The Kimberly’s Hearing Lightning 2 stepped onto their Home
ice Saturday night as the Visitors when they met the Taco-Bell Lightning 1
for their first regular season matchup.
When the players from Blenheim, Ridgetown and surrounding area were divided between these two teams at the beginning of the season, the intention was to make both teams equally competitive. So after an exhibition game during a scheduled practice the teams shuffled a couple of players and the teams were set. The first meeting of these two teams was actually during the Woodley Hoskins Memorial Tournament in the middle of December when they played in the semi-finals. The Taco-Bell Lighting 1 came out flat that game and the Kimberly’s Hearing Lightning 2 walked away with a decisive 4-0 win. However, both teams came out ready to play Saturday, The Lightning 2 having a weeks rest after loosing to the Barry Vikings in a ¼ final game during a Walter Gretzky Tournament in Branford last weekend. Where they placed 6th out of 28 Peewee teams. And the Lightning 1 having played the night before in a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to the West Lorne Comets.
I found myself on the edge of my seat as each team would stop the others offensive drive and then begin a drive of their own. As the first period wore down Lightning 1 appeared to be claiming the momentum and getting the better scoring chances. Then with only 3:13 left on the clock #10 Ayden Larkin’s shot rebounded right out to #16 Jacob Hamilton and he placed it over the right pad of #35 Danielle Betterley to give the Kimberly Hearing Lightning a 1-0 lead. One would expect that the momentum would shift at this point to the Lightning 2 team. But before you could say “PUT THAT IN YOUR SMOKE AND PIPE IT!” the Lightning 1 tied it up when #8 Max Gourley slid a perfact pass to #17 Ryley Cammaert and into a wide open cage. Before the first had ending #7 Sam Knowler of the Lightning 2 team would take an excuse-me hooking penalty that would force his team to finish the period short handed. The Taco-Bell Lightning 1 team never scored on the power play but would start the second period with the extra attacker and quickly shift the momentum in their favour. Then at 12:55 #16 Jackson Kalp would beat Defenseman #6 Ryelly Hill one on one and score with a perfectly placed shot High Glove side on #1 Lucas Vidler and give the Lightning 1 the lead. It was all down hill from there as the Taco-Bell Lightning would go on to score 4 more unanswered goals from #5 Liam Davies, #17 Ryley Cammaert, #11 Carter Gates and #16 Jackson Kalp, defeating the Kimberly Hearing Lightning 6-1. If not for the exceptional defensive play of #5 Josh Flemington and the outstanding goal tending of #1 Lucas Vidler this game could have been a complete blow-out. Once again you two ROCK!
So, After holding down top spot in the league since the end of September and with the Southwest Bullets defeating the Mooretown Flags2 6-1 earlier in the day the Kimberly’s Hearing Lightning now find them self's down in third.