Photo Credit: Devin Doucette / OJHL Images

Fans on both sides came to the game tonight fully expecting part 2 of the game that had happened only 5 days prior. If you don’t know what happened, make sure to read Tempers Flair On The Road for that summary. Although the game was physical and some words were definitely exchanged by players of either side, there only ended up being 30 penalty minutes as compared to the 66 amassed 5 days earlier. The game was thrilling, but for a different reason this time, and one that bodes well for Oakville. 

With the first period resulting in no goals and few shots for the home side, there isn’t much to report about other than a couple big saves by #74 in net. His tracking was efficient and his positioning was sound allowing the Blades to stay in the game despite a less than ideal offensive output in the first.  

The second was where we began to see things change for the better for the Blades. 6:46 into the second period a 2-on-1 spawned for Oakville. With the puck rushing in was the Russian, Gleb Akimov. Alongside him was the co-captain from Arizona, Jake Alcaraz. Akimov pressed in further, trying to be deceptive, but it was clear that he was going to shoot the puck. The defenceman on the other team laid out to cut off the pass and Gleb knew it was time to shoot. He chose his corner wisely as the puck flew past the goaltender with ease and found the twine. After the goal, the 2nd wrapped up 1-0 Blades and the team was zoning in on the possible 2 points ahead. 

With both teams picking up the pace in the 3rd, it was just a matter of time before someone scored. On a weird, fluky shot, Aurora did end up scoring. This goal came with just over 7 minutes remaining, and based on the level of scoring that had happened so far, it looked like we were going to need extra time to solve this one. 

Extra time was exactly what we got. This was a great opportunity for Oakville to get in close for some more shots as they had been mostly shooting from the peripherals of the ice, with the obvious exception being their only goal in the game. It would take 3:05 minutes of play before the Oakville Blades would be named winners and take home 2 points from the rematch between these two squads. For his 3rd time this year, keep in mind the Blades have only gone to OT 5 times including this game, Matthew Wang scored the OT winner in remarkable fashion. This time, he did one of his impressive 3 zone rushes and once he skated between the dots on the Tigers end of the ice, he sent a heavy shot that beat the glove of the goalie. 

Matthew Wang is definitely a massive reason that the Blades were able to win the game, but there is more of an unsung hero in this game. 

He’s listed as the 3rd start of this game, but the team would not have come close to winning this game without him. For those of you who are fans of statistics like me, here are some numbers for you. 35, that’s how many saves were made by #74 Gavin McCarthy. 972, that’s McCarthy’s save percentage on the night. 3.9, the average number of goals the Aurora Tigers scores per game. Finally, 1, the amount of goals McCarthy allowed in this contest. Without him backstopping the victory, it could have been a very different game. Full boxscore here.

A trio of players helped the team to a win at Sixteen Mile this past Wednesday and the team looks to build off of those efforts in the next game. Coming to town next, are the Georgetown Raiders who will be guests this Saturday the 17th for our Holiday Theme Game. 7:00 PM is our start time so make sure to make your way in time for the festivity! Santa will be in the house and you will have a chance to purchase some merchandise at the front gate! Last minute gifts of t-shirts, sweaters, towels and blankets starting at $20!

By Ty Brooks