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A Foggy Night in the Barn Leads to a VML Win
2018-11-04
Walters makes save of the night in 4-3 Leafs win.
It was a hard skating game throughout sixty minutes Friday night in Windsor between the Jr. Miners and Valley Maple Leafs. The score was tied 1-1 before the game was six minutes old, with the Leafs' Ethan Rendell-Watson scoring, the first of his two in the game to give him 13 on the season and tied for the league lead in goals with Brady Meech of the Cole Harbour Colts. The Leafs and Jr. Miners were tied in shots at the conclusion of the game but the Jr. Miners certainly maintained control of the puck more, and while maintaining an advantage in the Leafs end for stretches at a time seemed to find it difficult to do anything more with the puck than pass it numerous times. The Leafs hung on for dear life after Kennie’s go ahead goal, with 2:06 remaining, as the Jr. Miners were all around the Leafs net and attempted to tie it before a great block by Rendell-Watson at the Leafs' blue line after the Miners had lined up for point shot at Leafs netminder Brent Walters. Walters made the save of the game shortly before Kennie scored the game winner for the Valley as he had been knocked somewhat off guard but not off his skates when Mark Bates of the Jr. Miners took a shot all alone just to the bare right and Walters made a sensational save and left Bates shaking his head.
Earlier in the first period with the teams tied at 1-1, Isaac Bridge rang a shot off the goal post in the Miners end just after the Leafs finished serving a penalty. Luke Russell who played an above average game for the Leafs streaked in almost alone short-handed but was hauled off the puck at the last second. The Jr. Miners came right back and despite their incessant passing, Josh McKay missed close in and the puck bounced onto Daniel Reid’s stick but he missed close in as he was all alone but couldn’t gain full control of the puck.
In the second period, it took the Leafs only 13 seconds to go in front 2-1 as Luke Russell and Ethan Rendell-Watson were alone in front of the Miners net with Rendell-Watson scoring after taking a nice pass from Russell. The Leafs moved in front 3-1 on a power-play goal from Isaac Bridge who let a hard shot go from the right face-off circle to score unassisted.
In the third period, the Jr. Miners scored and it was 3-2 with a quick shot from 15 feet in front of Walters that beat him on the blocker side. Russell then with a shot from the point saw the netminder of the Miners make a great skate save. The Miners' Robert MacDonald then went in alone on Walters and took a hard shot but missed the net by 10 feet. The Miners controlled play for the opening eight minutes of the third but could not come up with the tying goal. The Leafs' Dawson MacPhail had a clear break with the puck and was going in alone on the Jr. Miners net but Crowe raced out and beat him to the puck and passed it to Ashton Paul who beat Walters high and the game was tied 3-3. Prior to the winning goal, Walters was called upon once again to make 2 compelling saves.
It was a mild day and evening in Windsor and the game was played in poor conditions due to the heavy condensation that built up mid-way through each period. The Leafs are now 5-4-0 going to Pictou Sunday while the Jr. Miners fell to 5-3-1 going into their game with the vastly improved Sackville Blazers Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.
Earlier in the first period with the teams tied at 1-1, Isaac Bridge rang a shot off the goal post in the Miners end just after the Leafs finished serving a penalty. Luke Russell who played an above average game for the Leafs streaked in almost alone short-handed but was hauled off the puck at the last second. The Jr. Miners came right back and despite their incessant passing, Josh McKay missed close in and the puck bounced onto Daniel Reid’s stick but he missed close in as he was all alone but couldn’t gain full control of the puck.
In the second period, it took the Leafs only 13 seconds to go in front 2-1 as Luke Russell and Ethan Rendell-Watson were alone in front of the Miners net with Rendell-Watson scoring after taking a nice pass from Russell. The Leafs moved in front 3-1 on a power-play goal from Isaac Bridge who let a hard shot go from the right face-off circle to score unassisted.
In the third period, the Jr. Miners scored and it was 3-2 with a quick shot from 15 feet in front of Walters that beat him on the blocker side. Russell then with a shot from the point saw the netminder of the Miners make a great skate save. The Miners' Robert MacDonald then went in alone on Walters and took a hard shot but missed the net by 10 feet. The Miners controlled play for the opening eight minutes of the third but could not come up with the tying goal. The Leafs' Dawson MacPhail had a clear break with the puck and was going in alone on the Jr. Miners net but Crowe raced out and beat him to the puck and passed it to Ashton Paul who beat Walters high and the game was tied 3-3. Prior to the winning goal, Walters was called upon once again to make 2 compelling saves.
It was a mild day and evening in Windsor and the game was played in poor conditions due to the heavy condensation that built up mid-way through each period. The Leafs are now 5-4-0 going to Pictou Sunday while the Jr. Miners fell to 5-3-1 going into their game with the vastly improved Sackville Blazers Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.