KINCARDINE — The novice houseleague black and blue squads have a history of tight games, and Saturday morning's tilt at the Davidson Centre was no exception.
The Tiverton OldDiggers-sponsored Black Attack, known for its slow starts of late, got off to a quick one on this day, with Casey Biesel streaking in but being turned away by blue's Jacob McKitterick.
David Ulak got the Attack on the board, picking up a loose puck in front and somehow getting past McKitterick and barely over the goal-line.
Justin Shields made a great play for blue before the first period was over, sweeping a Biesel backhand away from danger in the crease.
But the fleet-footed Biesel wasn't to be denied and her speed paid off early in the second period as she got past the blue defence and, from a tough angle on the right side, buried a perfect shot just inside the left post to put the Attack up 2-0.
Kole McCormick thwarted a 2-on-1 as black's Nathan Arnold and Ulak steamed over the blue-line, a play that turned out to be an important one as the teams headed into the third period.
Blue's Caydence Gibson and Attack goalie Andrew McKay — making his season debut between the pipes — had a running battle going in this game, with the speedy Gibson getting chances throughout the game.
Gibson finally ended the shutout early in the third period, then, with just 1:15 remaining in the game, she broke in to knot it at 2-2 after her team had just finished killing off a penalty.
It was a well-played game that could have gone either way and the tie was a fitting ending.