Feb 20, 2019 | CherylAnn Golem | 492 views
OMHA ends but the quest for WOAA continues
The Township of Chatsworth and District, Moggie Valley Timber Inc., Midget Rep Rebels advanced to the second round of the OMHA playoffs but came up against a tough Shallow Lake team. Each game was a close match but the Rebels came up just short and did not advance to the next round.
Sunday, the Rebels and Lakers met in Markdale for game 2 of the series with the Rebels already down 1 - 0. The Rebels took to the ice determined to even the series. Unfortunately, the Lakers drew first blood when they managed to break out just over a minute into the game and score and unassisted goal to take the lead.
Rebels regrouped and kept pushing to even the game. Finally, midway through the second, Austin King passed to Hunter Schultz who managed to beat the Lakers goalie and even the score at one.
Lakers had a chance to pull ahead when they were awarded a penalty shot, but Rebel goalie Lawson Cumming shut the door and stopped to the shot to keep the score tied. The Rebels came out hard in the third and play went end to end with numerous chances for both teams. Unfortunately, the Lakers took advantage of some scrambly play and scored 2 goals in just over a minute apart near the mid-point of the third.
The Rebels came back hard and threw everything they had at the Lakers net. They managed to score, but the call on the ice was no goal as it was deemed the net was off. Rebels kept pressing right up to the final buzzer, but despite generating some excellent chances they just couldn't solve the Lakers goalie again and the game ended 3 - 1 in favour of the Lakers.
Monday saw the Rebels take to the ice in Shallow Lake knowing that their back was against the wall. They had done a good job of staying out of the penalty box (for the most part) in the first two games and they knew they needed to do more of the same.
Rebels played hard and it was a very evenly matched game with excellent scoring chances at both ends of the ice. Cummings turned away everything the Lakers threw at him and the Rebels swarmed the Lakers goal. They banged at rebounds. They shot low. They shot high. They tried deflections. They screened. But they couldn't seem to get one into the Shallow Lake net.
Finally, near the end of the second, the Lakers were awarded a penalty shot. Once again, Rebel goalie Lawson Cumming stonewalled the Lakers shooter and the score remained tied at 0. This is the third penalty shot against the Rebels this season and all three were stopped cold by the Rebels goalies (2 for Cummings and one earlier in the season for AP goalie Jason Rudolph-MacLeod).
The Rebel fans got a big boost from the save and it seemed to translate into even better play by the Rebels. After many attempts at both ends of the ice, the Lakers managed to get one up on the scoreboard. The Rebels fought hard to even the score. They managed to get one by the Lakers goalie but once again it was waved off due to the net being off. The Rebels never gave up, but they were unable to score and the game ended 1 - 0 in favour of the Lakers. This gave the Lakers the sweep of the OMHA series.
Rebels still continue to play in the WOAA playoffs in round robin play with 3 other teams. The next game for the Rebels is Friday, February 22 - 7:30 in Goderich followed by Tuesday February 26th - 7:30 pm in Markdale.
Come on out and cheer on the Midget Rebels and consider checking out one of the other Rebels teams still in the hunt for a championship by visiting the Rebels playoffs page.
Go Rebels Go!!!