Sitting on the edge of our seats, the fans were immersed in the action during the double header back and forth battle between the Waste Management Peewees and the Welland Southern Tier Admirals on Saturday December 10th.
In the first game, the Highlanders finished the first period with a 1-1 tie. Fantastic goal from Jacob Lee with an assist from defenseman Danny Skinner. In the second the Highlander’s line of Dalton Black, Eric Charlebois, and Mitchell Newson scrambled in front of the net, finally catching a break when Newson popped it in the net for the go ahead goal, with assists going to Black and Charlebois. Defence were on fire and kept the very large and intimidating Welland Peewees out of the zone. Jack Armstrong held strong in the second and the teams would leave for the flood ahead with a 2-1 game.
Back on the ice for the third, the Welland team answered back with a quick goal making it a 2-2 tie. Back and forth the teams would go in the 3rd with the Highlanders scoring with a top shelf zinger from Will Rickerby set up by linemates Noah Johnson and Jacob Lee. The very close game ended in a 4-3 win for Welland, but the Highlanders were primed for the re-match to follow in 2 short hours!
Facing off again the teams were playing hard and the Waste Management Peewees would put on another spectacular hockey game for the fans. The team welcomed back Brady Coburn who sat the first game from a penalty call the previous weekend. A skilled and talented player with a fresh set of legs would help the Highlanders over the next 40 minutes of hockey.
Back and forth the battle went. The first period would go to the Welland team as they put one in leaving a one goal lead after the first period. Defensive plays in the second by Thompson, Urbshott, Reeves and Swanton and a big hit from Maddock made key differences in the second as the Highlanders tied it up with a rebound goal from Will Rickerby, assisted by Noah Johnson and Jacob Lee. Off the teams would go for the flood with a 1-1 tie on the board.
For 10 minutes of hockey in the 3rd period the teams would remain tied, the fans would remain on the edge of their seats, and the teams would dig deep for their 6th period of hockey for the day. Solinger and Feighan continued to deliver aggressive forward play looking for a break in the offensive end. Outstanding play again from Arstrong between the pipes would make it difficult for Welland to score, but with only 5 minutes left they slipped one in the net for the go ahead goal. With less than 2 minutes, Highlanders coaches pulled the goalie for one last heroic effort and put on tenacious Troy Weber who had been an offensive star this day, but with an unlucky bounce for the Highlanders, the Welland team would sink an empty net goal to finish the game.
The team has little rest as they take on Hamilton on Sunday December 11 at the Chesley arena at 4:00. The team wishes goalie Tyler Atkinson a speedy recovery on his injured arm.