Loyalist Jets 4 - Kincardine Kinucks 5
Saturday morning saw the Kincardine Kinucks take on the Loyalist Jets. Team morale was at an all time high following a pulsating victory over London, the previous night. However, the Jets would be no push over, as they too had won their opening game against the host team, the Dorchester Dragons.
As much as the Kinucks can rely upon the electrifying skill and speed of Noah Swann to put the puck in the the net, they have also benefited from an incredibly reliable goaltending partnership. Kwade Beisel and Ryan Tanner will be the pairing now known as the 'Berlin Wall'. This game was to be the turn of Ryan Tanner and he had big skates to fill, following Beisel's performance the night before!
The Kinucks would start strongly in this game, racing into an early lead. Noah Swann was developing a monopoly on goal scoring and that was going to continue in this match-up. Any wins to date had certainly been hard fought. The players were applying so much physical effort, it was not unusual for them to pick up the occasional penalty as a result of the hard skating style. This is where they had to dig in, and this one would be no different, with power-forward Sam MacTavish sitting out a two minute penalty in the first period.
The Kinucks would lead 2-1 at the end of the first period. Both goals were collected by Noah Swann. The second of the two was picked up as Swann latched onto a Cody McClelland rebound, following an impressive end to end rush by the defenseman. McClelland continues to be simply superb, and it is becoming almost an expectation, in every game.
Not for the first time this season the opposing defenses simply could not handle the speed and skill of Noah Swann. The prolific centre man continued his normal goal scoring business. As the game wore on, the parents in the crowd started to joke that the goal would only allow shots in from Swann. Kwade Beisel, Jared Houghton, Jesse Page, Quinton Page and Brock Courtney all had gilt edged chances that miraculously did not go into the Jets net!
It continued to be a battle out on the ice, with Quinton Page picking up a two minute cross checking penalty, the Kinucks hung onto a 4-3 lead. Goal scorers? Noah Swann remained unstoppable, with all four, and a second assist going to the excellent Cody McClelland.
As much as you can expect these performances from McClelland, you also know what you're getting from Noah Page and Holden Stevenson. These 'stay at home' defensemen are a basis for the team to press forward with confidence.
Late in the third period, the Kinucks seemed to be fairly comfortable. Sitting with a 5-3 lead and two minutes remaining, victory seemed within their grasp. Unfortunately, Lance Brown had other ideas and he fired one in for the Jets, to make it 5-4.
It was at this point when panic set in for the onlooking crowd. The Jets broke through, from their own zone and skated toward Ryan Tanner, one on one. Surely, Tanner couldn't do the same as the other member on the 'Berlin Wall' did, the night before? This was going to be 5-5 and no doubt. In a move, for which I am beginning to lose superlatives, Tanner focused on the incoming Jet and made a breathtaking pad save, with the forward trying a nice deke. Denied by Tanner!
This final minute was not for the faint hearted as the bodies simply flew in front of the Kinucks net. Nobody seemed to be able to clear the zone. Tired legs and a long shift saw Noah Swann, Cam Fletcher, Brock Courtney and Carson Fletcher desperately blocking shots.
The buzzer went before my heart gave out! 5-4 Kinucks and a simply devastating 5 goals from Noah Swann. Coupling that with an ever growing team ethic, the Kinucks were moving on up!!
The most hard working player award? Noah Page.. Superb!