Oct 31, 2016 | jmcgregor | 288 views
Aces "Ring" up a better effort in nightcap!
The Dunny Peewee Aces faced off for the third game in a row and second of the day against a strong Lakeshore Lightning team in LLFHL action in Stratford on Sunday evening. The Aces won the first game in Lakeshore 2-1 a week ago while the teams skated to a 1-1 tie in the 2pm game early on this date. The tie was favourable to the Aces who were outplayed by Lakeshore but received strong goaltending by Paige Willie to secure a point. That set up this contest where two good teams were set to play hard again.
The Aces came out much stronger in this game and controlled the first period of play heavily outshooting the Lightning 9 to 2. At 5:42 of the first period the Aces were rewarded for their hard work when Lauren Taylor chipped a loose puck to Chelsea Savelle on the left side. Savelle made a beautiful backhand pass to Kayla "Ringy" Weiringa who streaked into the Lightning zone around a defender a patiently outwaited the Lakshore keeper tucking the puck in on her backhand for a beautiful goal making the score 1-0 Aces. The Aces continued to pressure and late in the period Raelyn Pennington made a tape to tape cross ice pass to Madi Cardno. Cardno one touched the pass past a pursuing Lakeshore defender to Kennedy McGregor sending McGregor in on the Lakeshore tender. McGregor made no mistake with a beauty dangle putting the Aces up 2-0. The score remained that way to the end of the period.
The second period saw the Aces take three minor penalties. 6 minutes in a 10 minute period is not easy to overcome and takes strong defence and goaltending. The Aces had both in this game. Rayne Bowden and Olivia Brock led the way with good hard hockey. Brock took one of the penalties a smart one negating a good Lakeshore scoring opportunity. Reese Ostryiznick and Jesse Dietrich as well as Caleigh Webb and Keira Dietz stood tall on the penalty kills bending but not breaking. The bend was one Lakeshore goal in the last half of the period. Not breaking that was the best penalty killer on the ice Aces goaltender Kennedy Caldwell. Caldwell was busy in the second and was as good then as Willie was in the first game. Only one snuck by and as the Aces regained full strength in the third the girls went back to work skating and forechecking.
The line of Reese Reinecker, Avery Wildgust and Briar Slattery had a great worker shift in the third cycling the puck down low and controlled play for a minute of valuable time while both Slattery and Wildgust came close to cushioning the lead but to no avail. After a Ostriyznick shot that got through the Aces had another chance with the puck on the goal line but no one able to get free to help it cross the line before it was covered. The last minute and a half saw the Lightning pull their goalie for an extra attacker however the Aces played it smart and efficient and killed the clock preserving the win 2-1.
The win finished off a strong October for the Aces who have a regular season record of 5-1-2.