Jan 17, 2020 | CherylAnn Golem | 140 views
Torrie with a Hattie for Chatty
The Township of Chatsworth and District, Moggie Valley Timber Inc., Midget Rep Rebels traveled to Drayton to face the Defenders in the first game of the WOAA playoffs. It was an edge of your seat battle, but the Rebels came out victorious in game 1.
The Rebels scored at 13:20 of the first when Wyatt Golem flipped the puck from the corner of the Drayton net out to Austin McComb who one-timed it in. The lead was short-lived when bad play in the defensive end allowed the Defenders to tie it up just 12 seconds later. The game continued with the Rebels winning the majority of the battles and keeping their tempers and skating away - preferring to get revenge on the score board where it really hurts. Finally, at 2:37 Josh Currie and Golem combined to assist Alex DeJong whose shot appeared to be stopped but it trickled just over the line to restore the lead for the Rebels. Carson Torrie took the puck from the opening face off of the second and skated it over the Drayton blue line where he flicked the puck towards the net. The Drayton goalie, expecting a bullet, was hand-cuffed by the shot and it went straight in, to give the Rebels the lead 3 - 1. Most of the action was in the Drayton end of the ice, but Rebel goalie Lawson Cumming came up big a number of times.
Rebels were moving much slower in the second period and Drayton often beat them to the puck. Eventually, poor play in the defensive end allowed the Defenders to pull within one goal.
Unfortunately, a beautiful defensive play, to break up yet another Drayton breakaway, ended up causing a penalty which the Rebels pulled together and tried to kill, but they came up just a little short as the Defenders tied the game at 3 all. Drayton still had major jump and Rebels lackluster play led to increased play in the Rebel end of the ice until, with just over a minute left in the second, Jack Kivell got it ahead to Torrie who blasted a bullet this time, by the netminder and off the inside of the far post and in. The second ended 4 - 3 in favour of the Rebels.
The Rebels, though tired, seemed to have a little more energy back in the third. Near the half-way point of the third the Rebels were scrambling and made another series of errors in their own end to allow the Defenders to even the score.
Near the end of the third, Austin McComb assisted Mitch Stevens as Rebels managed to sneak one over the line to retake the lead. This led the Defenders to pull their goalie in response. With only seconds left in the game, Rebels broke out of their own end, and, to ensure no mistake was made, Torrie skated the puck all the way to the empty net and set it in to give him the hattrick and Rebels the insurance goal. In the Rebel end, emotions overflowed and kept the referees busy sorting out the aftermath for both teams.
The game ended 6 - 4 in favour of the Rebels. These 2 teams will meet again for a rematch in WOAA playoff game number 2 -- Sunday at 2 pm in Markdale.
Let`s go Rebels!!!