Game #10

Period Length

Things were looking good for the Ice Sharks early, as the Mustangs were called for a hooking penalty just 45 seconds into the opening period, but Riverview was unable to take advantage of having an extra skater on the ice. In fact, it was the Mitchell penalty killers who managed to get four shorthanded shots on goal compared to Riverview's zero. With just a little under five minutes elapsed the goal scorers went crazy... Mitchell would find themselves on the board first, scoring the games opening goal on a breakaway shot that found its way under the Riverview goaltender. Riverview would answer on the next shot of the game, less than a minute later, on a sharp angle shot from the right side of the net that trickled in behind the Mitchell goalie, tying the game at one goal apiece. Not even 30 seconds after tying the game, the Ice Sharks would take their first lead on a wrister from the right circle. Unfortunately, the 2-1 lead was short lived, as Mitchell would score only 20 seconds after, making it a 2-2 tie with eight and a half to play in the opening period. That was four goals on four straight shots, two from each team. One of the weirdest sequences I have seen watching youth hockey. With just under eight minutes to play the Ice Sharks would be called for a holding penalty, but thankfully they were successful in killing that off. The period would come to a close with the score still tied at 2-2, despite the Ice Sharks being outshot by a 10-6 margin.

The second period was a back and forth affair early on, as the two teams traded scoring chances. Both goaltenders were up for the task until Riverview finally broke through midway through. The Ice Sharks gathered in the puck in front of the net and flipped the puck up and over with just a little over seven minutes to play, giving Riverview a 3-2 lead. The game slowed down at this point, as it took nearly 90 seconds for the next shot on goal to even occur, but this one too resulted in a goal for Riverview, on a wrist shot from the right circle, making it a 4-2 game. Mitchell called a timeout after the latest Riverview goal, and they managed to get the next two shots on goal when play resumed. The Ice Sharks would then find themselves on a 2-on-0 breakaway with just over two minutes to play in the period, which they would convert for their third goal in as many shots, making it a 5-2 margin.  That would be the final score as the horn blew signifying the end of the second.

There wasn't much to report on in the third period, as the only official stat recorded was two Mustangs penalties - the first a two+ten for boarding three minutes in, which they successfully killed off, and the second for hooking with four and half to go, which resulted in another successful penalty kill. The Ice Sharks would be outshot in the period, by a 10-5 margin, and in the game overall 30-25, which is not how you want that stat to be. We'll take being ahead by a 5-2 margin at the end of the game, however, as that means they secured victory number eight on the season! Way to go Ice Sharks!