Novice move to 4-2, peewees even series with Ennismore
By Amanda Smith Gananoque Reporter
Posted 23 hours ago
Novice: The Gananoque Novice Islanders are headed in the right direction and rebounded on weekend with two wins.
The wins give the Islanders a 4-2 record in post season action with six games remaining to play in playdowns.
Gananoque took on Loyalist last Thursday and squeaked out a 2-1 victory. Wil Murphy and Wyatt Bailey scored the two Islanders goals for the win.
Then on Sunday, the team travelled to Oshawa and trounced the home team 8-1.
?There was more determination from the kids,? said coach Lanny Murphy of the weekend's performance. ?We had steady defence and we need to keep that strong effort in the last six games if we're going to finish in the top two spots.?
Bailey and Murphy both had three goals in the victory, while Jordan Gillis and Clayton Rose both had lone goals.
?We're headed in the right direction,? said Murphy.
It's another two game weekend for Gananoque as they play in Ennismore on Saturday before returning home on Sunday to take on Oshawa again at 3:15 p.m. at the Lou Jeffries Gananoque TLTI Recreation Centre.
Peewee: The Gananoque Peewee Islanders came back to tie their second round series at one game apiece after defeating Ennismore 3-1 on Sunday.
With all Islander skaters back in action for game two, the match was set to be a battle. Ennismore, with home ice advantage, came out strong and was a dominant presence on the ice for the first period.
?We started off strong in the first,? said coach Paul Donovan. ?Being down two games to none and going there our backs would have been up against the wall.?
Despite many chances, the period remained scoreless for both teams. Gananoque's net-minder Ben Brawley made many great saves to stave off opposition pressure.
Less than two minutes into the second period, the Islanders drew first blood on a powerplay opportunity. Elijah Fitzgerald took a pass from Brawley and sent it up ice to Ben Kinsella. Kinsella carried the puck wide into the opposition end and gave it to Nolan Hutcheson striding through the middle. Hutcheson pulled the trigger to make it 1-0. The Eagles tied it up less than two minutes later with a deflected shot on which Brawley had no chance.
?The second period we didn't play as well as we should for the second round of playoffs,? Donovan said. ?We had half skating hard and the others not.?
Nailbiting action continued but the deadlock wasn't broken until the 9:34 mark of the third period. Kinsella won the faceoff in the offensive end and sent the puck back to the point for Luke Donovan. Donovan ripped a shot that left a rebound and a scramble ensued in front of the net. Matthew Micallef banged at the loose puck and it deflected off Kinsella's stick and in for a 2-1 lead.
Less than forty seconds later, Ben Cartwright sent the puck back to the point for Logan Leonard. Leonard ripped his own shot that Hayden deflected five-hole and the Islanders had a 3-1 advantage.
?In the second round we need everyone to play 110 per cent,? Donovan said. ?We talked after the second and we had all 15 players giving it their all. By winning that game and having a strong third period, I think the momentum shifted in our favour.?
Ennismore tried to match the pace the Isles set, but they couldn't add to their score and the game finished in favour of Gananoque to even the series at a win apiece.
?The guys were pumped after the game. It gives them confidence,? said Donovan.
The Islanders head to Ennismore Friday night, then back to Gananoque for a Saturday matinee game beginning at 3 p.m.
?It's a lesson learned and we realize that we can win,? said Donovan. ?If we play at their level it's going to be a long series.?
The fifth game is back in Ennismore on Sunday, with a possible sixth game scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday in Gananoque.
Bantam: The Gananoque Bantam Islanders were eliminated from the playoffs in three straight games at the hands of Ennismore.
The Islanders first were handed a 3-0 loss in Ennismore on Saturday to put them down two games to none in second round playoff action.
?The refereeing was against us right from the start,? said coach Wally Niles. ?It took the momentum right away from us.?
Niles said Gananoque tried to regroup in the third period, but the effort went unrewarded.
?Liam Huntley had a strong game in net,? said Niles. ?I pulled him in the second to try and get some momentum and it worked for a few minutes.?
On Sunday, Gananoque returned home to find themselves backed into a do-or-die situation.
?We jumped out to a 2-0 start five minutes into the first,? Niles said of game three. ?We then took our foot off the gas and Ennismore slowly started chipping away at the score.?
Nick Kirkby nabbed both Islanders goals and linemates Chris Davis and Scott Niles grabbed the assists on both goals. Michael Thivierge had the loss in net on Sunday.
Ennismore eventually won the game by a 4-2 score, putting Gananoque's post-season hopes to bed.
?It was a tough series to play,? said Niles. ?We couldn't seem to get the bounces and Ennismore seemed to get every bounce.?
Gananoque had good chances on Sunday with three breakaways, but the puck hit the post three times.
?It's just one of those things,? Niles said. ?We just couldn't get a break.?
Niles said despite being out of the playoffs, it wasn't a bad season overall.
?For the year we had, a team that almost didn't happen, finishing first and playing in Silver Stick,? he said. ?It's a little disappointing but overall, I'm proud.?
The Islanders team is hoping to still get some exhibition games in before finally calling the season over.
?There were lots of tears in the room after,? Niles said. ?It was a great accomplishment this season.?
Source: http://www.gananoquereporter.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3466705
john lackey ed lee ed lee garmin nuvi 1450 tommy john surgery colorado weather alcohol poisoning
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.