The Walkerton Capitals would travel down Highway 4 to
Hanover to play the Saugeen Valley Steelheads in the first game of the 2024
playoffs. The two teams would split its
regular season meetings in close games and this one would be no different.
The opening few minutes of the game would see the Capitals
storm the Saugeen net with some strong puck movement. Walkerton would be rewarded when Kyle Graul
fired a hard wrist shot that beat the Hanover netminder. The lead would be short lived, however, and
the Steelheads would score less than a minute later and then add another one
minute after that to turn the tables and take the lead. Walkerton would respond with just under two
and a half minutes remaining when Travis Goll buried a centering pass from Kyle
Graul to once again tie the game. The
period would wrap up with the teams knotted at 2-2 after the first fifteen minutes.
The second period started with the Steelheads coming out
quickly and controlling the tempo of the game.
Everything that Walkerton was doing so well in the first period was no
where to be found in the second, passes were off target, players were taking
shots from bad angles so much so that for a stretch of several minutes most
shots would hit the back of the Saugeen Valley net. As the period continued the Steelheads would
score three quick goals in a span of just over four minutes. The coaching staff would call a time out and
in an attempt to right the ship and settle the boys down, it seemed to work as
the Capitals would pressure in the opposition end and be rewarded when Chase
Kaufman scored with thirty five seconds remaining while on the powerplay. Assisting on the goal were Spencer Odell and
Luka Abell. The period would end with
the Capitals trailing 5-3.
The third period and both teams would battle back and forth
while testing each others goaltenders.
Walkerton’s Chase Kaufman would get his second goal of the game after he
collected a rebound and lifted the puck into the top of the net from in
tight. The Capitals would continue to
press and would tie the game when Colby Schmidt picked up a lose puck and fired
it past the Steelhead’s netminder scrambling to block the attempt. Jasper Rowe would be awarded the assist on
the play. The teams would continue to
battle and with time ticking away each team would come close to scoring but after
three periods the game would remain tied.
A ten minute overtime period would see the teams battle at a
feverish pace with each goalie making some big saves early and often. Saugeen Valley would take a penalty to put
the Capitals on a man advantage, during the powerplay Walkerton’s Keegan Batte
would release a shot from just inside the blueline that found the bottom corner
of the net causing the Capitals bench to spill onto the ice in celebration.
The Walkerton Capitals would skate away with a hard fought
victory to open its 2024 playoff run.
The boys never gave up and clawed back into the game with timely scoring
and strong play. The boys will need this
strong play as they have several key games coming up in the next few days
including a rematch with the same Saugeen Valley Steelheads.
WALKERTON CAPITALS -
6
SAUGEEN VALLEY STEELHEADS - 5