When you think about it, it all boils down to teamwork and communication.
Let’s take passing for example…you don’t have to be the fastest skater, the best shooter, or the biggest player to make a great passing play. All you need for a good pass is to keep your eyes and ears open. Look & listen for an open man to pass to, or make yourself available for the puck. Our Red team is showing that they are communicating & passing well on the ice, and it is really paying off in both tons of scoring opportunities and keeping the puck out of our zone.
Hicknell, our player of the game with his first 2 goals of the season, scores the only goal of the first period because of some great on-ice communication & passing. Martin carries the puck behind Venning and passes to Thornton, who drives it all the way to the net and shoots blocker side. All the way up the ice, Hicknell follows Thornton on the wing and stays in position for the rebound, resulting in the goal.
The yellow team scores three quick ones in a row, all in the second period to take a commanding 3 – 1 lead. With 6:56 remaining in the second, Schleimer and Hicknell have a great scoring opportunity, but eventually Yellow brings it back to the neutral zone. Martin rushes back with the puck into the scoring range, but is intercepted and flicked to speedy Yellow #4, who wastes no time in scoring glove side on Venning. A few minutes later, Yellow wins a faceoff to the right of Venning. He saves a quick bursting shot, but lets in the rebound. Seconds later, Todd is in the Yellow end, loses it to a Yellow defenseman who banks the puck off the boards to #4, who uses his quick feet and smooth hands to score a top corner glove side goal. Luckily the second period buzzer goes and the Red team can regroup, shake it off and plan for the third period.
Our fortunes return just after the puck drops. Schleimer shoots from inside the blue line towards the net, while Yee frantically skates towards the net. Yee tries for the rebound before it squirts loose to the left corner. Hicknell grabs the loose puck and tosses it back towards the mouth of the goal. Yee intercepts it on the right side, centres it again to Hicknell, waiting to strike. Hicknell finds the smallest of openings between the post and the pads and threads it in for his second goal of the season. Sweet! This play would never have happened without solid cooperation between our teammates.
Although Schleimer’s tying breakaway, backhanding top-corner goal is worthy of the highlight reel, believe it or not he was assisted by his buddies. Wright provides a bit of muscle early in the play, while Hahn shines by grabbing the puck twice in the corners before Schleimer takes it for a ride down the ice.
With just 15 seconds left in the game, Todd earns the winning goal! Truly a team effort, all five Red players were involved on the play. Wright swiftly moves the puck behind Venning, and brings it all the way down the ice to take a shot on the Yellow goalie. McMillan grabs the puck, making another shot. Todd & McMillan pass to Starr on the blue line, who drives it back in deep. Thornton battles not 1, but 2 Yellowjackets in the corner before they try to escape behind the net. Todd steals it, and does a quick spin-around five hole game winner! What awesome team play!
With just 10 seconds left, Martin gets a penalty for body contact and it is an empty net, 6 on 4 pressure cooker. Ten seconds seem like eternity, but Red manages to hold off our tough-as-nails opposition long enough for our fifth win in as many games. Way to Go!