Oct 07, 2012 | Steve | 360 views
Novice Kinucks off to a winning start
Mount Forest Rams 2 - Kincardine Kinucks 5
The Home Hardware sponsored Kincardine Kinucks were in a confident mood as they prepared for their league opener against Mount Forest Rams. A convincing 8-3 victory, in an exhibition game against Goderich Sailors, had the team full of confidence. That victory over Goderich was a result of some hard skating from the entire team, with Noah Swann leading the way as he picked up an impressive 5 goals.
The tunes of ACDC pumped out of the Kinucks dressing room, but as they stepped out onto the ice the expectant crowd wondered whether they would indeed prove to be dynamite, like the song suggested..
The Kinucks skated hard from the first puck drop, applying pressure to the Mount Forest goal. After a few minutes they got the opening goal they were looking for. Cody McClelland stole the puck from the defenceman and it broke to Quinten Page, behind the Rams net. Page swiftly wrapped around and slotted the puck home, with a neat finish.
The Kinucks didn't have to wait long for their next goal. Straight from the face off, Quinten Page blasted through the centre of the Mount Forest defence, like a scud missile. 2-0 Kinucks.
With a 2-0 lead, you might have been fooled into thinking that the Kinucks were going to run away with this game. This turned out to be the motivator that Mount Forest were looking for, as they came back strongly, skating hard. During this extended period of pressure, Ryan Tanner in the Kincardine net came up with some big saves. The defensive pairings of Holden Stevenson and Kwade Biesel, as well as Noah Page and Brock Courtney, held strong throughout. The forwards also had to contribute defensively, with Carson Fletcher, Sam MacTavish and Jesse Page all back checking well, to hold off the Rams attack. One of the forwards, Cam Fletcher, made a somewhat unorthodox 'soccer style' slide into the Kinucks net, as goalie Ryan Tanner scrambled out to cover the puck. The tactic proved to pay off as the puck slipped through toward the goal and Fletcher was there to clear it from the blue ice. The teams entered the interval with the Kinucks holding onto a 2-0 lead.
The second period got underway and Mount Forest pulled a goal back through Elliot McCarey. Really, it was a well deserved goal for the Rams and the pressure that they had applied, at that point in the game. The Kinucks then looked to be in further trouble as Jesse Page picked up a 2 minute tripping penalty, which some might say was a little harsh. The Kinucks sent out their penalty killing unit, looking to maintain their slender 2-1 lead. In fact, the opposite happened, as Noah Swann broke forward, cut in from the left wing and fired a bullet shot into the roof of the Mount Forest net. Unassisted and shorthanded, Swann had put the Kinucks into a 3-1 lead and that's how it would stay as they entered the 3rd.
Early in the 3rd period, Swann would make it 4-1 with another unassisted goal and the Kinucks had a little breathing space. It was at this point in the 3rd period that Mount Forest had a couple of one on one chances. However, on both occassions, Ryan Tanner came up with big saves eliminating the Rams hopes of a comeback.
It was Noah Swann who wrapped the game up, making it 5-1 Kinucks and giving him his hat-trick. The impressive contributions from McClelland and Stevenson were rewarded, as they picked up assists in this well worked Kinucks goal.
Mount Forest proved to be no push overs. They weren't quite finished and picked up a consolation goal through Mason Eurig.
Overall, an excellent start for a hard working Kincardine Kinucks team.