Kincardine Atom LL2 played their final game of the season when they hosted Mildmay on 21Mar2009, hoping to avenge a 5-1 loss in Mildmay.
Kincardine played tentatively in the first couple of minutes, with Mildmay pressing hard for an opening goal that came less than two minutes into the game for a 1-0 lead. Kincardine turned the momentum around when Virat (#4) aggressively pursued the puck in the Mildmay zone with help from the Rocket (#2). They kept Mildmay hemmed in their end for thirty seconds due to the sustained pressure and got two quality shots at net. Defensive effort remained strong also as Ryan (#16) dove after the puck in Kincardine's end to clear the zone. Brendan (#10) aggressively held the Mildmay blueline, keeping the puck in to pressure Mildmay while Alex (#8) covered in behind him. Kincardine's efforts finally paid off when Chris (#15) carried the puck in an end-to-end rush, finishing it off with a shot low into the glove side to even the score with less than two minutes left in the period. Kincardine had a final good scoring opportunity when the Rocket (#2) made an excellent pass up centre to spring Virat (#4), who was stopped short of the net by an aggressive Mildmay defence.
The second period saw both teams trying to take the lead as play see-sawed back and forth. Kincardine's best chance came after the Rocket (#2) took the puck into the Mildmay end and centred the puck to Ryan (#16) who was going hard to the net and just missed. Hogan (#11) did a great job of supporting Kincardine's defence at the other end of the ice by coming back hard time and time again to take the puck away from the Mildmay forwards. Mackenzie (#30) played solidly in Kincardine's end, ensuring that pucks coming around the boards cleared the defensive zone. The second period ended with a 1-1 score.
In the third period, Mildmay pushed even harder to score and Kincardine started to show the effects of the fast pace and only 9 skaters. The Mildmay smothering defence that did not allow many Kincardine shots to get through continued. At the other end of the ice with more Mildmay pressure, Brendan (#10) was solid in front of the net on numerous occasions, with good positioning that allowed him to prevent centring passes from causing scoring chances. Alex (#8) constantly moved the puck out of the corner and cleared the blueline by either going up the boards or looking to a clear lane through centre ice. Alex (#1) stood on his head, stopping more than one point blank shot with lightening quick leg saves. Mildmay finally broke through the solid defence with 1:16 to go in the game. Kincardine then pulled their goalie and kept the puck in the Mildmay end with aggressive forechecking by Virat (#4) and Hogan (#11). A shot by Hogan (#11) from the face off circle bounced off a defender to Michael (#6) who was perfectly place in front of the net, but could not get a handle on the puck before a Mildmay defender was able to clear it. The final score ended 1-2 for Mildmay.
Kincardine played a tremendous game with a solid team effort against the team that is likely to advance to the next round. A fantastic positive note for Kincardine Atom LL2 to end the season on. Congratulations, LL2!