The Dark Knights kicked off the season with a 5-3 win over the Crows at Sherwood, in a game that had a little bit of everything — new faces in new spots, an post-injury comeback, and a faceoff soundtrack of Dolly Parton, played in tribute on the day she passed.
A New-Look Lineup
The lineup looked a little different to start the year. Jay played wing, sliding Rachel back to D in his place — and the swap paid off, with Jay scoring and Rachel picking up an assist. Jeffrey and Dawne traded spots too, with Jeffrey taking his first shift at center and Dawne moving out to wing. Brian was also back on a wing after tearing his meniscus and taking eight months off to recover — and he marked the return with a goal. Tabitha returned to play first-line center and newcomer AJ slotted in on defense.
How It Unfolded
Things weren’t looking good for the Knights’ start to the season, ending the first period down 0-1. The second period is where things got interesting — the Knights found their footing and scored twice to grab a 2-1 lead, only for the Crows to answer back and even things up at 2-2 heading into the third.
As a surprise to no one, Dawne took the first penalty of the season for holding. And, as it turned out, the only penalty handed out anywhere in the league that night. The Crows made the most of it, needing less than 30 seconds on the power play to score.
Then came the third, and in typical Dark Knights fashion, that’s when the real drama started. Last season, half the team’s goals came in the third period, and this opener picked up right where that left off. The Knights pushed back ahead, and Lacy stood tall in net all night, finishing with a .870 save percentage — the best in the league that night.
With under two minutes left and the Knights clinging to a one-goal lead, the Crows pulled their goalie looking for the equalizer. In the chaotic final stretch, Tabitha made them pay, burying an empty-netter to seal a 5-3 final — the kind of third-period finish this team has made a bit of a signature.
By the Numbers
A few things stood out from the stat sheet. Shots on goal finished dead even at 23-23 — the Knights just made theirs count. The Crows scored like clockwork, with exactly one goal in each period. A lot of different sticks touched the puck for the Knights, with 5 goals and 5 assists. Rachel, Jeffrey, AJ, Tabitha and Dawne each picked up an assist and Chris, Tabitha, Jay and Brian scoring the nights goals. And at the top of the sheet, Chris’s two goals and Tabitha’s goal-and-assist night tied them for the team lead in points.
Three Stars
- Tabitha Knight — Sealed the win with the empty-net goal.
- Chris Godzyk — Scored two goals in the opener.
- AJ — Making her Bronze debut, AJ slotted in on D like she’d been playing with this group all year.