Hockey / Stallions Settle for Split with Calvin

Stallions Settle for Split with Calvin

Date:  Source: Western Michigan University Hockey Club

Friday

Both teams came out strong Friday night skating up and down the ice, exchanging scoring changes. After a scoreless first period, the game slowly turned into a goaltending battle with Alex Hufford in net for the Stallions. Calvin had a small edge in shots in the first period – 10 – 9, but both teams had chances that were denied by the goaltenders.

The second period brought more of the same even as the teams increased their effort. The stalemate finally ended 35 minutes into the game when Calvin drew first blood. The Stallions had Calvin pinned in their defensive zone and were pounding shot after shot on the goaltender. During a line change, the Stallion defense lost track of one of the Calvin players, who snuck up the boards and stood against the boards at the Stallion blue line. When Calvin finally grabbed one of the rebounds from their goalie, they fired the puck up to this cherry-picker, who had a 2 and a half zone breakaway. The Calvin player skated from the board to the slot and deked Hufford, then fired the puck over his outstretched glove into the top corner of the net to give Calvin the 1-0 lead. The Stallions pushed back and kept the pressure on the Knights, but they were not able to score and the second period ended with Calvin in the lead. Both teams had 15 shots on goal in the second period.

The Stallions came out confident in the third period and found a new gear. This has been a trend through the first half of the season. The Stallions kept fighting and eventually their effort and speed paid off. With eight minutes left in the third period, Patrick Nicholson collected a loose puck at the side of the Stallion net and fired is back around the boards to Christian Sana. Sana skated the puck out of the zone and fired a cross ice pass through the neutral zone to a streaking Kyle Berry. Berry faked outside, the crossed inside and split the Calvin defense. He then faked a shot, veered left, switched to his backhand and tucked the puck behind the Calvin goaltender to tie the game!

Both team played with desperation and exchanged prime scoring chances, but the goaltenders continued to play well. The increased Stallion effort was starting to show as they outshot the Knights 19-10 in the third period, but the game was still tied at the end of regulation, forcing overtime.

ACHA overtime is 3 on 3 and generates a lot of scoring chances. This was no different. After many near misses for both teams and good saves by the goalies, Zachary Roberts collected a rebound in the offensive zone and protected the puck near the boards. He spotted Devin Farkas in the slot and zipped the puck over to him. Farkas stick handled and shifted quickly, turning the defenseman into a screen and creating time and space for a wrist shot through the defender and past the surprised goalie for the overtime game winner!

It was a hard fought, come from behind overtime win and the Stallions streamed off the bench to congratulate Farkas on the goal!

Saturday

The same two teams met again on Saturday night, but it was quite a different game. Friday night was a close game that went to overtime. Saturday night was a cluster of odd man rushes, crazy bounces, big shots, flashy saves and lot of goals.

The Stallions opened the scoring in the first period when Patrick Nicholson fired a clearing pass to Kyle Berry who tipped the puck to Wyatt Radakovitz who was speeding by. Radakovitz skated past the defense, deked the goal wide, then cut back to the short side and buried the puck in the net for the goal. Calvin tied up the game shortly after on a wrap around attempt that took a weird bounce and squeaked past Stallion goalie Myles Madden. Calvin took a 2-1 lead a few minutes later when a point shot found its way through a screen in front of the net and past Madden, who never saw it coming.

Wyatt Radakovitz won the puck in the offensive zone and passed it around to Kyle Berry who put it in the corner where Sana picked it up. Sana worked with Berry on a give and go which resulted in a Sana shot and then a juicy rebound. Sana jumped on that rebound and sent the puck home to the back of the net.

Levin Rowan picked up a pass from Alex Aiello and wristed it towards the net. It eluded the bodies and traffic in front and lit the lamp for the Stallions and brought the score within 1, where it would stay through the end of the second period.

The back and forth scoring continued all game. The Knights came out in the third and continued to battle. After lots of back and forth, the Knights grabbed a turnover in the neutral zone and countered with a top shelf dart on a mini 2 on 1 break to break the tie and take the lead.

The Stallions stuck back quickly on a Calvin mistake. The Knights goaltender was out to play the puck and tripped as Zachary Roberts closed on him and the puck. Roberts knocked the puck loose as the goalie tried to shoot it. The goalie fell on his backside, the puck caromed to Wyatt Ford along the boards and Ford ripped it into the unguarded net for a goal!

Calvin scored another insurance goal and the Stallions battled back. The Stallion defense grabbed a loose puck in the D zone and wired a breakout pass to Kyle Berry, who dropped it to Radakovitz, who fires a pass back door to the outstretched stick blade from Sana who knocked the puck in for a beautiful Stallions goal.

As the Stallions continued to take chances and try to get back into the game, the Calvin Knights kept trying to respond as well. Calvin eventually caused a Stallion turnover at center ice and broke into the zone on a 2-1 breakaway. The Calvin forward pulled the defense towards him, then dished a nice pass beyond Madden’s reach to the other forward who tucked it in the back of the net.

The final score was Calvin 7, WMU 5 in a wild one.

Miles Madden finished with 22 saves on 29 shots. The Stallions put 28 shots on the Calvin goalkeeper.

The Stallions finished the first half of the season of with a 12-6 record.

 

UP NEXT:

The Stallions kick off a busy 2019 January schedule on Friday, January 4 and 5 with an important series against the Kent State Golden Flashes. Other home games in January will feature the University of Michigan – Dearborn, Adrian College, Illinois State University, and Davenport University.