PARRY SOUND - Friday night at the Bobby Orr Community Centre the fans were treated to the first game of a home at home against the Haliburton Highland Storm.
Tanner Emerson backed the Brokerlink Midget Shamrocks between the pipes.
The puck dropped at 8:30 p.m. and the Storm was aggressive. They forechecked, back checked and created many opportunities ultimately scoring one on a power play and one at the buzzer on the two-man break away that Emerson initially stopped but the second free man deposited. Brokerlink was back on its heals and Emerson played two outstanding periods giving the Shamrocks a chance to claw their way back from the two goal deficit.
Parry Sound nailed a couple posts but couldn’t find the mesh.
During the flood, the team composed themselves and came out gunning. A totally different team took to the ice giving the fans a third period worthy of the Shamrock crest. Immediately the Shamrocks struck as JR Tudhope corralled the puck and slid it back in along the boards. Quinn Steele scrummed and kept the puck pinned along the opposition side boards until he heard a wide open Stuart Thornton call for the puck in the slot. Thornton went five hole to cut the lead 2-1.
Moments later Winston Badger stormed through the Highland defence and nailed another post. Parry Sound’s momentum was building.
It wasn’t long before the fans were treated to a lovely goal. Sam McKernon started the play as he dug the puck loose in the Storm corner. Connor McDougall picked it up and circled behind the goal and saucered it perfectly to Connor McLeod pinching in from the point where he sniped top shelf to tie the game at two.
The third period was more indicative of how the Parry Sound Brokerlink Shamrocks have been playing the last three weeks. All cylinders were firing as the boys fought hard to win the game for their home town fans. With the clock ticking down both the Storm and Shamrocks duelled for the next goal, but the game ended in a 2-2 tie.
Saturday the Brokerlink Midgets travelled to Haliburton for a 9 p.m. puck drop. Shamrock net minder Brandon Badger kept them in the game as the Storm fired numerous shots on goal to take a 1-0 lead into the second period.
Parry Sound started the second with a quick goal as Kyle Doherty fed a streaking Thornton with a pass through the Storm defence and he made a nifty move to go five hole. It was almost a carbon copy of his goal the night before. Half a period later on a power play, Tyler Conn picked up the puck on the left wing and stormed in on goal and made a deke to slide the puck in the short side giving Parry Sound the 2-1 lead. It was short lived as the Storm came back and scored a screened shot on the power play. Give the Shamrocks credit, as they did not give up. As the second period came to a close, Conn scored his second goal on a wrist shot from the slot and take the 3-2 lead into the dressing room.
Brokerlink Midgets were leading the game but Haliburton would be coming out gunning for the win on their home turf. That is exactly what they did as the opened the third period on a power play goal. Minutes later they scored another power play goal to take the lead to 4-3. Parry Sound was on the power play with less than three minutes left in the game. Could they cash in and tie the game?
Unfortunately, the Storm scored an empty netter to take the game 5-3.
In game one of the home at home, Parry Sound killed off seven penalties. In game two, Haliburton was able to capitalize on three of the seven power plays they had. Parry Sound has been working hard to minimize their short handed play and take advantage of their power play opportunities. The outstanding play by the two goal tenders, Badger and Emerson, has enabled the team to stay competitive and keep the Shamrocks within striking distance of wins.
The Brokerlink midgets have a 1-2-3 record heading into next Sunday’s home game at 4:45 p.m. against Oro. Please come out to support your home town Brokerlink Midget Shamrocks.