Coffman Rocks 5   Gahanna Lincoln Lions 2

Game Summary - Dublin Coffman vs. Gahanna, Thursday, December 13,2007 - Dublin Chiller

 

                                                                                                                                                            photo by Carol Anderson

1st Period
The opening game of the annual Allgeyer tournament pitted the Gahanna Lincoln Lions against the defending Allgeyer champions, Coffman Shamrocks. The Rocks looked sharp to open the game and came out hard sending several punishing hits from the backend every time Gahanna came near the Rocks zone. 3 minutes in Rocks strike first, Evan Bowdy holds the puck on the left side, flips the puck into the corner Andy O'Brien and Ryan Cohagen go to battle on the wall trying to dig the puck out, Cohagen manages to pull the puck and is allowed to walk right out in front, and he delivers a well paced shot, 5-hole and the Rocks go up 1-0, for Cohagen his 1st Varsity goal. The Lions go on the PP half way thru the period and Alex Rogers continues with his solid play as he stops Tarbutton on a partial breakaway keeping the Lions at bay. The Rocks roll everybody and the physical play is wearing down the Lions for the next several minutes the Rocks seem to have a game in control. With 1:31 left the Rocks take a mental lapse in their own zone leaving Gahanna's         all alone and he drills a shot past Rogers to knot the score, 1-1. With time running out the Lions defenseman,             , decides to go end to end and makes a move that undresses a Rocks d-man and beats Rogers short side and the Rocks are stunned 2-1 after the first period. The late flurry gave the Lions the life they needed to get back into the game.   Rocks were out shot by the Lions in the first period 10-9.

2nd Period
The middle frame would prove the resolve of the Rocks, after dominating most of the 1st the Rocks lapse was not going to cost the team on this night. The Rocks d-men come out with a purpose, thunderous checks are thrown by Nagel, Panchysyn, Wall and Zacharias and the physical play pays off as the Lions are backing up. Evan Bowdy once again holds a puck in at the blue line and makes a nifty pass to Jordan Edmonds, Edmonds goes right around a Lions defender and feeds Jeff Hoover, Hoover wastes no time and one times the puck over the shoulder of Gahanna's net minder, Nemec, 2-2. 24 seconds later the Rogers line kicks in, with Sam O'Brien and Chris Ridgway, O'Brien feeds Ridgway in the right corner who in turn sees Anthony Rogers standing all alone in the right circle and most nights Rogers buries these chances and he makes no mistake beating, Nemec, clean 3-2, Rocks. The edge is taken away mid way thru the period when some questionable calls puts the Rocks down 5 on 3, but the solid play of the Rocks PK this year has had them handle these situations, they do, giving up but a single shot. The Rocks get back to work and with 2:33 left to go, the Edmonds line plays havoc in the Lions end, Andy O'Brien and Hoover cycle the puck low and O'Brien with extra hard work manages to feed Edmonds in the slot, Edmonds drills a hard wrist shot past Nemec and the Rocks go up by two, 4-2 to close out the period. Rocks out shot the Lions 14-7.

3rd Period
The Rocks came out hard again in the final frame and are rewarded early, Tyler Anderson, digs and digs and digs every night and that work ethic pays off for the winger, Anderson wins yet another battle in the left corner and pokes the puck free to Edmonds who is all alone in front Edmonds taps home the gift to put the Rocks up, 5-2. That seemed to knock the roar out of the Lions, for the balance of the period Nemec stands tall as the Rocks pour it on sensing this one is over. Rocks out shoot the Lions 10-4 in the 3rd and 33-21 overall.

Rocks Highlights:
The Rocks have shown signs of physical play but the big defense of the Rocks seemed determined to take that to a new level and more consistent, Jared Nagel clearly set a tone today and the Rocks d-men followed quickly after. Congrats to Ryan Cohagen on his 1st as he is rewarded for his inspiring play of late. Edmonds line caught the physical bus and that power was unmatched most of the night.     Next up, game 2 of the Allgeyer, Beavercreek Beavers, Friday night, 7:40 pm, Chiller North.

                                                                                                         by Randy Zacharias