Dec 03, 2015 | cadamson | 672 views
Game 6: Avengers vs. Stirling Blues
The Quinte West Avengers Novice team went to Stirling to play the Stirling Blues on their home ice. I think it is fair to say, this was the coldest arena the team has ever played in and on a Olympic size ice surface that makes the Avengers rink seem tiny in comparison.
The Avengers put forth a good effort but the Stirling team proved to be a little to much for the Avengers to deal with. With the larger ice surface the team had challenges covering the Stirling team in break away situations. The final score recorded was 7-2 for the Stirling Blues with 5 of Stirling's goals coming from a single player (#17) and the other two goals from Stirling coming from one other player (#7).
The Avengers goalie Sean-Ryan had his work cut out from him from the start of the first period. The Stirling team were shooting high into the net where it was difficult for the Avengers goalie to see and attempt to block those shots. Stirling acquired 6 goals in the first period although Stirling took 15 shots on the Avengers goalie in the first. With 9 saves credited to Sean-Ryan and his defensive team the Avengers did a great job defensively. The Avengers forward Mason was credited with a goal at 8:09 of the first period. It was a nice goal and at that early point in the game Mason tied the game for the Avengers. It took the Blues another 5 minutes before another goal was scored.
The Blues came out in the second period and scored another goal but a player from the blues threw his stick during a breakaway by the Avengers which awarded the Avengers with a penalty shot. Mason went out to take the penalty shot for the Avengers and took off down the ice towards the Blues goalie, Mason took a nice high shot that the Blues goalie was able to deflect at the last second with his trapper over his head and the puck just missed the top shelf of the net and went over. You could feel the intensity from the crowd in the arena at this point. Mason would not be denied, he eventually put on the pressure with assistance from his team mates scored another goal at 11:08 to give the Avengers 2 goals for the game.
The third period was scoreless for both teams as the Avengers started to size up the Stirling team and were getting accustom to the larger ice surface (not to mention the incredible cold in the arena, one of the Avengers coaches giving water to one of the players noted "I poured water in to the players mouth and some of it went down on his jersey and froze almost instantly!! After that the player wouldn't drink anymore due to the water freezing him during play" The Avengers were able to put the pressure on in the third period and were starting to spend a good deal of time in the Stirling zone but the Avengers were unable to grab any further goals in the third. The Avengers defensive game had turned around so much by the third period that the Stirling team were unable to score any goals in the third. The Blues had several shots which were shutdown by the Avengers goalie, but the same can be said for the Avengers offensive game, the Avengers had several shots in the third but the Blues goalie was able to close the door on any further goals by the amazing Quinte West Avengers. Good Game Avengers, you can't win them all but as long as you had fun, the team is doing great after only 6 games thus far in the season!!