Sep 21, 2016 | tphilp | 907 views
Toros Perform Well in Double-Header
The Clarington Toros Atom AE really showed well and got the
crowd moving this weekend with a convincing victory on home ice against the
Belleville Bulls and an electrifying 4-4 tie in a night game against the
Predators of Port Perry.
The first game was a home-town season opener against the
Bulls. Right out of the gate, the Toros once again showed why they should be a
major contender this year.
The Toros stepped out to a roaring crowd as their standard introduction boomed over the loudspeakers at Garnet B. Rickard Arena. The players were definitely pumped, as they scored right out of the gate. It was an all-minor goal, with T. Oliver digging it out to N. Harper, Harper making an excellent pass over to N. Hibbard in front of the net, and Hibbard with a beautiful deflection into the open side. The majors weren't going to let the minors have all the fun though, as seconds later, C. Davis held the line in the offensive end and passed it to T. Taylor in the corner. Taylor made a smart, between-the-legs pass to J. Jessen who buried with a quick shot to put the Toros up 2-0.
Belleville wasn't going to let the Toros get away with their quick start, as they potted 1 of their 2 goals in this contest to start the 2nd period. Some nice stops by A. Csizmadia in this contest, as he made himself big in the net several times when needed. The defense were sure appreciative, as they were able to do their job getting it out of the zone for two more goals in the 2nd by T. Taylor, each assisted by J. Jessen. S. Archer, the unsung winger on this line, made some great plays to get the puck into open space, but couldn't crack the score sheet.
The 3rd period saw the big line get started, as L. Storey and G. Antaya started really skating like they wanted a goal. The defense played great 3rd period hockey, with J. Ward and E. Carey having strong sticks, getting the puck out of the Toros' zone several times after a quick A. Csizmadia save. The Bulls scored one more, making it 4-2, so an insurance goal was needed. S. Archer had the best of chances, having an open net up high and shooting it over the top post by mere inches. One more A. Csizmadia kick-save through traffic later, and the Bulls pulled their goalie. That left an empty netter for N. Hibbard, assisted by T. Oliver, to finish the contest 5-2.
The second game of the weekend saw the Toros travel to Port Perry to face off against the tough Predators. Unfortunately the travel must have unfocused the players as they went out to a 3-goal deficit to finish the 1st period, with one goal coming from T. Taylor. Head Coach Tyler gathered the Toros on the bench and must've said something inspirational, because they came out a different team in the 2nd and 3rd period. D. Baksh was a wall, ensuring his glove was on full display on a few flashy saves. He was quoted making sure the coaches noticed his glove flourishes following the game.
The Predators played very tough, passing well and skating hard and making sure the Toros didn't have much time with the puck. The defense had to shine. L. Geniole, N. Fraser and R. Viegas effectively used their wheels and nice passing to make space for the forwards, but it didn't produce a goal until half way through the 3rd period. L. Storey and E. Carey helped set up a beauty wrister by G. Antaya to bring the score within 2 goals. After a quick timeout with three minutes left, it was time for L. Guernsey to shine. Guernsey put it into top gear, skating through every opposing player to put in a rocket of a third goal. He wasn't done though. Less than 30 seconds later, he sped down again. He was stopped by the tender this time, but J. Jessen stepped in with a nice rebound to tie the game at 4 with less than a minute left. The arena erupted. The game finished a tie, but the Toros were glad to get out with a point against a tough team.
Next up is a mid-week game vs. the extremely tough Whitby Wildcats. Rest up Toros!
Mess with the Bull, you get the Horns!