Flanagan Backstops a struggling offence to keep Aces 0-1-2 in their last three
The Romeo Pet Hospital U13A Aces are in the midst of a
divisional battle with rival defenses that haven’t been allowing much of any
Ace offence to penetrate through. With
just 3 goals in their last four games, the Aces D has had to shore up and help
star netminder Reece Flanagan keep the opposition at bay.
The Aces stand 4th in the OWHA Central West with a 5-4-4 record. While
goals are hard to come by, the Aces still have only allowed 3 more goals
against than the division leading Woolwich Wild this season.
The Ace squad faced their archrivals the Cambridge
Roadrunners December 10 on home ice where the Roadrunners avenged their
festival cup shootout loss to the Aces with a late 3rd period goal
handing Stratford a 1-0 loss. Penalties racked up for the Aces as they killed 10
minutes of penalties throughout the game, wearing out he Ace D into the third,
allowing for the Roadrunners breakthrough.
The girls suited up again Sunday December 11 hosting the
division leading Woolwich Wild. The Aces
knew they would be in tough and played a defensive style to ward off the Wild’s
pressure. Discipline troubles continued for the Aces as they racked up double
digit penalty minutes yet again putting pressure on Ace special teams. The D
prevailed on both ends and the teams drew with both goalies earning clean
sheets.
The lone game in the final weekend of Hockey for the year
2022 placed the Aces on the road Sunday, December 18 at the Hespler arena in Cambridge
where once again the two divisional rivals would face each other. Reflecting
the intensity of when these two teams meet, it proved to be yet another rough affair,
with Leighton Nickel keeping up her friendship with the wrong side of the game
sheet with the officials kept the girls travelling to the box. With the puck, the
Ace offence did give the fans some glimmers of hope as Jule Cameron was sprung
forward with multiple lead passes for clean breaks, only to find a roadrunner bricked
wall on the other side of the ice. Taylor Miller did breakthrough finding a
rebound and lifting it over the sprawling roadrunner goalie. The Roadrunners would
equal and the two sides skated off to yet another draw.
Christmas will provide the break and regrouping the Aces need
to start again to find the back of the net in 2023 where the girls square off against
the 2nd place Owen Sound Ice Hawks Jan 15