The Highlanders played some of their most entertaining hockey of the season on the weekend against the Niagara Rivermen and the Southern Tier Admirals. A triple header weekend saw them face off twice against the Rivermen on Saturday followed by the showcase game on Sunday against their Welland-based rivals, the Admirals.
In the two games on Saturday, the
Highlanders dominated the Rivermen. The
Rivermen scored early in the first period of the opening game and that would be
it as the Highlanders netted 4 unanswered goals in the first game and continued
with 8 more unanswered in the second. Of
note every Highlander skater picked up at least one point in the trouncing and 7
of the 12 goals were scored on the power play.
Over the 2 games, the Highlanders limited the Rivermen to just 23 shots while
directing 75 shots at the Niagara goal. Nick
Redman recorded the Highlander shutout.
Less than 24 hours later the
Highlanders faced the second place Admirals which was expected to be a much
more competitive and spirited match and it lived up to the billing. The players from both clubs treated the fans
to a fast paced, hard hitting, end to end, action-packed game with few whistles
or penalties – the way hockey is meant to be played. In fact, the game was so intense that the energy
could be felt in the arena lobby long after the game had ended.
Although the Highlanders ended up
on the losing end it had nothing to do with their play but had more to do with bad
luck. The Highlanders outshot the Admirals 18 to 13
but could not get the goal they needed to get the point they deserved. A scoreless game mid-way through the third,
the tie was finally broken by Southern Tier when the puck found its way into
the top of the Highlander goal from a shot in close. The bad luck continued for the Highlanders late
in the game when Grey-Bruce was unable to capitalize on the power play and on several
goal-mouth scrambles, allowing the Admirals to skate away with the 1-0 victory.
The Highlanders continue their
league play on Wednesday, November 21 when they visit the Brampton 45’s
followed by a tilt against the Halton Hurricanes on Sunday, November 25 at the
Chesley Community Centre at 1:00 p.m.
Article submitted by Dave Van Ooteghem