Several people thought Rachel Mathison had scored. She was in the slot, whacked the puck straight at the five hole of Red Squadron’s net minder, and a few of the people watching were sure it had crossed the line. It hadn’t. Jan stopped it just short, and what would have been Rachel’s first legitimate goal stayed a near miss.
Rachel was doing a better job of getting to the right spot, but she couldn’t capitalize on her chances, and she wasn’t alone. The Dark Knights put 30 shots on net and kept finding the same answer. That was about how the whole night went. Nothing came easy, and everything was close. The Dark Knights beat Red Squadron 4-3 for their fifth win in a row, and it was enough to move them into first place in the league.
Another Fast Start
The Dark Knights got on the board first, leading 1-0 after the opening period and outshooting Red Squadron 10-6. That one first-period goal is worth a note. The Dark Knights’ first-period goal total had dropped by one in each of the last four games, and the hope last time was that it wouldn’t hit zero. It didn’t. The slide stopped at one.
Breakaway Alley
Red Squadron’s number 7, Ryan Hartman, was fast and got loose for a few breakaways. Lacy Taghon stopped him each time, and the puck didn’t always cooperate once he got there. The Dark Knights believe all or most of Red Squadron’s goals came on breakaways, and Red Squadron scored twice on only five shots in the second period. The Dark Knights answered with two of their own, which put them up 3-2 after two.
Lacy finished with 22 saves on 25 shots, a .880. She has also sworn off peanut butter since the last game, so the experiment is officially over, and the results are inconclusive.
Special Guests in the Stands
The Dark Knights had two special guests in the stands: Jaylen Fast’s nephew and a dog, both dressed as Batman, there to root for the Dark Knights. With two caped crusaders in the building, it’s no surprise the Dark Knights finished the night in first place.
Battling to the Horn
The third period was Red Squadron’s best stretch, with a 14-6 shot advantage, and each team scored once. The Dark Knights’ goal was the one that counted. Scott Griffith scored the game-winner from the point.
Red Squadron also made an adjustment. Greg Boal was having trouble catching his breath and moved from defense to wing for the third. Both teams were battling hard for all sixty minutes, and it stayed a one-goal game to the end.
Nothing to Report
It was also an unusually quiet night on the penalty sheet. Neither team took a penalty, so there were no power plays for either side. That makes two straight penalty-free games for the Dark Knights, which is not something their reputation would predict. Dawne Griffith scored twice for the second game in a row and stayed well away from the box doing it.
The rest of the scoring came from Christopher Godzyk, with assists from Tabitha Knight, Jaylen Fast, and two from Jeffrey Hanson.
On Top
The Dark Knights lost 6-3 to Red Squadron on September 1. Since then they’ve beaten them twice, 7-2 on September 22 and now 4-3, and this win puts them in first place.
Three Stars of the Night
- Jennifer Zorick — Came close so many times, carried the puck up the ice, and played with extra aggression all night.
- Christopher Godzyk — Scored a goal.
- Scott Griffith and Matthew Newberg — The defensive pair, with Scott scoring the game-winner from the point.