Varsity Hockey v. Springfield Rifles

1/8/2017

On Thursday evening, the Eagles faced off against the Springfield Rifles for the first game after returning from winter recess. The boys were all excited to continue their progress as a team and used this game as a good indicator on what improvements needed to be made to pick up where they left off. The first period saw many chances for the Eagles as they aggressively pressed their opponents offensively and exhibited solid cycles low in the zone. The forwards dished out some nice passing sequences, but to no avail on the scoreboard. However, the Rifles would strike first as they took advantage of a pinching Eagle defenseman and converted on an odd man rush. The Eagles would shortly answer on their man advantage opportunity, as the boys showcased great passing on the power play breakout, which allowed Bauer Swift to carry the puck down the near sideboard and send a tape-to-tape pass to a streaking Jordan Nelson for a nice top shelf re-direct goal. The period would end tied at 1. The Eagles struggled to sustain an organized presence in all three zones in the second and eventually had a critical turnover at their blue line, which the Rifles converted for their second in the contest. Heading into the third down by 1, the Eagles relied on another zone entry to notch their second goal of the game. Bauer Swift was able to convert on a nice outside pad shot from the corner, which would eventually send the game into extra minutes. Minutes into overtime, a costly turnover in the defensive end would prove to be the deciding goal in favor of the Rifles. The Eagles showed strong willpower to overcome a lack of consistency and organization with their play in all three zones, but they know that this needs to be addressed in order to see continued success going forward.

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