Scotiabank Peewee Jr. Warriors leading the Wolves 2 games to 1 in the final series of the year! – by Erin Heisz and Dale Zorgdrager
Scotiabank Major Peewee
Rep Warriors started the series this week against the Waterloo Wolves with a
tough 3-2 loss on Thursday. They shook it off and won back to back games over
the weekend!
Scotiabank Stratford Major Peewee Rep Warriors vs Waterloo Wolves Game #1
Stratford Warriors travelled to Waterloo on Thursday night to face off for their final series of the year against the Waterloo Wolves. Ethan Pearce started the first shift with a good rush up the ice. Stratford was outplaying the Wolves early on and Kiefer MacNeil in net didn’t see much action until later in the game. Ayden Hakkers got robbed on a shot on net by the Wolves goalie. The play resulted in 1 Stratford penalty and 2 Wolves penalties. The power play did not generate any major chances. Wolves scored when back to 5 on 5 to make it 1-0. With a minute left Warriors got a hooking penalty.
Starting the second down a man, Waterloo used the opportunity to get up by 2 goals, 2-0. Another Warriors penalty left us shorthanded and MacNeil made some good saves. We got a power play for goalie interference and scored! Luke Heisz got the puck to Danny Van Straaten who made a great cross ice pass to Pearce in front for a tip in! Heisz and Pearce continued to pepper the net to tie it up. Cole Meadows had a great drive to the net for a chance. Another pair of Warriors penalties slowed down our offensive opportunities.
The third period began 2-1 for the Wolves. Pearce blew by the Wolves D and shot off the crossbar. Jared Gould made a great pass to Van Straaten for a chance. Jake Heinbuch backhanded the puck on net. Wolves scored on a power play and we were down 3-1. Luke Zorgdrager had a hard shot off the point from the draw. Warriors drew a penalty and we pulled MacNeil to have an extra attacker. There was a collision and then a retaliation ending in a player from each team being taken out of the game. The boys kept focus and Heisz made a good outlet pass to Heinbuch who rushed it down and shot it in with 19 seconds left! The game ended 3-2 for the Wolves.
Scotiabank Stratford Major Peewee Rep Warriors vs Waterloo Wolves Game #2
The Waterloo Wolves travelled to Stratford on Saturday for game 2 in the series. The Scotiabank Peewee Jr. Warriors came out hungry and opened the lead just 3 minutes in. Ethan Pearce found a lane and walked out with the puck, beating the goalie high for an unassisted goal. The Warriors took a penalty late in the period and the Wolves capitalized with a rebound that bounced off the board behind the net and straight out the other side. The first frame ended tied 1-1. Ties at each period end would prove a trend tonight.
Midway through the second it was the Warriors turn to get a power play goal. Sam Jeffrey let a hard shot fly from the point and Danny Van Straaten had a nice tip, changing the direction just slightly, with the end result that the puck bulged the twine for a 2-1 Warriors lead. The Wolves were not going to give up though and like the first, they scored in the last 2 minutes, this time on 5 on 5 play to even things up. 2-2 after 2.
The third period was back and forth with both teams getting chances. The Warriors were given a powerplay opportunity, their second of the game midway through the frame but neither powerplay unit could beat the Wolves goalie on this one. Liam Parsons in net for Stratford continued to make key saves to keep the game knotted at 2. Regulation ended with no goals in the 3rd.
The Warriors came out flying in overtime and just over a minute in, Jared Gould, carried the puck across the blue line, dropped it to Owen Holloway who was trailing behind who in turn fed it across the ice to Kaden Brame. Brame skated in a few strides and would not be denied tonight - he shoots, he scores!
3-2 overtime win. Series tied.
Scotiabank Stratford Major Peewee Rep Warriors vs Waterloo Wolves Game #3
On Sunday afternoon in Waterloo, the third game in the series started with an early goal against the Stratford Warriors. Owen Holloway and Isaac Nickel (playing in his second game in a row as a call up from the Minor Peewee Reps) made a smooth wraparound play. Ethan Pearce beat the Wolves in a foot race and deaked out the goalie to score tieing it up 1-1! Zach Richardson got an assist on the play. Ryan Middegaal continued to play strong defensively and broke up a 2 on 1.
Nickel scored to start off the second period! The assist went to Luke Zorgdrager. Warriors got their first penalty of the game. Richardson was very effective on the PK. Keifer MacNeil in net stopped the puck to keep the lead. The Wolves tied it up 2-2. Two Warriors drew penalties and we saw a 5 on 3 for Stratford. Wes Duiker got multiple shots through from the point. Holloway and Zorgdrager also fired on net. MacNeil faced down the Wolves offence to end the second period.
The Wolves got a hooking penalty to start the 3rd period. Shortly after we got one as well. MacNeil was keeping things tight in net. Danny Van Straaten and Holloway got the puck to Nickel who scored again with a backhand through the five hole! MacNeil had a monster save! Now it was Nickel’s turn to assist and he moved the puck to Kaden Brame who sent a tape to tape pass to Holloway who sent it home! Warriors were winning 4-2! Wolves sent a zinger off our post. Pearce blocked a point shot and sent it down for an empty netter to give us the 5-2 win!!
The Warriors lead the “A” playoffs final series 4 points to 2.