Our LL4 Wolfpack team saved their very best hockey for our
final season game, defeating Langton Leafs 1 who finished third in the standings,
during the second half of the season.
This last game saw Riley McHutchion score an impressive 4
goals in one game, earning a hat trick and an added feather to his cap.
Since, our team’s last game review, 5 games have since been played, so there is much to outline in this article.
The first of these past games was a home game on the 21st of February against the Tillsonburg Tornadoes 1, which was a high penalty filled game with 59 minutes in penalties between teams, 3 player game ejections and a 2 game suspension for a fourth player.
Our Wolfpack team played with a short bench of just 7 skaters and our goalie, leaving our team with only 2 subs on our bench through the game. This would be less during times of penalties, including one instance when we had 3 penalties. This meant we had no player on the bench and not enough players in total to serve our goalie’s penalty making the referees, question how to handle this instance.
Tillsonburg had a full bench of 14 skaters and a goalie, which meant they had double the number of players than our team, giving them an advantage over our team. However, our Wolfpack didn’t quit all game and held the Tornadoes down and finished with a 4-0 loss.
A few days later our Wolfpack returned to our centre to host a game against Simcoe Warriors what would turn out to be a more even game, as both teams had 8 and 9 skaters, respectively. In contrast to our previous game, this game was very clean with only one penalty given out for the entire game, this allowed players to focus on the game itself and more importantly scoring.
Our team was happy to welcome back Jonah Hunks, after his injury at the beginning of the season, it was promising to see Jonah and his trademark white gloves back in the line up. He was instrumental early in the game as he earned the first assist of the game as he did a turn shot and Deryk picked up his rebound and put the puck 5 hole in the net to earn the first goal of the game.
The Warriors responded quickly 2 and a half minutes later with a goal of their own to tie up the game at 1-1. Jackson with seconds remaining on the clock had a breakaway chance that was cut short by the period buzzer, ending the period with a tie.
The second period was a testament to how closely matched these two teams were, as the second period ended with no additional scoring on either team.
Into the third period, Warriors scored a goal after 5 minutes into the period, grabbing the lead over our Wolfpack with a surprising fluke goal from behind our net. Unfazed our team clawed back and Riley McLelland blasted a shot from the blue line that screamed past the goalie, scoring just over three minutes after the Warriors goal to return the score to a 2-2 tie, which would end the game in the same score.
The next night our team was back on the ice facing the Ingersoll Express in their arena, sitting in the lobby, unbeknownst to me that I would have a front row seat to one of the hardest shots all seasons. As Jackson, on a rush to the Express net, laid out a slap shot, five feet from the net, that was so powerful that it was imbedded into the net. Deryk was credited for an assist on this first goal of the game.
Incredibly within this same minute, 48 seconds later would Josh Hicks set up Josh Racette for a back to back goal for our Wolfpack. This quick lead in the game, sadly, faded away as we weren’t able to follow up with any more goals until the third period.
Ingersoll adapted their play to respond to our teams quick advancement in the game and were able to respond with a goal of their own in the last minute and a half in the first period with a 3 way play goal.
The Express bantered back in the second period with another goal to tie up the game against the Wolfpack.
The final period of the game would eventually be the most scoring period of the game and the deciding point in the game. Our Paris team were the first to find the back of the net as Cameron passed the puck to Jackson who scored his second goal of the night.
The Ingersoll team, at the four minute mark of the game, turned the tables on our team and fooled us at our own game by scoring two goals within the same minute to tie up the game. This sudden change in events in this game seemed to provide renew energy for the Express and three minutes later they drove in to score a fifth goal of the game and take a two goal lead on Paris.
Our Wolfpack, with their never give up attitude, sent out a sixth skater in exchange for our goalie and Riley was able to score on an unassisted goal. Trailing by one goal our players pushed on and battled hard in front of the Express net but time ended before we were able to catch the Express and ended with a 5-4 loss.
Our second of Paris’ two road trips landed us on the shores of Port Dover for another great match between two close teams. This Friday, March 1st game was on Riley McHutchion’s 17th birthday, so we were hoping that some of his birthday good fortune would be shared with his teammates to help them with their game.
Although, our team played well we struggled with getting some good scoring chances and our one and only scoring opportunity came in the second period when Josh Racette, held the puck in our opponents zone and then skated in and took a rifling shot that clearly beat the Pirates goalie squarely in the top far corner.
The Pirates definitely captured our team’s good fortune and managed to score 3 goals to secure a 3-1 win over our Wolfpack, a disappointing loss as our team was on par with Port Dover through all three periods.
Our final league game had our Wolfpack return back to Paris for home ice advantage. Our team played well offensively, in turn, this helped our team play better defensively, as demonstrated by only 6 shots being shot on our net throughout the first period.
Our teams first goal came as a result of Josh R banking the puck off the boards, assisting to Riley McHutchion who picked up the puck at the Leafs blue line and took a shot that hit the left goal post that went in with a loud ding to score for our team.
Riley McHutchion scored our team’s second goal of the game in the second period which was unassisted. With 29.6 seconds remaining in the second period a 3rd goal was set up from Jackson to Riley McHutchuon to Josh Hicks who finished the play with a goal.
3-2 was the score in favour of Paris going into the third period of the game when last than 2 minutes into the third period our Wolfpack were given a tripping penalty that awarded Langton a penalty shot. Fortunately, our goalie Caleb holds a 91.73 save percent so we had full confidence in him going into this penalty shot which he saved.
For some people acquiring a hat trick is a bit of a stretch and that is exactly how Riley McHutchion earned his hat trick after two passes from Josh Racette to Josh Hicks who passed over to Riley who was racing in on the Leafs net and with an outstretched stick tipped in the puck to earn his hat trick of the evening.
Riley was not done yet and four minutes later as he was flying down the line he aimed and shot at the Langton net and tucked the puck over the goalies shoulder, crediting him for a fourth goal this same evening.
A final goal for Paris came as a result of Riley McLelland passing to Evan, who was fighting off players who were trying to take the puck off his stick, kicked the puck up to his stick before taking a shot that beat the goalie 5 hole with just 22 seconds remaining.
Congratulations to Paris on winning our last game 6-2 over the Langton Leafs.
A special congratulations to Cameron and Kaleb for participating in all 30 league games and 6 tournament games. In addition, to our goalie Caleb for only missing one game, due to injury all season.