Oct 21, 2014 | Heatherb | 714 views
PeeWee LL2 Shutout in Season Opener
The Kincardine PeeWee LL2 Kinucks raised the curtain on their 2014-2015 campaign on Sunday morning
with a convincing 3-0 shutout win over the visiting Walkerton Capitals. A healthy opening day Davidson Centre crowd took in a tight-checking affair that saw defense prevail over offense, with the ice gradually tilting in Kincardine’s favour as the game wore on.
The Capitals, also playing their first game of the year, established themselves quickly with a gap-controlling pressure game that hemmed the Kinucks in their own zone for the first few minutes. Weathering the early onslaught with tight defending and strong saves from goaltender Kody Collins, the Kinucks utilized their speed on the counterattack, with first period goals coming from the sticks of Carson Boettinger and Ben Watson.
With two markers under their belts, the Kinucks were able to push the balance of play back into the Walkerton end. Any first-game nerves were pushed aside as the Kinucks found their flow, moving the puck fluidly around the Capitals zone in search of scoring opportunities. Bailey Pierson was the one to crack the Walkerton armour in the third, putting the game out of reach; with a solid commitment to backchecking and defensive responsibility, the Kinucks were able to preserve the shutout on the back of Collins’ steady positioning and lightning-quick glove hand. Rarely was Collins tested with a rebound, as the defense corps effectively swept any loose pucks out of the danger area.
Despite the limited practice time available to prepare for this game, head coach Brian Saunders was happy with the effort. “I thought the whole team played well; there were some breakdowns in positional play, but overall, a very good game.” Asked about the shutdown defense and goaltending, Saunders offered kudos: “I think our defense and goaltending are going to be strong all season, which will keep us competitive in every game.”
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Kinucks, as their next game (on the road on Sunday, Oct 26) pits them against offense powerhouse TCDMHA, coming off a dominant 10-2 performance over Shallow Lake. Preparation for this stiff test will be crucial, says Saunders: “We will go over some positional things this week. I believe strong skating is key, so we will continue skating drills and practice more shooting. Our defensive game is strong, I think we will just play our game.”
Final Score: Kincardine 3, Walkerton 0
Shutout: Kody Collins
Scoring: Boettinger 1 (Potter)
Watson 1 (Potter, Fitzgerald)
Pierson 1 (unassisted)