Jan 12, 2020 | dosmond | 321 views
EXPRESS SILVER STICK ENDS IN SEMI FINALS
The Shooters Photography Midget LL team took full advantage of their spot at the International Silver Stick Finals this weekend in the Niagara region. After falling short in the regional finals the team was extended an invite to participate and did not disappoint with their efforts.
The weekend was a roller coaster of emotions through each game as the Express kicked off the round robin with their opening game against the Aylmer Flames.
EXPRESS 3 AYLMER 2
After controlling the majority of the play in the first period which saw Ingersoll fail to capitalize on a couple of chances the Flames would open the scoring early in the second when the Express failed to clear their own zone on a couple of occasions that eventually led to Aylmer opening the scoring with 8:11 left in the second. Ingersoll would tie the game at 6:36 when Alex Schuett would finish off a nice rush with a deke to pull the Flames goalie and pop the puck in the back of the net. Matt Molnar would be sent in on a break away and would ring a shot off the post to keep the game tied.
The Express would get a powerplay opportunity and Schuett would only need 0:31 seconds of the powerplay as he intercepted an errant Aylmer pass and beat the Flames goalie for his second of the game. The Flames would capitalize in the third period on another turnover to tie the game. The Express would not be deterred and some good hustle by Cohen Belore would draw a Flames penalty and send the Express to another powerplay opportunity. Unable to capitalize on the powerplay Belore would eventually gain possession of the puck in the Aylmer zone and send a shot towards the net that Tyler Bergman tipped in for the 3-2 lead with 3:45 left in the game. The Express would make the game exciting in the final minute when they were penalized for too many players on the ice. Aylmer pulled their goalie for an extra attacker for a 6 on 4 advantage but the Express would not break and finished the game with a 3-2 victory.
EXPRESS 1 PELHAM 3
The second game saw Ingersoll take on an undefeated Pelham team whose only blemish on their record this year has been a tie. Pelham would open the scoring just 0:15 seconds into the game but the Express would respond well off the ensuing face off generating a couple of chances but could not put the puck in the back of the net. Pelham would extend the lead to 2 before the end of the period and would go up 3-0 with 3:45 left in the second as poor faceoff coverage left a Pelham forward alone in front of the net. Coach Belore would make a goaltending change to try and spark the team and take Sharpe out and put Hayden White in. The change seemed to work as forwards Tyler Bergman and Liam Knox were able to apply some pressure and generate a couple of chances.
In the third a slapshot from Brendan Aarts clanged off the crossbar and seconds later the Express would hit the post again. Ingersoll would finally get on the board with 5:41 left when Belore would beat the Pelham goalie. The Express would hit another post later but in the end would fall to the eventual tournament champions.
EXPRESS 2 SHALLOW LAKE 1
In their last round robin game of the the Express would come out strong with a solid opening shift from Tanner George, Schuett and Belore. Ingersoll would maintain the play and pressure with a couple of more solid shifts and with 6:00 left in the opening period George would get his first goal of the season as he slipped a backhand in past the Shallow Lake netminder. The lead would be short lived as Shallow Lake would tie it up just 57 seconds later beating Dawson Sharpe with a perfect shot high over the Sharpe's shoulder.
In the second Ingersoll's best chance would come from Liam Knox when he was fed a nice pass from Daniel Martineau that sent Knox in on a breakaway but Knox would miss the net. Ingersoll would then be penalized but thanks to some good work by Schuett, George and Ben Scott Shallow Lake would not generate anything.
In the third Martineau would make another great pass up the middle to Schuett and the talented forward would dangle the Shallow Lake Defenceman and put the Express up with 12:02 left in the game. Things would get interesting as the third period started to get chippy. Both teams would be penalized, Sharpe would take a bit of a beating as Shallow Lake would dig at pucks, and Ingersoll would eventually have a player tossed from the game giving the Lakers a chance to tie the game late. Scott would make a nice play on the penalty kill and hustle would draw a penalty.
QUARTER FINALS - EXPRESS 4 THORNTON 1
Ingersoll managed to overcome some chippy play from the Thornton Tigers and rode two goals each from Schuett and George for the victory.
Ingersoll spent half of the first period on the powerplay but were unable to open the scoring. In the second George would open the scoring on the powerplay at 4:48 when he cleaned up a goal mouth scramble. THe Express would get another powerplay with 1:19 left in the second and a two man advantage with 35 seconds left in the period as Thornton started to lose their composure. Schuett would put the Express up by 2 with 12.4 seconds left in the second. At this point the Tigers frustration boiled over as one of the Tiger forwards cross - checked Luke White in the throat and jaw area drawing a 5 minute major and a game ejection for intent to injure.
Schuett would make the Tigers pay again for their lack of discipline early in the third on a breakaway just under two minutes into the period. The Express would eventually be penalized with just over three minutes left in the game but George would score a shorthanded goal before the penalty expired as he picked up a miscue by the Thornton goalie and banked the puck off the goalie's skate as he was trying to get back into the net.
SEMI FINALS - EXPRESS 1 SHALLOW LAKE 6
Ingersoll would start the game off strong with some early pressure and control of the play for the first five minutes of the game. The Lakers wouldn't get their first shot until over half way through the period but shots were easily handled by Sharpe in the Express net. The Lakers would open the scoring with a slap shot from the left wing that appeared to deflect off an Express stick and over Sharpe's shoulder on the glove side. The Express would then take a penalty and an unfortunate series of events would lead to Ingersoll deflecting another puck into their own net during the penalty kill as the Lakers threw a harmless puck from the side boards that went off an Ingersoll stick and into the net.
It wouldn't get any better for the Express as the Lakers would add a third goal just 23 seconds into the second period. Another goalie changed seemed to spark the Express for a few minutes as Belore appeared to get Ingersoll on the board but the goal was disallowed due to a controversial high stick call. Ingersoll never seemed to fully recover and the Lakers would finish the second with a 4-0 lead. In the third Ingersoll would have another goal waived off due to a quick whistle from the same referee. But Belore would eventually beat the Laker goalie with 3:25 left. The Express would pull their goalie and Shallow Lake would score into the empty net for a 5-1 lead and then later would appear to use a high stick to tip in another goal for the 6-1 final.
Congratulations to the team. Although not the result we were all hoping for your only losses of the tournament came to both finalists.
The team will now focus on league play as they resume the Intertown Local Loop Jan. 19 against Paris.