Kincardine MTC Computer LL1 Atoms vs. Ripley Wolves
On December 6th the Kincardine
MTC Computer LL1 Atom Kinucks travelled to Ripley to face the Wolves. The team was coming off a strong performance
the previous week and were anxious to see if they could keep it going.
Both teams were a bit tentative off the start with both spending time stuck in their own end. Then off a face-off to the right of Kincardine goalie Nathan Desmond, Ripley’s Wyatt Wilken won the draw and was able to sneak one under Nathan’s leg for the opener. Kincardine began to press hard for the equalizer but allowed Tyler Pollard to get to a loose puck and break in free but was thwarted by Nathan. The MTC clearing attempt was stopped at the line by Reid Pollock who got it back to Pollard who, this time, made no mistake to put Ripley up 2-0. Pollard struck again right off the ensuing faceoff and split the defense to break in alone and beat Nathan to go up 3-0. Kincardine followed with sustained pressure and Pollard again scooped up a loose puck and looked to get away. But this time Adam Nasime broke it up and fed Mitchell Hackett who finished a strong move to the net by picking the top corner to get MTC back in the game 3-1.
Early in the 2nd Kincardine had the pressure on and were working hard to get within 1 but when both defensemen got caught pinching at the same time Ripley got away on a 3 on 0 break. Eve Snobelen kept the puck and got around the Kinuck goalie to restore their 3 goal lead. Much of the continuing play in the second period took place in the neutral zone with both teams making occasional forays into the other’s zone. Late in the period a push by Ripley led to a scramble in front where Hannah MacDonald slipped one past a screened Nathan Desmond.
The Kinucks began to dominate play in the 3rd period as they tried desperately to get themselves back into the game. While Owen Kirk and Kaiden Ford made strong plays to hold the puck in the Ripley zone, Charlie Hall Elwood, Liam Hunter, and Lucas Watson all had good chances that were turned back by Brandon Holland in the Ripley net. Ripley’s Wyatt Wilken broke away again but was turned back by Ryan Bytheway. Thomas Ostrowski jumped on the loose puck and fed Mitchell Hackett up the middle forcing Tyler Pollard to trip him up and draw a penalty. On the power-play, Hall Elwood quickly sprung Hackett for a breakaway but was stopped by Holland as was a wrap around attempt by Isaiah Wencel. As the power play was coming to an end Ripley’s Halle Armstrong broke away but the play was halted by a back checking Bryan Nicholson. Emerson Driboj grabbed the loose puck for a clear shot that was handled by Nathan D. The puck was cleared but Wyatt Wilken came right back in only to be turned back by Nathan again. Kincardine began to dominate again as Liam Hunter fed Kaiden Ford in front and forced a good stop from the Ripley tender. Bryan Nicholson broke up a clearing attempt off the following faceoff and fed Adam Nasime in front for nice goal to keep Kincardine hopes alive. Ripley quickly got that one back however, as Kirsten Feldmann knocked a puck loose from a scramble in front of the MTC net that Wyatt Wilken banged in the corner. The Kinucks did not give up and continued to try to get back in the game with constant pressure in the last minute Liam Hunter worked hard behind the net and quickly fed Victor Cox in front, but he was unable to convert the final scoring chance of the game. The MTC Computer Atom LL1 Kinucks played a strong game and looked much better than the 6-2 result would indicate.