In the back end of a home and home series, the Ingersoll
Express Bantam AE Rep Team, sponsored by Thamesford Pizza, evened its Southern
Counties record Wednesday night with a hard fought 3-1 road victory over the
Simcoe Warriors.
After losing the opening game of the series to the Warriors
the visitors looked much sharper and focused during Wednesday night’s action
and were backstopped by some key goaltending from Dawson Sharpe.
Throughout the game Sharpe made some incredible saves to hold the home side to just one goal in 40 minutes of action. Sharpe was pivotal in the final moments of the third period when the Warriors pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. The Warriors pressure created three excellent scoring opportunities that saw Sharpe come up with a save on a point blank chance in front of the net. The Warriors followed that up with a shot off the crossbar and moments later the Warriors watched as the visitors goalie made another save and with the loose puck lying in the crease of a wide open net saw Express defenceman Caleb Clifford clear the puck away and preserve the victory.
CALEB WITH THE EARLY RUSH
Clifford started off the game early for the Express with a nice end to end rush that resulted in the game’s first scoring opportunity. Ingersoll’s only mistake of the game came late in the first period when the Warriors sent a long break out pass down the wing. The Simcoe player picked up the puck and appeared to have skated too far into the zone. The shot, from a bad angle, beat Sharpe short side as it looked like the net minder was cheating on the play and came off his post early. That was the only time the home side would beat him.
DAWSON AND THE D.
The Express would take less than a minute to get back on even terms. With 0:40 left in the opening period winger Joey Parkhill would send center Matt Overreem in with a nice pass entering the Warriors zone. Overreem went in and was stopped by the Warriors goal tender but a rebound was sitting loose and Parkhill following up on the play beat the goalie to send the game into the second period tied 1-1.
The game would stay tied heading into the third. Each team had opportunities in the second on the power play but neither could capitalize. Early in the third period the Express would get their third power play of the game just 1:02 in. Less than a minute into the advantage Ingersoll center Evan Wade would win an offensive zone faceoff. Winger Ben Scott found the puck and sent it back to the blue line for defenceman Colin VanDyk. VanDyk would take a stride in off the line and let a wrist shot go that beat the Warriors goalie over the blocker to give the visitors the lead.
BEN ON THE HUNT!
ISAIAH, MATT, AND KIEGHAN APPLYING PRESSURE CAUSING TURNOVER.
The last six minutes of the game saw the Ingersoll side battle the Warriors to maintain the lead. With 5:30 left in the game the Express found themselves down two skaters giving the Warriors the opportunity to tie the game. The goaltending and penalty killers did not break and held the lead. The Warriors then pulled their goalie in the last two minutes for an extra attacker and with 0:07 left in the game forward Matt Molnar would add an empty net goal from just over the red line to seal the game.
The Thamesford Pizza squad is in action next on Sunday Oct. 22 when they visit the Plattsville Rage.
GAME STATS:
GOALS: Joey Parkhill (ES), Colin VanDyk (PP), Matt Molnar (EN)
ASSISTS: Matt Overreem, Ben Scott, Evan Wade.
POWERPLAY: 1 for 4
PENALTY KILL: 4 for 4 including a two player advantage for 1:27.
PENALTIES: Simcoe (8 minutes), Ingersoll (8 minutes)