The Taylor Fluid Systems Peewee C Stratford Aces travelled to
Tillsonburg on Thursday night for a showdown versus a very good Lightning
squad. All previous matchups between
these two teams had been evenly contested, with the Lightning owning the
advantage in the win column.
Despite being hemmed in their own end early, the Aces managed to get on the score board first as Grace Laverty, skating across the blue line, unloaded a laser of a shot that beat the Lightning net-minder five-hole. Shortly after, the Aces added to their lead. Avery Faulhafer and Taylor Neeb went on the rush. The Lightning goalie stopped the initial shot from Faulhafer but Neeb was there to gobble up the rebound and bury it home.
The Lightning responded to the two goal lead with 4:33 left in the first, getting back to within one of the Aces.
The two squads battled to a scoreless second. The Aces adopted the “bend but don’t break” mentality as the Lightning continued their relentless pressure.
Late in the third, the Aces found themselves short-handed by two. With 4:45 left in the game the Lightning coach went all in, pulling his goalie to send another attacker into the fray. Ava Neumeister was outstanding as she faced a barrage of shots. Despite the pressure, the Aces twice managed to send skaters away with the puck. Rachel Horan and Taylor Neeb iced the game for the Aces as they each added an empty netter. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the visiting fans cheered themselves hoarse, celebrating the efforts of the Aces squad and the 4-1 victory!
The Aces play host to the Lightning on Friday night for the rematch at the RBC arena.