The
Wilhelm Financial Midget Huskies LL3 were anxious for that elusive first win in
the round-robin play-off series. They would get that opportunity on February 27
when they faced the Midget LL2s for game 3 but they knew it would not be easy.
The LL2s were desperate for a win in order to have a chance at a top 2 slot
that would allow them to compete for the championship and the only thing that
stood in their way was the Midget LL3s.
As expected, both teams came out flying but the LL2s were quick to capitalize on an early defensive zone breakdown. With less than a minute of play gone, the scoreboard was already favouring the opposition. The rest of the frame was rough and fast but neither team could advance the score. That would have to wait until the second period that would be characterized by some spectacular goal-tending by Liam Saunders. He turned aside 5 solid scoring chances as his team struggled in front of him. The LL3s recovered their footing and turned it around late in the frame with Cam Gingerich leading the way for his team. His shot on net was followed up by some aggressive cycling plays by Canden Addley and Andrew Just when they went to the power-play. They found the point man open and Connor Ross loosed a bullet along the deck that beat the screened LL2 goalie thru the 5-hole. The third frame was war on ice. The end-to-end action was punctuated with some hard body-checking as exhibited by Sean Boake who was taking no prisoners behind his own net. Saunders was again busy as the LL2s grew desperate but he was getting help from the likes of Austin Hartman who was equally determined to stop the LL2 offensive. With the clock winding down, the LL2s pulled their goalie. A tied game would not help the opposition advance in play-downs. They needed the win and the LL3s were determined to be their foil. As fate would have it, Nathan Gerber nearly came up with a win for the LL3s on a turnover, but his shot on the empty net went wide and the game remained a 1 – 1 tie at the buzzer. While it was almost a win for Saunders given his stellar performance, it was a technical loss for the LL2s who are all but eliminated from a top 2 slot. As for the LL3s, it was satisfying to know that the regular season first place team failed to beat them in their 3 meetings of the season, but the tie means a must-win when they meat Plattsville on March 1.