Oct 27, 2016 | tphilp | 1148 views
Toros Continue Winning Streak in Double Header
The Clarington Toros Atom AE squad continued their hard work and solid play this weekend, playing a tough away game in Peterborough, and an even tougher home game against a quick Northumberland team. It was time for the Toros to show they could hang with big boys in the Lakeshore division, and, as always, they made it quite entertaining! A few big goals and some quality play by the goaltenders came to the forefront in these games, proving that dedication and hard work are paying off for the athletes.
The first game of the weekend came against a stout Peterborough White team. The Toros knew they had it in tough, as this team had put up a win against the Toros earlier in the year in tournament action. Early first period action was all Toros, as all three lines were able to hem the opponent in their own zone for several minutes at a time. Big ups to the play of the L. Storey, N. Harper, and G. Antaya 'big line' for their ability to possess the puck and get it into the offensive zone. They controlled the puck every time they were on the ice. But it was S. Archer who got the first goal, sitting in position when a T. Taylor shot bounced off the goalie right to his stick. This lead didn't hold for long though, as Peterborough potted a quick goal before the period was over to tie it up.
A back-and-forth game resumed in the 2nd period, with a nice goal from L. Storey (assisted by L. Guernsey and R. Viegas) being quickly matched with a tally from Peterborough. The Toros stepped it up in the 3rd though, giving Peterborough their patented '3rd gear'. L. Geniole and C. Davis passed the puck well when needed, and kept the puck away from the opponent for most of the 3rd. D. Baksh came up with some excellent glove saves when it counted, and kept the Toros slim lead alive. It was a big shot from L. Guernsey that put the Toros ahead, assisted by a nice shot from R. Viegas and a nice pass from J. Jessen. Then it was T. Taylor's turn for a goal, with L. Guernsey getting the assist. One more big goal from N. Harper (assisted by E. Carey) secured the victory, with the final score being Clarington 5, Peterborough 3.
The second game was against a speedy, shooting Northumberland team. Northumberland was at the top of the standings, but the Toros felt confident coming into the game, knowing they had just beat a tough team in Peterborough yesterday. J. Ward was especially focused, as he was reported practicing his shot blocks before the game. The first period was expected to be high scoring, but both goalies made some excellent saves. A. Csizmadia only let in one goal in the 1st, which was clearly screened by multiple bodies. T. Taylor scored on the Toros side, assisted by the nice passing of L. Storey and G. Antaya. Big ups go to T. Oliver and N. Hibbard, who both had some hard battles on the boards but came out victorious on many occasions in the game. N. Fraser and E. Carey played hard as well, showing their wheels on the big ice stopping many of Northumberland's top shooters.
The highlights of the 2nd period were two beautiful top-cheese goals from L. Storey and J. Jessen. They were both reportedly very happy they had hit the exact same spot in the net - top left. Assists came from Harper and Carey on the Storey goal; Oliver and Viegas on the Jessen goal. Northumberland was able to climb back in with a good goal of their own, but the Toros were able to stay ahead in the 3rd with a nice behind-the-net between-the-goalies-legs goal by S. Archer (assisted by L. Guernsey and R. Viegas). Northumberland tied it up quick, and a tough penalty put the Toros in a tight situation. Queue T. Taylor and L. Guernsey. R. Viegas grinded it out of the zone, L. Guernsey picked it up, faked a pass to T. Taylor across crease, and put it top-shelf with a strong backhand. The crowd went wild, and Toros tender A. Csizmadia was able to shut it down to win a close game; Clarington 5, Northumberland 4.
The winning Toros have a well-deserved break coming up before a home game against Port Perry this weekend. Go Toros Go! Happy Halloween!