Game #20

Period Length

The two teams spent the opening minutes of the first period trading scoring opportunities without much success. Finally, with just over seven minutes remaining the tie was broken. The Newsome team grabbed the early lead thanks to a rebound that they were able to jump on and knock up and over the Riverview goaltender for the 1-0 lead. That would be it for the scoring in the opening period, with the Wolves maintaining their lead until the end of the period despite the Ice Sharks outshooting them by a 10-8 margin.

The second period got off to a slow start, with each team taking a penalty that slowed the momentum. It wasn't until there was a little over five minutes remaining that another goal was scored, and unfortunately for the Ice Sharks this one also came off of a Wolves stick. The Newsome skater was able to deke around a Riverview defender and skate in along on the Ice Sharks goaltender, netting a wrist shot to widen the lead to two goals. Nearly 90 second later a near replay of the second goal happened again, faking out an Ice Sharks defender to set up a breakaway that led to the goal slipping past the Riverview goalie through the five hole. That made it a 3-0 lead for the Wolves with just under four minutes remaining. Despite the deficit, the Ice Sharks didn't give up. They would go on to get the final five shots on goal in the period, including their first goal of the game with just under two minutes remaining thanks to a single-handed effort from an Ice Sharks forward that led to a breakaway that was converted to make it a 3-1 game. They were also able to convert their final shot of the period into their second goal, after they pounced on a rebound and tipped it past the Newsome goaltender for their second goal of the game, narrowing the deficit to 3-2 with just over ten seconds remaining.

The Ice Sharks kept attacking in the third period, holding a 6-3 lead in shots during that time. Their efforts appeared to be slowed when they took a hooking penalty just 90 seconds in, putting them down a man. Thankfully they kept attacking, and that led to a short-handed breakaway opportunity that they were able to convert to tie the games at three goals apiece. Despite their best efforts, that would be it for the scoring. The only thing left to happen were a couple of crosschecking penalties, one for each team. So, like the first meeting this one would end in a tie.