Justin
Belanger while Strong got the win for
the home team kicking out 24 of 25 shots faced.
After 20 minutes
of play the Canadiens led by a score of 2-0 on
markers by Bryan Davidson and Matt
Hayward - his coming on the PP when Josh
Teschke was in the box for holding. By the end
of the second period it was a 4-0 lead and
lighting the lamp for the home team was Kevin
Ringrose and Davidson again. In the
final period of play Belle River closed out
their scoring with a goal by Eric Courteaux
at the 16 minute mark and 31 seconds later the
Flags played spoiler to Strong's bid for shut
out. With the Canadiens about to be called for
a penalty the lone goal for Mooretown was scored
by Steve Mercier with assists to Adam
Teschke and Jordan Pennesi.
Shots on goal for
the teams was 12-15-13 for a totally of 40 by
Belle River. Mooretown was 8-5-12 for a total
of 25. The Canadiens were 1 for 6 with the man
advantage while the Flags were 1 for 7.
Saturday was a
very different story. Before a somewhat
animated crowd of over 200 the home town Flags
battled the Wallaceburg Lakes for the win with a
final score of 6 - 5. The starter for the
Lakers was Steve Noyle and picking up the
win for the Flags was newcomer Mason Kulas.
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Although the Flags got off to a slow
start with early play in their own
end they opened the scoring at the
1:11 mark on a Steve Mercier
goal when he received a pass on the
right wing from Cody Chute
and banged it home on the open side
of the net. Wallaceburg replied
with one of their own - 59 seconds
later on a Nash Lozon goal
from Derek Nap. A slight
stoppage in play took place with
just under 15 minutes to go as Kulas
made some adjustments to his skates
- prompting some of the fans to
suggest that the players need to get
back to playing the game! The
Lakers took the lead at 7:03 on a
Derek Nap marker from Chris
Lalonde and Nash Lozon.
The Flags tied it back up at 8:52
and it was Adam Little
trailing the play, picking up the
rebound and sliding it home to light
the lamp to the delight of the home
town fans. Picking up assists were
Mike Burns and Josh
Teschke.
The Flags iced the puck too many
times in the second half of the
period and it would come back to
haunt them - more than once.
Wallaceburg maintained possession of
the puck in Mooretown's end and at
9:05 regained the lead again.
Scoring his second of the period was
Derek Nap with an assist to
Chris Lalonde. |
The Flags had a
couple of good scoring chances but the Lakers
goaltender came up big. As frequently happens,
a goaltender makes a big save and then the team
comes down with a good scoring chance and the
Lakes capitalized. Giving his team a two goal
lead, which they would take to the dressing
room, was Tristan Carswell from Blain
Hopkins and Derek Nap. Shots on
goal: Wallaceburg - 19 Mooretown - 2. No
power play chances for either team as NO
penalties were called during the period.
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In
the second period it appeared
the Flags had found their hockey
skills - skating and passing the
puck, making break out passes
and capitalizing with the man
advantage which is how this
period's scoring started. At
the 6:19 mark Chris Lalonde of
Wallaceburg was called for
slashing and the 3rd best PP in
the league went up against the
second last PK unit and 62
seconds later the Flags were
down by one. Scoring the goal
was Steve Mercier who
potted it from a shot on the
left wing short side. Assists
went to Adam Teschke and
Travis Mullin.
Interference was the minor at
8:42 that would send Nash Lozon
of Wallaceburg to the sin bin
and again the Flags made them
pay - and tying the game at four
goals apiece. Cody Chute
made a pass from behind the net
and found team mate Adam
Teschke out front and he
wasted no time in finding the
back of the net. Also picking
up an assist was Tyler Fraser.
Mooretown regained the lead for
the first time since early in
the game on a Donny Bowling
goal with 56 seconds remaining.
Assists went to Aaron
Schieman and Travis
Mullin.
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At this point
Wallaceburg made a change in goaltenders to
Ryan George and before play resumed Lakers'
Chris Lalonde was assess a minor for
unsportsmanlike conduct as well as a 10 minute
misconduct for same. The Flags would begin the
third period with the man advantage. Shots on
goal: Wallaceburg - 6/25 Mooretown - 19/39.
Wallaceburg had no powerplay chances and
Mooretown was 2 for 3 with the man advantage
this period.
In the final period of play the teams traded
power play goals within the first six minutes of
play. It began with Mooretown's Jeff Paulley
going off at 1:11 for hooking and him being
joined at 2:27 by team mate Raymond Martin who
was called for cross checking. The end result
was 44 seconds of a two man advantage for the
Lakers. Just as Paulley stepped onto the ice,
Jordan Franchuk of Wallaceburg notched
the game at give apiece with assists picked up
by Shawn Lubbers and Rob Pollock.
This goal would negate the balance of Martin's
penalty. Roughing was the call at 5:22 that
sent Kevin Shorts to the sin bin and his stay
there was very short - just 32 seconds to be
exact before Steve Mercier scored his
third of the game - HAT TRICK! with helpers to
Adam Little and Spencer Lightfoot.
It would prove to be the game winner as no further goals were scored. It
appeared that the Flags were about to sport a
two goal lead when one of the players put a shot
on goal but followed the puck into the net - the
goal was waved off. Wallaceburg began to apply
a lot of pressure to get the equalizer and it
resulted in a bit of scrum behind the Flags goal
near the 11 minute mark and resulted in double
roughing minors to each team and Cody Chute of
Mooretown getting an additional two for delay of
game. The extra minor was served by Raymond
Martin. During the final three or four minutes
of the period it appeared the Flags became very
defensive minded and were not adverse to taking
multiple icing calls. Mooretown got one more
power play chance when a slashing call was made
after the stick was taken out of the hands of a
Flag player - nothing came of it. A couple of
players finished the game early - 59.2 seconds
early to be exact - when they were called for
roughing after the whistle as a result of bodies
meeting by the boards behind the Flags tender.
The final buzzer went and the home town fans
cheered the win by their boyz. Shots on goal:
Wallaceburg - 15/40 Mooretown - 12/51. The
Lakers were 1 for 3 with the man advantage this
period and for the game. Mooretown was also 1
for 3 on the power play this period and were 3
for 6 in the game.
Next week
the Flags are home to the Kingsville Comets on
Wednesday the 12th - an 8:00 start.
On Friday
the 14th they travel to Alvinston for an 8:00
match against the Flyers and on Saturday the
15th they take on the Comets in Kingsville.
It's a 7:30 puck drop.
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