For the OAs and the Fans
Brampton, ON- In the final game of the regular season, the Brampton Steelheads landed in front as they beat the Kingston Frontenacs, 4-1. With Porter Martone generating three points, including two late goals in the third period, it established a significant victory in a game honouring fans and the over-age Brampton players.
With Kingston taking the last two games in the series, the Steelheads looked to close out the matchup with a win for their Over Agers and Fan Appreciation Game. Starting strong from the first puck drop, the Steelheads overwhelmed the Frontenacs to secure a 4-1 victory.
The first period was quiet, with no special teams or scoring. While no ice was broken, the first was not without action, as the Trout and Fronts laid some heavy hits as they battled to gain puck possession.
Brampton had many great chances throughout the opening 20 minutes, but with shots going wide and Gavin Betts standing tall between the pipes, the Trout kept their score at zero. On the flip side, the Frontenacs also came up scoreless as the Steelheads defensive core kept their shots at bay and were quick to keep the puck out of their zone. Plus, with Jack Ivankovic making several strong saves, it was no surprise that scoring was not a theme in the first.
While the start of the second had the same pace as the first, it was quickly turned around as the Steelheads took the lead, and the Fronts battled back to make it within one. Gabriel Chiarot and Lucas Karmiris had the first scoring chance of the period with a 2-on-1 opportunity, but Karmiris shot it wide.
The duo would get their redemption later as they scored the game’s icebreaker in a similar play. Picking up the loose puck in the high slot, the duo set up with another 2-on-1 with Karmiris leading the play. Instead of taking the shot, Karmiris passed it over to Chiarot, who sniped it past Betts.
The Trout would continue this momentum on the power play after Kevin Dervin was served a double minor for high sticking. With four minutes of the man advantage, the Steelheads immediately kicked things into gear to generate more scoring chances.
Mason Zebesi came close to extending the lead after Aidan Lane sent a cross-crease pass over to him for the empty right side, but Betts slid over at the last second to cover him off. Yet it was Carson Rehkopf who extended the lead to two on the power play.
Getting the puck from Angus MacDonell, Rehkopf brought the puck up to the point before firing it on goal. With traffic out front, the puck easily slid past Betts to make it a 2-0 game.
Unfortunately, as the power play ran out, so did the two-goal lead. The Frontenacs quickly returned fire on Ivankovic, and while the Brampton netminder made several excellent saves, Kingston made it within one.
The only goal of the game for the Fronts came on a 3-on-1 play. Gage Heyes got the zone entry before finding Ethan Hay, who sent it over to Ben Pickell to send it past Ivankovic. While Kingston’s comeback was in sight, it made no difference as the Steelheads quickly added two more goals to their score to ensure the Brampton victory.
The Trout took a one-goal lead into the third, but it was quickly extended as Martone scored two goals in the remaining 20 minutes. The dynamic duo was back in action as Rehkopf provided the only assist on Martone’s first goal. Carrying the puck deep up the left side, Rehkopf found Martone out front before setting him up for the insurance goal.
Brampton continued the momentum on a seven-minute power play after the Frontenacs received consecutive penalties. Adam Kelly’s 5-minute match penalty for cross-checking gave the Trout their first round of special teams. While Kingston killed the first penalty, Heyes’ high-sticking penalty, which followed five minutes later, was their downfall as the Steelheads regrouped to add another goal to their tally.
Martone struck again, but this time, it was on the power play to close the scoring and secure the Steelhead’s win. Rehkopf started the play with a pass down low to Jack Van Volsen, who found Martone out front for the game’s final goal. With one minute left, there was no coming back for the Frontenancs, and the Steelheads closed out their regular season with a 4-1 victory.
The Steelheads begin their playoff run on Friday as they take on the Oshawa Generals for game one, followed by game two on Sunday. The Steelheads will host their first playoff game at home on April 1. For tickets, click here.
