Coffman Rocks 4   Gahanna Lincoln Lions 2

Game Summary - Dublin Coffman vs. Gahanna, Saturday, December 1,2007 - Dublin Chiller

 

                                                                                                                                                            photo by Carol Anderson

1st Period
Opening night in front of large crowd is always special, but there was another team that looked be spoilers as the Rocks hosted the Gahanna Lincoln Lions. After the players introductions the game was on and the Rocks seemed determined to show the opening game was a result they wanted to continue. For several minutes the Rocks pasted Gahanna goaltender, Nemec, but to no avail as he stopped everything thrown at him. Rocks get the first power play of the game early and move the puck well but generate only 1 shot and the game remains scoreless. Gahanna mounts a little flurry but nothing Rogers cannot handle. The Rocks finally dig in and the big line comes thru, Sam O'Brien makes a nifty play in the corner and feeds Anthony Rogers in the slot, Rogers one timer is hammered, but Nemec makes a great blocker save, only to see that Chris Ridgway is waiting on the doorstep and Ridgway slams the puck home, 1-0 Rocks at 7:53. Rocks seem in control until late in the period Zacharias gets called for a hit from behind and Wall marches with him a few short seconds later on a crosscheck. Down 5 on 3 , Gahanna mounts an attack but the solid goaltending of Alex Rogers keeps the puck from reaching any mesh so the period comes to an end 1-0, Rocks.  Rocks out shot the Lions in the first period 8-5.

2nd Period
The team comes out of the break somewhat lethargic and that would cost Coffman, Gahanna sends the puck into the Rocks zone, Coffman cant seem to get a pass off to anyone in the zone, the puck bounces from one of the Rocks d-men and Tarbutton, for the Lions swats the puck thru everyone past Rogers and the game is tied, 1-1. The next 5 minutes of the period the Rocks are all over the Lions, the pressure is rewarded with 6:34 left to play as a tic-tac-toe pass play has the big line produce results again, Ridgway feeds Rogers who deflects the puck across the net to a wide open Andy O'Brien and O'Brien taps the puck home, 2-1 Rocks. Rocks are now really pressuring the Lions and with 4:19 left a nice individual effort by Jimmy Wall produces again, Wall goes end to end and from the right side of the ice feathers a pass across to Anthony Rogers, Rogers drills the one-timer through Nemec and the Rocks lead 3-1. Rocks out shot the Lions 20-6.

3rd Period
The third started slow again for the Rocks as they generated little of anything and again it would cost them, on a face-off to the left of Rogers, Lions center, White, pulls the puck back but he only gets a piece of the puck, White grabs the puck again with the Rocks standing around and unloads a huge shot from 10 feet and Gahanna makes the game interesting, 3-2 Rocks. For the next 7 minutes of the game, everything seems to slow down, there is little pressure from either side. Needing a spark to close the deal, Matt Smith makes a nice interception at the Rocks blue line, passes to Chris Ridgway who slips a puck to a bolting Anthony Rogers up center ice, Rogers undresses a Lions defenseman and in alone on Nemec makes no mistake as he scores his 2nd of the night, making the final 4-2 Rocks. Rocks out shoot the Lions 10-9 in the 3rd and 38-20 overall.

Rocks Highlights:
Pressure on the puck at all times helps create opportunities on this night none would match Tyler Anderson, whose relentless play created turnovers and opportunity. On the back end Matt Smith for the 2nd game in a row helped his team with strong puck control, stopping any and all rushes while many times transitioning the big line for more scoring chances.   Next up, again a conference match up as the Rocks head on the road to last years new team entry St. Francis DeSales Stallions in game 3 of a 3 game league opening weekend at 5:10 pm, Chiller North.

 

                                                                                                                      by Randy Zacharias