SmartStop Post-Game Recap – Taking Down the Knights
LONDON, ON – The Knights surrender their swords as the Steelheads claim a convincing 5-1 victory.
In London for the only time this season, the Mississauga Steelheads looked to make their mark. The opening frame saw a flurry of opportunities and open ice for both teams: London would have the first high-danger opportunity of the period only minutes in before the Steelheads saw their own chance with an odd-man rush spearheaded by Luke Misa. Marc Boudreau and Kieran Witkowski had their own opportunities netfront before Mississauga was awarded the first powerplay of the night.
London successfully nullified the man advantage before taking the momentum their way, which saw Ryerson Leenders make a series of saves to keep the Steelheads level. The first frame came to a close with the London Knights on a two-man advantage, but the game was scoreless through the first twenty minutes of play.
Within the first minute of the second period, the London Knights were able to capitalize on their two-man advantage. They were unable to convert on the remaining powerplay before both teams saw their fair share of opportunities. Just before the midway mark of the period, the Steelheads found themselves with their own powerplay opportunity, and although they were not successful, the momentum in the game shifted in their favour as only minutes later, Zander Veccia found Luke Misa with a spectacular pass across the net, Misa tucking it away to level the game. On a subsequent Steelheads man advantage, Veccia stole the spotlight again as he put one way to give the Trout their first lead of the night. Mississauga would maintain this lead heading into the second intermission.
The final frame was Misssissauga’s most explosive offensively, beginning with Luke Misa’s second goal of the night which came on the powerplay. Despite the lead, Ryerson Leenders was sharp, making incredible saves when he was called upon. The closing minutes of the period saw two more Steelheads goals – the first being Luke Misa’s third of the night as he completed the hat trick, the second coming from Adam Zidlicky who tucked one away with ten seconds left in regulation. The Steelheads would come away from London with a 5-1 victory, showcasing their tenacity and skill.
Total Shots – 30 LDN / 32 MISS
Three Stars:
- Luke Misa (3G)
- Zander Veccia (1G, 1A)
- Ryerson Leenders (29 SV)
The Steelheads are back home on Sunday for their first Food Drive game in support of Hockey Helps the Homeless, taking on the Sudbury Wolves. Get your tickets to Sunday’s game here.
