The Kincardine PeeWee LL2 Kinucks extended their perfect season on Saturday afternoon with a seventh consecutive victory, but not before clawing their way out of an early deficit, eventually edging the Hanover Falcons by a 4-3 score.
The crowds continue to grow larger as the streak grows longer, and a supportive Davidson Centre home crowd packed the bleachers as the Kinucks brought their spotless 6-0 record into this home tilt against a 1-2-1 Hanover squad. The Falcons, feeling fresh after a recent 3-1 win over Saugeen Shores, came into Kincardine looking to play giant-killer and send the Kinucks faithful home disappointed.
An energetic start by Kincardine saw results with a quick strike three minutes in from Dakota Condie, but was countered almost immediately by an equalizer from Hanover. The second period opened with a second Hanover tally, and the Kinucks now found themselves in an unfamiliar position, trailing an opponent who had clearly come to play. A glance at the surprising scoreline on the game clock, combined with some world-class vocal encouragement from head coach Brian Saunders, was enough to prompt Kinucks skaters to find that “extra gear.”
The result was two more Kincardine goals before the end of the second; with 4:44 remaining, Liam Fitzgerald turned a defenseman the wrong way to earn a break, going backhand-forehand with a nifty deke that bulged the twine and equalized the score. Just two minutes later, Carson Boettinger was the man on the spot, perfectly placed mid-slot to bury a juicy rebound and vault the Kinucks back into a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Coming out of the rooms after the break, both teams served notice that no quarter would be given; a grinding, determined run of play characterized the remainder of this contest. Solid goaltending was a notable feature of this final frame; a number of dangerous threats were calmly turned aside by backstop Kody Collins. Halfway through the third, Percy Antle posted up creating traffic at the top of the Hanover crease, and displayed a deft set of hands in chipping in Kincardine’s fourth goal, some insurance that ended up being sorely needed. Hanover made a game of it, scoring their third to pull within one, but it wasn’t enough – the final buzzer sounding with the Kinucks 4-3 winners, and goalie Collins adding another “W” to his record.
This all sets up to raise the drama as next Wednesday sees an old-time home derby – Kincardine vs Kincardine, LL2 vs LL1 – classmate against classmate, with town bragging rights on the line. Don’t miss this one, sports fans – Wednesday night at 7:00 pm, Davidson Centre, good seats still available!
Final Score: Kincardine 4, Hanover 3
Win: Kody Collins
Scoring: Condie 1 (Fitzgerald, Watson)
Fitzgerald 2 (Pierson)
Boettinger 4 (Condie)
Antle 1 (Cuillerier)
Written by Travis Fitzgerald