Game #12

Period Length

There wasn't a ton of action during the first period, as the two teams tried to get a feel for each other in the ice. Over the course of the fifteen minute period the Ice Sharks held a 9-8 edge in shots on goal over the Cougars, and that one shot difference resulted in a one goal difference as well, as the Riverview side scored the lone goal of the period with just under nine minutes to play thanks to a misplay by the Durant goaltender that a Riverview attacker was able to tap in for an easy goal. That was it for the scoring in the period, and there were no penalties called either, so the two teams would head into the first intermission with the same 1-0 score.

The action picked up a bit in the second period, but it was the Cougars who dominated early. They would score on their second shot of the period just 34 seconds in during a scramble in front of the goal that resulted in the puck just slipping in behind the Sharks goaltender, knotting the score at 1-1. Two minutes later Durant would take the lead for the first time, on a flukey type goal as they would flip the puck up from the side of the goal and it would find its way in somehow from a tough angle, making the score 2-1. Riverview managed a quick response, to tie the game up once again, as they were able to fire home a rebound through the Durant goalie's five-hole with just over eleven minutes to play in the period. The two teams would trade shots on goal for the rest of the period, and Riverview would take the lone penalty for a tripping call with ten and a half to play, but neither team could manage to get the score that would break the tie. Each team would manage 10 shots on goal before heading to the second intermission.

Riverview got the first big opportunity to retake the lead in the third period, thanks to an early Durant penalty less than a minute in, but they weren't able to convert while holding the man advantage. With just under nine minutes to play, a Riverview penalty would give Durant an opportunity of their own, but it was the Ice Sharks who would score first, thanks to a shorthanded breakaway just 30 seconds into the penalty, as they managed to grab a 3-2 lead. The lead was a short one, however, as the Cougars managed to fire a wrister home from the right circle not even a minute after to tie the game once again. It looked as though the game was going to end with the scored tied at 3-3, but the Cougars pressed hard late in the game, firing six straight shots on goal. That last shot proved to be the game winner, as they were able to get their stick on a rebound and tip it into the net for a 4-3 lead. Drew managed to get Riverview's final shot on goal, but he wasn't able to find the back of the net, and the Ice Sharks fell by that 4-3 score.