Aug 27, 2012 | dblack | 1424 views
Reason For Optimism After First Game Ever
After a fast and spirited practice on Saturday, the Highlanders travelled to Listowel to play the Huron-Perth Lakers Sunday afternoon. The room was alive with excitment as the players prepared themselves for the game. However, their was an underlying anxiousness that can afflict even the professionals for such a big game. It was the Highlanders first game EVER as a team. The Lakers were consolation finalists in the Alliance Loop last season, so the Highlanders arrived with modest expectations knowing the Laker experience.
At 4:00 Sunday afternoon, the puck dropped and it was "GAME ON". The Highlanders displayed some early jitters that inhibited the flow of the game. However, Coach Goldie rolled through the lines quickly to allow every player a feel for the ice and a chance to remove some butterflies. The Lakers kept coming as the Highlanders found there game. At the 12:27 mark the Lakers found the back of the net to take the lead. With this being a new team, you could see the tension amongst the spectators not knowing how the Highlanders would respond. The Highlander fans were pleasantly surprised. Not long after that Laker goal, the jitters had subsided and suddenly the momentum had shifted. The Highlanders were taking the game to the Lakers. After several chances, Crowley pounced on a rebound and knotted the game with 5:01 remaining in the first. The Highlanders skated stride for stride with the Lakers as the first period ended in a 1-1 tie.
Early in the 2nd, the Highlanders had two powerplay opportunities. Although the Highlanders had several chances, they were denied. Shortly after, the Lakers struck with their own power play marker to regain the lead. The flow of the game improved as players slowly got used to their line mates. The Highlanders continued to press the attack and were finally rewarded. Calhoun had tied the game with 6:32 remaining in the second. This goal seemed to give the Highlanders a boost. They slowly began to dominate the game and Crowley completed his hat trick by scoring 3:00 minutes apart with some accidental help from the Laker Defense. The Highlanders found themselves with a 4-2 lead late in the 2nd. As the second wound down, the Lakers started playing with some desperation. They picked up their game and closed the gap to one with 1:38 remaining in the second. The score would remain 4-3 through two periods.
The third period began much like the second. The Highlanders were buzzing all around the Lakers net producing several chances. Many scrambles ended in the goal mouth sometimes with 6 or 7 players fighting for that loose puck. However, the Highlanders were not able to extend the lead. This proved costly, as the Lakers managed to tie the game at four with 15:44 left to play. With all the chances the Highlanders had only to see the lead vanish, even the sharpest hockey minds would not have been surprised to see a major letdown from the Highlanders. Again, the opposite happened. The Highlanders continued to press in the Laker zone. This time, the results were much different. After some great puck movement, the puck ended up on Leblanc's stick and he made no mistake. The Highlanders were back in the lead with 12:36 to go. The game continued back and forth until the Highlanders found themselves back on the powerplay with 9:05 to play. A pattern was starting to develope. The Highlanders produced a flurry of chances while on the powerplay and again were denied. With 6:42 left to play, the Highlanders were penalized for tripping. Could this be the opportunity the Lakers needed? The Lakers managed a few shots, however, the penalty was over and the Highlanders still found themselves in the lead. With under 5 minutes to play and just having killed a penalty, the Highlanders may have been thinking this game was over. If each team was allowed a "Mulligan" and could cancel 1 minute from every game they played the results would have been different. Our "Mulligan" would have started at the 4:07 mark of the third when the Lakers scored. This goal, tying the game at 5, came off a rocket of a shot from the top of the circle that found the top corner. The Lakers would score again at the 3:28, 3:20 and 3:07 mark to take an 8-5 lead. Yet again, the Highlanders would not give up. They collected themselves and were able to get one back to pull within two. Crowley had netted his fourth of the game and still 2:13 to play. Shortly after, with the Highlanders pressing, the Lakers took another penalty. Could we be witnessing a miraculous comeback for the first game ever played by these boys? Anyone walking into the arena at his moment would have thought it was game 7 of a playoff series. The powerplay started and the Highlander boys went to work. They continued to press, producing several chances yet couldn't squeeze one through. The clock was now under a minute and the Highlanders pulled their goalie in favor of a sixth attacker. Fighting right to the end, the game ended fittingly with several players from each team standing in the Lakers crease fighting for a loose puck.
Looking back over the game, it was a better start to the season than anyone could have anticipated. The team showed great speed and puck movement. From the goalies out, this game produced several positives to build upon. The parents of these boys should have every reason to feel optimistic about the upcoming season.