The Evoke Marketing Tier I Warriors battled to a 2-2 tie with Oakridge and earned a big 4-1 win over the London Bandits on the weekend.
Reed Bowles got the start and made some great saves especially in the first period including a beautiful glove stop just as the power play ended in the first. Late in the first, Owen Chambers picked up a pass from Taten Mikel and weaved through the defenders, cut left and roofed it high right side over the glove with 12 seconds left for a 1-0 lead.
Midway through the second, Ryan Cassone stole the puck and fought his way to the net and fired a shot as he was knocked down that found the five hole for an unassisted marker and two goal advantage.
Late in the second, Oakridge used the defenders as a screen and fired a seeing eye shot that glanced off a defender. Noah Brosens got a piece of it but it trickled up the shaft of his stick and in.
Oakridge took advantage of a power play early in the third to hem the Warriors in. Unfortunately a defensive zone giveaway allowed the puck to pop out front where an attacker was left open and he found the back of the net to knot it 2-2. The teams exchanged chances the rest of the way. Fortunately Brosens stood tall making several huge pad saves. Stratford had the best chance to win it after Mark Martin was hauled down as he raced up the left side. The Warriors kept Oakridge hemmed in for most of the final three minutes but couldn't find the winning goal. Oakridge had a 18-14 shot advantage.
On October 9 they travelled to London to take on the Bandits and earned a well deserved 4-1 victory.
Brosens got the start and made several great saves to allow the team a chance to start clicking. Martin opened the scoring late in the first after racing up the left side and rifling a shot high glove side. Chambers and Mikel picked up assists.
Bowles took over late in the second and made several huge saves to keep it close.
Early in the third, Rylan DeBoeck snapped a cross crease pass from Martin to make it 2-0 unfortunately the Bandits snuck one past Bowles three minutes later.
Fortunately Cassone intercepted a Bandits pass and eluded the defenders to get a shot on net. Owen Blain was there to snap it home for a 3-1 lead with seven minutes left.
Colston Kibedi added an insurance marker when he intercepted along the boards and fired into the empty net with 25 seconds left.
The forward lines of Blain, Cassone and Cole Hishon, Colten Brenzil, Cameron Parsons and Owen Bridges as well as DeBoeck, Martin and Mikel are starting to gel and really come back to help protect the net. Chambers, Owen Hunt, Casen deGraaf, Kibedi, and Charlie Holloway made several great defensive zone blocks.
The Warriors are currently second overall with three wins a loss and a tie for seven points. Sarnia is first with five wins while West London is third with three wins and a loss for six points.
The Warriors are back in action October 15 when they host the North London Nationals at 7 p.m. at the RBC arena. On October 16 they travel to London to face the Oakridge Aeros at 5:30 p.m.
Submitted by Elaine Pennington