The Verspeeten Cartage Peewee Local League Express
continued their strong play with a win and a tie over the past week, extending
their unbeaten streak to 5 games.
Hosting the Simcoe Warriors #1 team last Tuesday, the boys started strong taking a 1-0 lead early in the first period on a goal by Aaron Lahey assisted by Alex Georgiou. The play continued back and forth but neither team could score until Simcoe evened the game early in the second period. Cameron White replied for the home town crew at the midway point of the second on an unassisted effort. The Express held a 2-1 lead heading to the final period.
Simcoe scored quickly to tie the game and then followed with another to take their first lead of the game with 5 minutes to play. Adam Klotz recorded his first goal as he pounced on a rebound in front of the net. Drawing assists were Jacob MacArthur and Parker Huitema. Simcoe regained the lead less than a minute later but the Verspeeten boys didn’t quit. Fifteen seconds after falling behind, Huitema ripped one from the blue line which deflected past the Warriors goalie. The Express continued to pressure the Simcoe team over the final two minutes but couldn’t get the winner. The game ended in a 4-4 tie.
The Verspeeten team traveled to Waterford Saturday to take on the Wildcats #1 team. The boys were a little sluggish out of the gate but eventually got rolling. In the second period, Emmitt Robinson rapped in a loose puck in front of the Wildcats’ net to take a 1-0 lead. Huitema assisted on the goal. Robinson then extended the lead to 2-0 with his second of the afternoon, again pulling the puck from a scrum in front of the net and firing it home, this time assisted by Klotz.
Lahey put the Express further in front with another goal coming from a scramble in front of the Waterford goal again assisted by Klotz. Robinson completed the hat trick later in the third to put the Verspeeten boys ahead 4-0. Klotz drew his third assist of the game on the play. Waterford tried to rally, scoring on a breakaway midway through the third, but Clifford replied assisted by Georgiou and Lahey to restore the 4 goal lead. The game ended in a 5-1 victory for the Express who now look to extend their unbeaten streak to six games this week as they return to Waterford to face the Wildcats #2 squad.