Feb 03, 2020 | dosmond | 472 views
Express Squeak Out Point in Waterford
For 34:30 on Saturday it appeared as if the Shooter's Photography squad would take their first loss in Waterford. But thanks to a timely slapshot from Brendan Aarts at the point the Express escaped Waterford with a 1-1 tie.
Throughout the game the Express were challenged by the Wildcats clogging up the neutral zone, leaving the visitors with not much to show in the offensive end of the ice. The Express got off to a slow start and goalie Dawson Sharpe was challenged early in the game but made a nice pad save within the first minute to keep the home side off the scoreboard.
Neither side generated much after that save until 6:27 left in the first period. A defensive lapse by the Express led to a Wildcat breakaway and a nice deke by the Waterford forward saw Sharpe go down and the puck backhanded up and over him for the lead.
Ingersoll would get their first chance to tie the game up just fifteen seconds later when they went on the powerplay. A couple of early chances by Cohen Belore and Matt Molnar were turned aside by the Waterford goalie and later in the powerplay Alex Schuett undressed the Wildcat defense and took the goalie out of position but was so far to the side of the net that he hit the outside of the post with his backhand shot.
Schuett would hit the post again in the second and some solid goaltending by Sharpe kept the Wildcats from opening up the lead. Sharpe would continue his strong play in the third with two big saves on another defensive lapse and later he would stare down an open Waterford forward at the side of the slot to keep the game at 1-0.
Late in the third, with the goalie pulled for an extra skater, the Express would capitalize on an offensive zone faceoff that saw Aarts left alone at the point. With time to tee up his shot the defenseman saw his slapper sail over the Wildcat goalie glove hand and into the twine to even the game with thirty seconds left to play.
The Express are back in action on Feb. 3 when they take on the visiting Port Dover Pirates.