Playoff Game 8 vs. Saugeen Shores Storm 1
The Walkerton Capitals would host the Saugeen Shores Storm 1 team on Monday, March 9, 2020. Walkerton would find themselves in a 5 game losing
streak and while they had been competitive in the games a lack of discipline and
visits to the penalty box was not helping as they seemed to be in constant
penalty kill mode.
The first period and the Storm would find themselves up a goal in the first 34 seconds of the game. The two teams would play hard along the boards and each would get scoring chances but as the period ended it would be Saugeen Shores with the 1-0 lead.
Walkerton would tie the game early in the second period when Tyler Wallace scored from the side of the net after finding a loose puck and firing it into the top corner, assisting on the play were Joshua Flood and Kody Brown. The Storm would score a few minutes later to restore it’s lead, but the Capitals would press through the final minutes of the period coming close on several occasions. It would be Saugeen Shores holding a 1 goal lead heading into the third.
In the third period Walkerton would again continue to press and be rewarded when Cayleb Pietz would score unassisted after dekeing the Storm net minder and sliding the puck behind him with just over 4 minutes remaining. On the ensuing faceoff the puck was pulled back to defence man Conner McIntosh who put a tape to tape pass to Cayleb who then scored his second of the game to Give Walkerton it’s first lead. The Storm refused to back down and would apply pressure on the Walkerton net only to have several of the Capitals defencemen sacrifice their bodies by blocking shots and come up limping again and again. Walkerton’s Conner McIntosh would score an empty net goal with just under 1 minute left in the game assisted by Kody Brown and goal tender Ryan Hinsperger.
This victory was a complete team effort, players chased the puck and passed with precision all game long. The defence was very strong in front of it’s own net and did a fantastic job all game long blocking shots and getting rid of any rebounds. Ryan Hinsperger was strong in net making several key saves early in the third to keep the boys in the game.