Fighting the Storm.
The weather man said there was a storm on the horizon Friday night as
your Sobeys Lightning travelled to Bothwell. Little did we expect it inside the arena.
#5 Josh Flemington lifts the stick of his opponent.
Some of the players had arrived early and were able to take part in the Public Skating before the game but still seemed to come out in the first period flat. Sobeys Lightning goalie #29 Dani Betterly was forced to make 5 solid stops in that period alone to keep her team in the game but the Southwest Bullets finally opened the scoring with 3:17 left of the first with a goal from #17 Ryan Smith and assisted by #9 Hannah Hamilton. Throughout most of the first period the Bullets forced the play into the Lightning’s end of the rink. However your Lightning team weathered the storm and with 1:01 left in the first #17 Ashton Clark make a highlight reel tape to tape pass to line mate #2 Paiton Desangher who had nothing but net to shoot at and tied the game 1-1. With the clock ticking down and the Bullets swarming again around the Lightning zone #4 Camden Blackburn gets called for Body Contact leaving the Lightning to start the second down a player.
After killing the 2 minute minor to start the second #2 Paiton Desangher scored his second goal of the night putting the Lightning ahead 2-1. You could cut the tension with a knife as both teams play a solid second. Neither team could muster up much offensive as the checking was tight throughout the period. Lightning forward #11 Carter Gates had a very strong period constantly knocking the puck off the opponent’s sticks and making them earn every inch of ice.
The Lightning began to push harder in the third scoring twice in the first minute. Once by #10 Colin Day and assisted by #5 Josh Flemington and again 9 seconds later from #8 Brady Pook and assisted by #10 Colin Day. Then Just when you start thinking the Lightning have this game in the bag the Southwest Bullets score a shorthanded goal at 12:12 by #16 Ragan Eberle and then cut the Lightning lead to 1 with a goal from #14 Bryson Blunt and making it a 4-3 game. The Lightning ran into more penalty trouble in the third and were forced to kill off a 2 minute bench minor for to many men at 10:34 and a tripping call to #10 Colin Day at 5:05. It was after successfully killing those 2 penalties that the momentum began to swing in the Lightning’s direction and at 6:04 #4 Camden Blackburn redeemed himself with a goal assisted by #6 Logan Fraser and #3 Vincent Vaughan. Then once again the Lightning scored 2 quick goals this time 8 seconds apart the first from #8 Brady Pook assisted by #3 Vincent Vaughan and #10 Colin Day and the second a solo by #10 Colin Day. In the last minute of the game Lightning #5 Josh Flemington stopped the Bullets from clearing their zone and pushed the puck up to # 7 Drew Rumble in the corner then he passed the puck right out to #17 Ashton Clark waiting in the slot, who then fired it over the shoulder of the Bullets goalie and into the net. The lightning outshot the Bullets 15-5 in the final frame.
Shots on goal for the game: Lightning 28, Bullets 14
Player of the game: #2 Paiton Desangher
Final Score: Lightning 8, Bullets 3.