Goals & Saves & Shootouts, Oh my! Steelheads beat IceDogs 4-3
Brampton, ON- The Brampton Steelheads beat the Niagara IceDogs 4-3 in an exciting shootout after Jack Ivankovic put up a 35-save game.
It had been a long time coming for the Steelheads as they fought hard to beat the IceDogs at home. With an intense game filled with big goals, many chances and incredible saves on both ends, it was no surprise that it came down to a shootout to determine the victor.
Yet, it was Ivankovic’s performance between the pipes that secured the Steelheads’ shootout victory.
The first period set the pace for the matchup between the Steelheads and the IceDogs, as five goals were scored in the opening 20 minutes. Alongside some incredible plays, special teams, and saves, the game also had some new faces for the Trout as Alexander Stephen, Graeme Macauley, and Chase Lefebvre made their Brampton debut.
The Steelheads got the icebreaker as Gabriel Chiarot got one past Owen Flores, in the opening minutes. Adam Zidlicky got the play going in the IceDogs’ end as he took the initial shot on Flores, but it was Chiarot who tapped the puck off the goal line and in to give Brampton an early lead.
The one-goal lead was shortly extended to two as Mason Zebeski made a sneaky play on Flores. Reed Gee shot the puck deep into the IceDogs’ zone, allowing Zebeski to catch the loose puck and shoot it past Flores’ five-hole.
Special teams also played a huge part in the first as three out of the five goals were scored with the man advantage. The Steelheads got the first power-play goal after Max Crete was called for high sticking.
Setting up shop in the offensive end, Luke Misa sent the puck down low to Jack Van Volsen, who was waiting by the right goalpost. Covering off Flores on the right, Van Volsen passed it over to Porter Martone on the left, who one-timed into the open net.
The remaining goals of the period were scored on the IceDogs’ power play after Jared Harding’s delay of game penalty and Stephen’s hooking penalty. Kevin He got things going for Niagara after Jake Brauti sent him a pass at the blue line, setting him up for a top-shelf goal.
Ryan Roobroeck soon followed with an early goal into the IceDogs’ second power play. Andrei Loshko won the faceoff and sent the puck back to Roobroeck, who deked through traffic before sending it into the back of the net.
Despite the two goals scored on him, Ivankovic stayed strong between the pipes, making some incredible saves, including a huge 2-on-1 opportunity that had him stretching across the crease to block the shot. His effort allowed the Steelheads to keep their lead for the remainder of the first and throughout the second.
Period two saw great action on both ends, but the Steelheads dominated the period with 35 shots to counter the Icedogs’ 19. The Trout saw many chances, especially from the starting trio of Martone, Misa and Carson Rehkopf, but Flores made his presence known, keeping his team within one.
Unlike the first period, special teams did not make as much of an impact in the second, despite each team getting equal opportunities with the man advantage. Instead, both teams showed their defensive side on the penalty kill, ensuring the score from the first remained until the second’s closure.
While Ivan Galiyanov was able to tie it up midway into the third for the IceDogs, the period turned out to be a showdown between the goaltenders. Ivankovic and Flores kept their teams in the game, making some outstanding saves that left everyone on the edge of their seats.
Ivankovic had an incredible five back-to-back save sequence while Flores made numerous cross-crease saves to stop the incoming Steelheads’ one-timers. The power between the pipes continued through the rest of the third and into overtime, as no team could get one past Ivankovic or Flores.
The game ended in a shootout, and a Steelheads victory as Martone and Misa each got one past Flores, but no IceDogs could make it past Ivankovic. After an intense matchup, the Trout secured a much-needed 4-3 win.
The Steelheads look to extend their win streak at home on Sunday for their first Pucks N’ Paws game of the season. For tickets, click here.
