Stephens Equipment Highlanders Gain Seven of Possible Eight Points Over Two Weeks
On the first weekend of February the Stephens Equipment Highlanders had three games on the schedule, with the double-header booked for Saturday in Chesley – hosting the Niagara Falls Rivermen; and a late Sunday afternoon match in Burlington against the Eagles which conflicted with the Super Bowl game for any NFL football fans. Luckily the power outage at the Super Dome delayed the game long enough so that those listening to it on the radio got the opportunity to watch most of the last quarter on TV once they reached the comfort of their couches.
The first game on Saturday started off slowly and it wasn't until early in the second period
that the first goal was scored when Tyler Rolfe performed a Savardian Spinarama by the left boards and firing a low shot at the net that surprised the Niagara goalie. Ethan Skinner picked up the assist on the play. A few minutes later while killing a penalty
Brady Anderson retrieved a puck misplayed by the visiting team's goalie and set
up Jordan Vanhaelemeesch for an easy open net goal to give the Highlanders a
2-0 lead. The Highlanders potted another
two goals before the end of the second period - Anderson and Ben Van Ooteghem
each earning a notch in their stick to lead the Highlanders into the third
period with a 4-0 lead. Brenden Welsh,
Nick Redman, Skinner and Andrew Turnbull recorded helpers on the goals.
Nearing the end of the game the Highlanders had the advantage of a power play and Garrett McFadden nailed one for a 5-0 lead, the assists coming from Van Ooteghem and Kyle Betts. Tyler Rolfe scored his second goal of the game a minute later, assisted by Nathan
Roy, to end the game with a 6-0 shutout win for goalie Nick Redman.
The second match
of the double header got off to a quick start with two goals early in the first
period and a third goal with four seconds left in the same frame. The first two were scored by Skinner, with
the one scored on a rebound from a Van Ooteghem shot - also assisted by
Turnbull - and the other goal came on a nice stretch pass from Graydon McArthur
that sent Skinner in alone on the break away.
Goal number three came from Caleb Stephens, assisted by Trevor Nevidomskis. Late in the second period Betts potted what
turned out to be the final goal of the game, helped by Anderson and Carter
Franks. Tyler Fassl recorded the
shut-out win.
On Saturday the
9th of February, the Highlanders hosted the Guelph Storm in their final home
game of regular season play. This
weekend ended up being a one-gamer, as our Friday night game in Oakville was
cancelled due to weather. That game will
be made up Thursday night February 21st in the Oakville Arena with an 8:00 pm start.
The first period of the Guelph game started with the home team hemming the Storm in their own end for the majority of the play, but it wasn't until the last four minutes of the period that things started to happen.
Hunter Robins-Gibbons opened the scoring with a quick release from the
point that got partially deflected on its way into the net. Then in the next
shift, Vanhaelemeesch potted two goals, with Turnbull assisting on both and
Anderson on the second one. Before the
first period was over the Storm broke the goose egg with seven seconds left,
sending the Highlanders into the second period with a 3-1 lead.
Late in the middle frame of the second, Kyle Betts was sent in alone with the puck and snapped the rubber disc into the top part of the net for a 4-1 Grey-Bruce lead. Van Ooteghem, Brenden
Welsh and Jamison Buck assisted on the play.
Late in the third period, Guelph was awarded a penalty shot, but Tyler
Fassl stayed focused and played it right, making the save to ensure a 4-1 win
for the Highlanders.