Ancaster Royals 5   Coffman Rocks 5

Game Summary - Dublin Coffman vs. Ancaster, Canada-Saturday, November 24,2007, Chiller North

 

                                                                                                                                                            photo by Carol Anderson

 
1st Period

Coffman has endured a vigorous schedule with three games in 16 hours, but this game, right from the outset, would prove the Rocks look ready to play. Determined to show they have a much improved hockey club, the Rocks came out a lot quicker against one of the tournament favorites in Ancaster Royals of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The Rocks poured on early pressure in the Ancaster zone being stymied by the Ancaster defense several times leaving them without results. Ancaster playing for a tournament championship berth forced the Rocks back on their heels in their own zone as the Ancaster team peppered Alex Rogers for the next several minutes, but Rogers was up for every test leaving a few players grimace as Rogers continued mastery of the Ancaster forwards. A high sticking penalty on Ancaster off a face-off allows the Rocks their first opportunity. The Rocks power play started strong as they move the puck around, getting several shots in on Leach, Ancasters net minder. However a turnover sent two Ancaster forwards in on Rogers who made two glorious saves point blank. The rebound on the second save sends Jimmy Wall, from the crease, up ice to the Ancaster right side of the goal line, Wall stops short and feeds a trailing Andy O'Brien.  O'Brien wastes no time and rifles a slap shot off from the right face-off circle,  and scores over Leach's shoulder, top shelf with 6:36 left to play, 1–0 Rocks.

On the ensuing center ice face-off, Ancaster replied immediately winning the face-off  in a tic tack toe, 3-way, passing play. Allowing the Ancaster forwards to walk in untouched into the Rocks zone, a pass sent over to a completely uncovered winger, Sagodi, allowed Ancaster to tie the game 10 seconds after the Rocks had scored, by lifting a shot top shelf over Rogers left shoulder, 1–1  at 6:26 left in the period. For the balance of the period both sides exchanged pleasantries in an relatively even, back and forth game. Ancaster out shot the Rocks in the first period 14-7. 

2nd Period
The Rocks find themselves down early into period 2, when Evan Bowdy receives a tripping penalty at 9:13, just 16 seconds on the advantage Ancaster takes their first lead of the game when off a face-off to the left of Rogers, the Royals forward, Earl, feeds an open forward, Pipe, who is all alone at the Rocks goal line. Pipe wrists a shot off, that went through Alex Rogers into the net, 2–1 Royals. However the Royals return the man advantage, a tripping penalty, and the Rocks quickly tie up the game when Anthony Rogers is just left of the Royals net, O’Brien and Ridgway control the puck low until O'Brien slips a puck past everyone to Rogers, who promptly deposits the biscuit, 2-2 with 5:04 left. The Rocks are playing their best hockey of the tourney and now start pouring on the pressure. With 1:33 left on the clock, Matt Zacharias intercepts a Royal's pass in the neutral zone, Zacharias  redirects the puck to a sprinting Chris Ridgway, sending Ridgway with one man to beat, the goalie, a major league head fake freezes the Ancaster tender and Ridgway buries the biscuit behind him, 3-2 Rocks. Not done, the Rocks continue their mastery and Jeff Hoover intercepts a pass right in front of the Rocks net, he takes the puck out to center ice, feeds Jimmy Wall who carries the puck into the Royals zone untouched. Wall unleashes a blistering shot from the high slot and the blast beats the Royals goalie with :24 seconds left in the 2^nd  4-2, Rocks. Ancaster out shot the Rocks 14-8. 

3rd Period

The Rocks take an early penalty at 11:28, the face-off, to the right of Rogers, sets up Ancasters draw, the clean win pulls the puck back to the winger, who in turn feeds the left defensemen up at the blue line. Defensemen, Myers, takes a weak shot towards the net but it's stopped short of the net by the left winger, Mastroluis, who backhands a shot, Rogers  kicks the puck out with his right pad to an untouched Royal, to the right of Rogers and he wrists the puck into the open side to bring the Royals within 1, 4-3 Rocks. For the next 6 minutes the teams are at each other throwing big hits all over the ice and with only 5:36 left the Royals score, Ancasters, Myers, drills a first shot, which Rogers again makes a huge save, but the rebound is left for Agnew, who slaps at the puck and put it past an outstretched Rogers, 4 -4. The Rocks are forced deep in their zone of the ensuing face-off, Zacharias strips the puck from an Ancaster forward at his goal line, looks up ice and sees Anthony Rogers alone at center ice, the stretch pass up the boards allows Rogers to skate the puck to the left side face-off circle. Rogers drills a hard shot up high, Ancasters goaltender makes the save but the puck sails straight up in the air. The pursuing Rogers grabs his own rebound skates behind the net and feeds Chris Ridgeway in the slot, who promptly deposits the puck to reestablish the one goal lead with 4:40 to go, 5-4 Rocks. Matt Smith, of the Rocks, is given a 2 and 10 penalty with a check from behind, Ancaster wins the draw and the shot from the blue line is stopped by, Earl. Rogers stops the initial shot but Earl would not be denied ass he follows up with a 2nd shot and puts it behind Rogers, 5-5 with 1:38 to go.

While the game was over a shoot-out is played to finish the round robin. Ancasters, Myers, goes first missing the net with a wrist shot from 15 feet. Ridgway goes for the Rocks but loses control of the puck on the deke, still tied. Black, for Ancaster, tries to go 5-hole low, but Roger keeps the pads together for the save.  Jimmy Wall races in and scores 5 hole to put the Rocks up by 1. Ancasters, Mastroluis, takes the high wrist shot and scores top shelf, 1-1. Andy O’Brien takes a low wrist shot that seemed to misfire as he shot, 1-1.  Agnew for Ancaster takes the puck to Rogers left, and deposits a backhand behind Alex Rogers, 2-1 Ancaster.  Anthony Rogers is last man to try, his backhander on a sweet move was perfect but he couldn’t get the puck over the spread out Ancaster goalie. Rocks lose the shoot out 2-1. Ancaster out shot the Rocks 18-9 in the 3rd and 46-24 overall.

Rocks Highlights:
The Rocks came out to play with vengeance today, Both Rogers were dominating in this one, Alex Rogers for the third straight game is shelled by another strong opponent, but comes up with a super effort. Game 4 is a wrap up of the weekend action against an old rival, Upper Arlington, Sunday morning, 7:15, at Chiller North

                                                                                                                      by Randy Zacharias