Final Home Game of the Preseason
The Steelheads fall in a hard-fought battle against the Rangers.
First Period
Twenty-two seconds into the first period, the Steelheads found themself with a lead courtesy of Mason Zebeski who made no mistake converting on a good pass across the face of the net from Luke Misa. Just two minutes later, Lucas Karmiris would tuck away the rebound, doubling the lead. Marc Boudreau’s secondary assist on the goal would give him his first point in his first game with the club.
Ivankovic was strong between the pipes, making a series of saves in close succession and keeping the door closed for two consecutive Kitchener powerplays. The Steelheads anticipated plays and kept a tight defense, intercepting passes and keeping the puck in the opponent’s end when possible. The Steelheads were on the man advantage nearing the end of the period, with the team taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
Shots on Goal – 8 KIT/12 MISS
Second Period
The Steelheads took the remaining 20 seconds of their aforementioned powerplay into the second period, giving them a slight advantage at the drop of the puck, which saw Chas Sharpe have a great look that rung off of the crossbar. The game then shifted to another level – physicality prevailed as both sides landed big hits. Kitchener scored two unanswered goals to tie the game.
The latter half of the period saw the ice open, both teams competing to create space. Marc Boudreau scored his first goal as a Steelhead, giving his team the lead once again. Kitchener tied the game shortly thereafter, seeing the game at a 3-3 deadlock as the second period came to a close.
Shots on Goal – 13 KIT/11 MISS
Third Period
The final frame opened with Adam Zidlicky scoring his first of the preseason, giving the Steelheads a 4-3 lead. Kitchener found their stride, however, and scored three goals to take their first lead of the night.
William Eggleton found the back of the net to pull the Steelheads within one with just over a quarter of the period remaining. The Steelheads pulled their goalie for the extra attacker in an attempt to create momentum – and it worked: the anticipation was palpable as the team began to create more chances in the dying stages of the game. With 41 seconds left, the team called a time out, regrouping and giving themselves better chances, however a flurry of late penalties stopped the momentum and despite a hard-fought battle, the Steelheads fell short for a final score of 6-5.
Shots on Goal – 11 KIT/12 MISS
Total Shots – 33 KIT/35 MISS
Three Stars:
- Marc Boudreau (1G, 1A)
- Matheas Stark (4G)
- Adam Zidlicky (1G, 1A)
The Steelheads will play their home opener on September 29th. Get your tickets by clicking here.
