Coming off a solid 2-1 win over the Kitchener Jr. Rangers earlier in the week, the HPL PeeWees split their weekend matches after two close games against Hamilton and Chatham-Kent.
On Saturday, the Lakers traveled to Hamilton to face the Hamilton Reps. This was the 3rd time the two teams had met in regular season play and, as with past games, the outcome was in doubt until the end. The team fell behind late in the first period when they gave up a fluky goal while on the power play. A blocked shot in the Hamilton end, bounced to centre ice resulting in a Hamilton breakaway and goal.
The score remained this way until early in the 3rd when some strong penalty killing by the tandem of Matt McCracken and Greg Scott resulted in the game’s 2nd short-handed goal. McCracken, picking up his 4th goal in 3 games, swept around from the back of the net and tucked a low shot behind the Hamilton goalie. Scott picked up the lone assist. Unfortunately, the tie was short-lived as Hamilton came right back, scoring 10 seconds later while still on the power play. The play was close as the Referee did not see the puck go in the net and had to confer with the Linesmen before awarding the goal. Regretfully, the video replay link to the Alliance Office in Stratford was unavailable!
Hamilton increased their lead to 2 goals with just under 5 minutes to play when some sloppy defensive zone coverage by the 5 players on the ice left Lakers' goalie Joe Metzger at the shooter’s mercy. Showing their usual resilience however, the team pulled to within 1 with just over 21 seconds remaining when Iain Donnelly picked up a lose puck in the Hamilton zone and roofed the shot. Assists went to McCracken and Greg Williams. The team then had one more gasp with an offensive zone face-off with just over 14 seconds remaining; however, Hamilton gained possession and shot the puck the length of the ice, into the net, capping off their 4-2 victory.
On Sunday, the Lakers returned home to face the Chatham Kent Cyclones. Picking up with the same intensity they ended the Hamilton game the day before with, the team got an early goal less than 2 minutes into the game. Jayden Landry cashed home a rebound off a shot from Cole Ciccone. Ciccone had re-directed a nice centering pass from Williams after the line had brought the puck into the Cyclone’s zone with some nice 3-way passing. Despite out-shooting the Cyclones 28-12 for the balance of the game, the single, 1st period goal was the only puck to get behind either goalie, with the game ending 1-0. Metzger, playing his second straight game, picked up the shut-out, his second of the year.
The team’s next game is in Cambridge, when they travel to play the Hawks on November 20th.