After losing the first two games of the five-game
O.M.H.A. Play Down series to the Tillsonburg Tornadoes, Louie’s Pizza and Pasta
took their place at centre ice to face-off for game 3, Monday, February 3, at
the Ingersoll District Memorial Arena. When
the buzzer sounded to end the period, Louie’s was losing the game 2-0. It looked as if Tillsonburg would sweep the
series, but looks can be deceiving.
The second period had just barely started when Louie’s #16 Tanner Moon would pass the puck to #8 Brady Shapton who made of the opportunity. At 7:29, Tillsonburg would make the score 3-1. Louie’s would make a goaltending change; #30 Ryan Calder would replace #1 Noah Robinson. The change seemed to charge the team’s momentum when, at 1:46, #9 Nick Likins, with some help from Shapton, would make the score 3-2, which is where it remained until Louie’s #10 Aaron Lonsberry scored a solo shot at 8:01 of the third period. There would be overtime.
Just three minutes into the overtime period, Louie’s #15 Tyler Goyette would make a sizzling slap-shot from outside the Tillsonburg blue line, launching the puck past the Tillsonburg net-minder, earning Louie’s the overtime 4-3 win and making the series 2-1. There would be a game 4.
Two days later, Louie’s was greeted by a highly charged atmosphere as they skated onto the ice surface of the Tillsonburg Memorial Arena. Louie’s offense dominated the first period. The effort was rewarded at 9:13, when #17 Ryan Cooper and #6 Eric Savoie would lend their services to #7 Tyler Arts, who scored the game’s first and only goal. For three full periods, Louie’s net-minder #30 Ryan Calder would stand firm between the pipes. Tillsonburg would pull their goalie in the last minute of the third, but Calder never flinched, helping his team earn the 1-0 win. This five game series now came down to one game. Tillsonburg would return to Ingersoll for game 5, Thursday, February 6.
Only three nights earlier, it appeared that game 5 would not be played; Tillsonburg was up 2-0 at the end of the first. On this night though, it was Louie’s Pizza and Pasta who led by two goals as the first period ended. At 5:52, Louie’s line of Savoie, Cooper and Arts would serve up the first goal, when Savoie put the puck past the Tillsonburg net-minder. As the period drew to a close, Savoie would put the puck on the stick of Arts, who made the score 2-0, with only seconds remaining. Louie’s was playing well, backed by Calder in net.
Midway through the second period, Louie’s would encounter a total defensive breakdown in their own end, allowing Tillsonburg to score three goals in just over one minute. Coach Craig Robinson opted to change his net-minder; #1 Noah Robinson would replace Calder. Robinson would also call a time-out to help focus his team. There would be no more scoring in the second period.
With the score 3-2, every player on the ice knew that game 5 was up for grabs for either team. This five-game series became a four minute, thirty-five second series after Louie’s #2 Colin Weller-Burgess put the puck on the stick of #8 Brady Shapton who made the score 3-3 at 4:35 of the third period. As the game’s pace elevated, so too did the level of play and, sometimes, this can lead to penalties; at 1:31, Louie’s Tanner Moon would be called for interference. Tillsonburg would execute their strong power-play for the remainder of the period and would gain possession of the puck on a failed icing attempt by Louie’s; then, in a signature-style move, the Tillsonburg offense would take the puck behind the net and score at .56. As the buzzer sounded, the score was 4-3 in favour of Tillsonburg.
This series was championship hockey at its best. Louie’s came back from a two-game deficit and took the series to the fifth and final game against the Tillsonburg Tornadoes, a team that Louie’s was never able beat in regular season. Even though their O.M.H.A. quest has come to an end, the 2013-2014 season is not over. Louie’s will now take their focused and well-executed style of hockey into league playoffs. For game times, visit Schedule & Results