Mar 28, 2022 | AAgawa | 1596 views
NOHA Championship Weekend
By Matt W.
Game 1 vs Copper Cliff Reds. The Hounds would come out flying from the drop of the puck in this game taking the play to Copper Cliff right away, 2 early strikes by Logan Dearing would see the Soo up 2-0 10 mins in. Caleb Walker would extend the lead on an unassisted effort to see the Hounds up 3-1. Copper Cliff would fight back and pot one before periods end to cut the lead to 3-1 at the intermission.
The second would see a goaltending change for the Reds and it would seem to spark the Team. The Reds would strike a few mins in cutting the Soo lead to 3-2. Minutes later, Carter Huckson would add to the Hounds lead making it 4-2. Copper Cliff would come right back and strike to make it a 4-3 game. With 5 mins left in the period, Logan Dearing would get his 3rd of the game banging in a puck in the slot to put the Hounds up 5-3. That score would holdup heading to the 3rd period.
Both teams would trade chances in the 3rd and Preston Miller would put the Hounds up 6-3. Copper Cliff would pour on the attack and see themselves rewarded. The Reds would make it a 6-4 game halfway through the frame and strike again to cut the Hounds lead to 6-5 with 4 minutes to go. From there, the Soo would fend off the Attack and hold on to the lead taking home the 6-5 WIN!
Game 2 vs Nickel City Sons.
This game was all Hounds from start to finish. Several Soo players would contribute to the victory and goalie Cash Rowswell would make a few keys stops to secure a shutout for his Greyhounds. Scoring for the Hounds were
Ethan Agawa 3, Logan Dearing 2, Caleb Walker, Sam Caruso, Jagur Vommaro, Preston Miller. The Hounds would take home the 9-0 WIN to sit at 2-0 after day one.
Game 3 vs North Bay Trappers
In the 3rd game of the tourney, the Hounds would come out flat against a fired up North Bay team and find themselves chasing the game the whole time. A goal called back in the first by Caleb Walker would set the tone for the rest of this game for the Hounds. After a scoreless first period, North Bay would strike twice in a 5 min span to put themselves up 2-0. After a couple of traded chances North Bay would get a power play and extend their lead to 3-0. Both clubs would skate into the intermission at that same score.
The third period would see the Hounds press for a goal but North Bay would stem off the pressure and 5 minutes in, would fire a shot past Goalie Nate Maguire to go up 4-0. That would wake up the Hounds as the Soo would comeback minutes later and cut into the lead on a goal by Ethan Agawa. A minute later, Preston Miller would strike giving the Hounds life and making it a 4-2 game with 8 minutes to play. From there, The Soo would take a couple of penalties and manage to kill them off successfully but North Bay would fend off the late surge to skate away with a 4-2 Win.
Game 4 vs Timmins North Stars
The Hounds and Stars would both come out flying in this contest. A physical, high tempo affair would see the Hounds pressure the Stars for much of the period with the TImmins goalie making key stops before the Stars would strike on a broken play in front to take a 1-0 lead. The Hounds would continue the strong play into the intermission buzzer trailing by a goal.
Into the second, the Soo would continue the offensive push only to find themselves stymied by the Timmins goalie and some unlucky bounces. Timmins would push back and goalie Cash Rowswell would stand tall as well. Halfway through the frame , The Soo would find themselves in a bigger hole as The Stars would bang in a loose puck in front to go up 2-0. Penalties would mount on the Soo side and Timmins would have multiple power plays but a strong PK and some key stops would hold the game with the Hounds down a pair at the break.
The third period would be one in which the Soo boys dig deep.....constant end to end action and pressure by the Hounds would see them rewarded. After Timmins would take a penalty, Caleb Walker would strike on beauty PP deke sliding it through the legs of the Timmins goalie to cut the lead to 2-1. Minutes later after more pressure Jagur Vommaro would whack at a loose puck sneaking it through the legs of the Goalie to tie the game at 2-2. From there on, both goalies would shut the door and teams would skate to draw. This tie would send the Hounds to the semis on Sunday VS the Temiskaming Puck-hounds.
Semi-Final VS Temiskaming Puckhounds
This game would see the Soo outplay their opponent for Alot of the contest. First period action would be fast and furious and the Hounds would have chances but the Temiskaming goalie would stand Tall. The puckhounds would get a couple chances, The a Soo would have a goal called back and the period would end 0-0.
The second period would be much of the same as the Hounds would outchance their opponent but find themselves stymied by a Hot goalie. Temiskaming would generate a few decent chances on a couple of power plays but Goalie Nate Maguire would keep the door shut. The teams would skate into the intermission still at 0-0.
The 3rd period would finally see the Hounds rewarded as 5 mins into the frame, Logan Dearing would fire home a puck from the slot to give us a 1-0 lead. Teams would go back and forth until the Puckhounds would get a bounce in front of the Soo net and bat it home to tie the game at 1-1 with 7 minutes to play. Teams would trade chances and The Soo would press to win it but the buzzer would sent the teams into Sudden death OT.
The first 10 minute overtime would be fast paced and end to end with the Hounds getting the better chances. Both goalies would hold firm and send the clubs into double OT after the buzzer.
The second OT would see the Soo get a great chance a minute in as the puck flipped up over the goalie and slid by the post. Temiskaming would get a good chance as well but Maguire would stand tall. 5 minutes in with the puck in the Hounds end, Ethan Agawa would poke free a puck at the blueline up through neutral ice, and break in uncontested to fire a puck up over the glove of Temiskaming’s goalie to send the Hounds to a 2-1 WIN and into the Finals!
Championship Final VS Timmins North Stars
This game would be end to end and fast paced throughout. Early on in the 1st, the Hounds would outplay the Stars but not be rewarded. The Stars would take the play right back at the Hounds and both goalies would stand their ground. Later on in the first period, Nick Dearing would slip a puck through the legs on a shot in the slot to put the Hounds up 1-0. This score would hold up into the intermission.
The second would continue with more fast paced play, The teams would both get quality scoring opportunities but both goalies would make some huge saves to keep it at a 1-0 Hounds lead. Later in the period, a Timmins player would receive a major penalty for a blindside hit on on of the Hounds D men. After an injury delay, the Soo would find themselves on a 5 minute power play. The boys in red would capitalize as Logan Dearing would take a cross ice pass in the slot and put the Hounds up 2-0. This score would remain as the clubs skated into the break.
Starting the 3rd, the hounds power play would not produce another tally And as the penalty was set to expire Timmins would slip one through to cut the lead to 2-1. Penalties for the Hounds would be a concern as the Stars would get a 5-3 powerplay. Fighting off the barrage from Timmins coupled with the Strong netminding from Hounds goalie Cash Rowswell would keep it at a 1 goal Hounds lead. Both teams would continue to trade scoring chances until with 2 minutes left, Logan Dearing would pot his second of the game to extend the Soo lead to 3-1. Timmins would pull the goalie and pressure the Hounds but we would weather the storm and at the Final buzzer, become NOHA U15 AA Champions!!
Matt.