Dec 16, 2017 | GeoffRead | 248 views
KnightHawks Play Complete Game in 7-1 Victory
The KnightHawks played what might have been their best game of the season this morning. They forechecked. They backchecked. They passed. They crashed the net looking for rebounds. And they won 7-1.
The game began well when centre Kaelan Walsh carried the puck in over the opposition (West 23)'s blueline and put a shot on net. Player of the game Zoe Read crashed the crease looking for a rebound and was rewarded. She made no mistake and shot the puck hard in the short side to put the KnightHawks up 1-0 15 seconds into the game.
From there the KnightHawks scored again within four minutes as Jack Peterkin scored off a feed from Walsh, and the team never looked back.
That said, the KnightHawks pressed for the whole game and didn't really put it away until late in the second period. In the meantime, goaltender Kaden Keating was called on not to make a large quantity of saves, but to make a handful of quality saves, particularly off the sticks of West 23's twin towers up front, Finn Pritchard and Michael Douwes. Keating thus gave his teammates time to capitize on their chances and ensure the "W".
In addition to Read, who had a two-point night, Owen Askew also had a multi-point effort, putting two goals behind the #23 tender. Askew ascribed his success to his aerodynamic pants, which he felt gave him a little extra speed in the open ice. They also gave him a fashionable "short shorts" look that caught the attention of some of the younger female fans in the audience.
James Nielsen had a goal and an assist and the other goals came from Sam Schafer, with his first of the season, and defenceman Aiden Hayes who scored a pretty goal near the end of the game on a nice wrist shot to the top right corner. In addition to those already mentioned, Troy Price also picked up an assist.
In addition to a very strong forecheck, the defensive group was really the backbone of this win, as The Impaler (Gregory Nicolis) and his crew had a banner night. Every time it looked like #23 might get a break one of Nicolis, Brandon Miles, Anderson Watt, Paul Steele, or Hayes would swoop in and end the threat, which they were able to do because of their strong skating and sound positioning.
Nice work and go KnightHawks go!