Jan 18, 2016 | ghammond | 882 views
Louie's Pizza Bantam Rep team starts OMHA playoffs
The Ingersoll Express Bantams started off OMHA playoffs with a busy weekend playing three games in twenty-four hours against the Port Colborne Sailors.
The first game had the Express host Port Colborne in Ingersoll at the Madhouse on Mutual Saturday night. As with every playoff series both of these teams showed up hungry for that all important first win. The first period was back and forth hockey while both teams felt each other out. The scoreboard remained blank until the Sailors struck first at 3:52 scoring the only goal that period. The Sailors struck two more times in the 2nd moving up on the Express 3-0. Later in the 2nd period the Express started to build up some steam then Justin Holmes put Ingersoll on the board with a wrap around assisted by Alex Foster. With only a few seconds left in the 2nd Holmes buried a one timer for his 2nd of the game assisted by Daniel Martineau and Foster putting the Express within one headed into the 3rd. The clock only got down to 11:04 when Foster tied the game 3-3 scoring unassisted putting away his own rebound. The rest of the period would prove to be a wild ride with neither team scoring sending the game into overtime. The overtime period was nearly over and it was looking like the game was going to end in a tie until Maxx Shelton scored from behind the net assisted by Holmes with 1:15 left giving the first game to the Express.
The next morning Ingersoll was up early to head to Port Colborne to play the Sailors twice in one day. The Express would be short defencemen Matt Berzins and Keegan Purdy due to injuries and games would be played on Olympic size ice so the Express would have to adjust their game accordingly . The first two periods showed a close fast game but no points were put up going into the 3rd period. At 11:47 Holmes went bar down on a shot assisted by Hammond and Foster putting Ingersoll up 1-0. With only a minute left in the game Hammond passed Port Colborne's goalie who was on his way to the bench to make it 2-1 with a empty net goal. With only .26 left on the clock Parker Hodgson blew pass the defense to get Ingersoll another empty net goal to end the game 3-0. Goalie Logan White played a great game getting a shut out with help in the back end from defense Tanner Gray, Daniel Martineau, Nathan Graham and Ian Fraser.
Game number three came a short few hours later with the Express back out on the big ice. This game would prove to be the most intense yet with Port Colborne needing a win. Early in the 1rst Holmes got yet another goal scoring from the top of the circle assisted by Foster and Martineau 1-0 Express. The Sailors got a fluke in the net early in the 2nd to tie up the game going into the 3rd. At 10:20 in the 3rd Graham spotted Hodgson up the ice hitting him with a pass he took in and undressed the goalie with the game winner 2-1 Express! The rest of the game became more and more intense but Ingersoll stood their ground and Express forwards Clayton Hammond, Justin Holmes, Alex Foster, Liam Knox, Symon Hutcheson, Maxx Shelton, Parker Hodgson, Dayton Racicot and Nolan Costa played smart and kept Port Colborne in check. Carson Rachar played a great game in net with the only goal being beyond his control.
The Bantam rep team has some Southern Counties games to play while they wait for the outcome of the OMHA round between Paris, Ayr and Simcoe to see who they play next. Go Express!