Nov 11, 2017 | GeoffRead | 507 views
Coaching Controversy Erupts as Steele Keeps Steely Focus and Nielsen Nets Hat-Trick to Lead KnightHawks to 7-1 Victory
A controversy erupted in London this morning the likes of which the city has not seen since former mayor Joe Fontana used public funds to pay for his daughter's wedding. With Head Coach Liam Walsh and Assistant Adam Steele missing in action, the KnightHawks turned in their best performance of the season romping to a 7-1 victory over a game but overmatched London Bandits #13 squad. With the win, the KnightHawks unwittingly provided grist to the rumour mill that the team may have tuned Walsh and Steele out and that fresh voices may be needed to lead this squad to the promised land.
As for the game, the KnightHawks showed incredible focus, tuning the media and twitterverse out to take care of business on the ice. Walsh had instructed that defenceman Aiden Hayes was to play his first game of the year at the centre position and Hayes answered the bell, potting the KnightHawks' first goal and his first tally of the young season, on the first shift of the game off a nice assist from winger Sam Schafer. The KnightHawks then pulled ahead 2-0 a few minutes later when winger James Nielsen took a lovely feed from defenceman Zoe Read in full stride and streaked up the wing. As Nielsen charged the Bandits' net he pulled the puck to his backhand and tucked it behind the helpless Bandits' netminder. Nielsen went on to pot two more goals in similar fashion (editor's note: Nielsen insisted in the dressing room that he had in fact scored four but we were unable to verify this version of events at the time of filing this column). He remarked that Coach Walsh had advised him to shoot - advice that he had apparently chosen to ignore. Nielsen quipped, "Coaches Geoff, Chris, and D'Wayne let the players play."
Everyone in the sky blue and white had strong games, as forwards Kayden Keating and Connor Devlin also found the back of the net for their first goals of the season; even defenceman Brandon Miles got in on the act. Miles played exactly one shift at forward at the end of the game and was rewarded with a nice goal where he flashed some stickhandling moves and soft hands.
The KnightHawks consistently outworked the Bandits as exemplified by the hard work along the boards of wingers Devlin, Schafer, Nielsen, Jack Peterkin, Troy Price, and Keating. The KnightHawks won the game because of their grit and determination with this group out-hustling their Bandits counterparts and winning the majority of the one on one battles. Centreman Owen Askew likewise had a solid night helping out the D in his end and feeding the puck to his wingers.
The defence was similarly impressive. Everyone on the back end - Read, Gregory Nicolis, Anderson Watt, Miles, and Paul Steele - had a strong game moving the puck up the boards, cutting off rushes through the neutral zone, digging in the corners, and covering the front of the net. Yet, even with such a strong group effort, the play of Steele stood out. One play in particular showcased Steele's excellent work for the day as he streaked back on the Bandits' strongest forward to cut off his lane to the net, direct him into the corner, take the puck off him, and move it up the wing. For this and other plays, Steele earned player of the game honours and showed his character, bouncing back from a relatively tough game for him the week before.
Goaltender Kaelen Walsh was not to be outdone. The game was tight in the first period and Walsh held the fort through several storms around his net, allowing just one goal off a rebound. He was particularly good at ending scrambles by covering up the puck, and he covered the bottom of the net well keeping his stick flat on the ice.
Yet, the KnightHawks' impressive game fueled controversy. As the seconds ticked away on the third period, a murmer ran through the crowd. Fans remarked upon the improved play of the KnightHawks, the crispness of the line changes, the outstanding level of the door work, the efficiency of the distribution of water on the bench, the remarkable penmanship on the game sheet, and the good rapport the team's bench staff developed with the referees to say nothing of the dramatically improved aesthetics of the coaching staff (several female fans actually swooned as the coaches shuffled off the ice), and opined that maybe the organization should consider some changes. Hockey players and fans are a suspicious bunch, loathe to meddle with a winning formula, and some wondered if the team shouldn't ask Coaches Walsh and Steele to watch the next game from the stands. "Maybe they're more practice coaches," fan Bob Hayes offered to nervous smiles all around.
Certainly, the head coach for the day, Geoff Read, now sports a spotless undefeated record behind the bench, leading this reporter to suspect that this controversy isn't going to be resolved any time soon.
Go KnightHawks go!