Mar 20, 2011 | drupert | 1689 views
Express continue their roll through SCMHA playoffs
Since the last writing, the Searles Motor Products Novice Rep team have completed their Southern Counties Minor Hockey playoff round robin, and are preparing for their berth in the semi-finals.
The OMHA playdowns ended with a bang, with the Express losing to Port Colborne in the 2nd and 3rd games of their best of 5 by a single goal each game (4-3 and 5-4 respectively). It set the team up with the confidence needed to run through their Southern Counties round robin and work towards the SCMHA Novice Rep B Division Championships. Having previously defeated Paris, Burford and Port Dover, the Express took on Paris once again on February 24. The team went ahead quickly, and looked to have the game in hand, but Paris took the Express by surprise with their unwillingness to concede the game, and in the end were able to tie it up 4-4.
March 3 saw the Express hosting Glanbrook, a team which had seemed to have the Express' number this season. And the Rangers dominance of Ingersoll continued, as they skated away with a 7-2 victory.
March 7 was a chance for Ingersoll to rebound from the tough loss to Glanbrook, and rebound they did. In a game in which they were able to dominate Waterford in every category, Ingersoll responded to their loss to Glanbrook with an 8-2 victory over visiting Waterford.
Saturday, March 19 brought a chance for Ingersoll to once again show that they are able to skate with the Glanbrook team. Unfortunately the team was playing shorthanded, with 3 of their regulars out of the lineup due to March Break committments. Josh Clark and Davin Gray were called up to help the team out, and did a great job, but it wasn't enough. Ingersoll just couldn't match the speed of a couple of Glanbrook's players, and again fell in regulation, this time by a score of 6-1.
There was no time to wallow though, as the team had to buck up and face Tillsonburg on Sunday, March 20. The team went into the game knowing that a win would likely put them in 2nd or 3rd place for the round robin, but also knowing that in their last visit to Tillsonburg they were shut down and outscored 2-1. This time was different from the outset though, with Ingersoll quickly getting on the board with goals by Parker Hodgson, Ethan Vlemmix and Brennan Rupert. The teams then played through a scoreless second, but in the third Ingersoll put the game away with goals by Vlemmix and Aidan Berto. Clark and Gray again played for the Express, and did not appear at all out of place, with both playing great games. Tillsonburg added a late goal in the third to break the shutout effort, but Ingersoll skated away with the 5-1 victory, claiming a total of 11 of a possible 16 points in the playoff round robin.
Once the scores are submitted to OMHA, the next round of the playoffs will be announced, and the next game for the Searles Motor Products Ingersoll Express will be set. Aside from their upcoming playoff game, the Express next face action on Saturday, March 26 in Mt. Forest, where they will play in the Mt. Forest Invitational Tournament. Ingersoll's games are scheduled for 10:10 am against Drayton, and 1:20 pm against Kincardine.