Rattlers remain perfect against Shield.
ACTION BY THE NET. The South Muskoka Shield played the Bradford Rattlers at the Gravenhurst Centennial Centre on Friday, Sept. 21 for an 8 p.m. game. The Rattlers took the win 4-2, increasing their league lead to six points.
Bev McMullen
GRAVENHURST - The Bradford Rattlers continued a hot streak to start their season against the South Muskoka Shield in Gravenhurst Sept. 21.
On the strength of a 4-2 win at the centennial centre over the Shield, the Rattlers came out of the weekend with a six-point lead in the Greater Metro Hockey League overall standings for first place over Rama. The Rattlers have played more games than any other team, but kept a perfect streak going for a six-game winning streak to start the season and 12 points to Rama’s six.
For the Shield, it’s been an up-and-down start as they came out of the weekend with their second loss on the young season for a 2-2 record and four points overall.
The home game Friday night, Sept. 21 saw the Shield down early and playing comeback from the first period. Shield defenceman Justin Mullen got tagged with a cross-checking penalty in the early goings and the Rattlers took advantage of the open ice, taking a 1-0 lead in the first five minutes.
The Shield managed to hold the score in check until about five minutes remained in the opening stanza when the Rattlers scored twice in quick succession for a 3-0 advantage headed into the second.
The defences got stingy and each held the other in check until more than eight minutes had ticked away when the South Muskoka team capitalized on a man advantage for a 3-1 game thanks to first-year forward Jalen Berning.
The Rattlers quickly struck back, however, in a penalty-laden second period, going up 4-1. As time ran short in the second, the Shield mustered another power-play marker thanks to another first-year forward, Wade Weisgerber.
There would be no more scoring and the 4-2 score stood as the final.
The Shield will play yet another home game this coming Friday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. against Lefroy. There then will be a bit of a break for the local team and they won’t be back on home ice until Oct. 12 against Temiscaming, followed by their first trip to Bracebridge Oct. 13 for a 7:30 p.m. tilt against the Phantoms.