| |  | | | |  | | CHRIS POLLINI rides a Bow player into the boards during action on Sunday, Feb. 10. Joshua Spaulding. (click for larger version) |
February 11, 2013 WOLFEBORO — Mother Nature allowed the Kingswood hockey team's win streak to last another day.
Unfortunately, the Bow Falcons weren't quite as nice.
The Knights saw their six-game win streak come to a screeching halt at the Pop Whalen Arena on Sunday, Feb. 10, as Bow scored two goals in the third period to take the 5-3 victory in a game delayed a day by the weekend's winter storm.
"Before the game, our scouting report, we knew when they played big opponents, they played with a lead," Knight coach Andrew Trimble said of Bow. "We didn't want to let that happen to us, but we fell into it."
The Falcons scored just 51 seconds into the game for the early lead and after the Knights had battled back, scored just 29 seconds into the third period to break a tie.
"I'm not disappointed in the effort," Trimble said. "But that's not what we've come to know as Kingswood hockey."
The Knights took 10 penalties on the evening and four of the Falcon tallies were on the power play. Bow took seven penalties.
"Even when the other team's taking so many, it throws you off your game," Trimble said of the penalties. "We don't have that jump because we're mixing and matching too much."
The visitors got out to the quick lead, turning a shot off the boards into a goal with a nice pass in front just 51 seconds in.
The two teams exchanged penalties just a few minutes in after both Josh Grasso and CJ Sirrell had chances for the Knights. Sirrell, Chris Pollini and Brad Riley had chances for the Knights but couldn't convert and Knight keeper Shawn Goggin more than held his own, making a couple of big saves to keep the game at 1-0.
The two teams worked through the penalties, with Pollini getting a good shorthanded opportunity and Goggin making a couple of saves.
Kingswood took another penalty with 6:57 to go in the first and again Pollini had a shorthanded bid and the Knights did a nice job of killing off the penalty, with Goggin making a couple of saves.
However, the next penalty kill wasn't as successful, as the Falcons converted on a rebound for a 2-0 lead with 3:28 to go in the first.
Kingswood got a power play chance with 3:11 to go and Pollini and Grasso had chances, but Bow did a nice job of killing the penalty and the teams went to the first break with the visitors up 2-0.
As they have shown a tendency to do this season, the Kingswood kids battled back in the second period.
The Knights got a power play early in the period and despite looks from Matt Mitchell, Pollini and Sirrell, couldn't score. However, they were able to keep the momentum going after the power play and Matt Fuller popped home a slap shot on an assist from Owen Gonya with a tick under 10 minutes to go in the period.
The two teams exchanged penalties again in the middle of the period and with just three seconds left on the Knight power play, Kingswood got the tying goal, as Riley stuffed the puck home after some good Kingswood pressure. Sirrell and Lucas Bonenfant got the assists with 6:35 to go in the second, tying the game at two.
The Knights got another power play chance with 4:41 to go and just more than a minute into the advantage, the Knights took their first lead of the game on a tally from Sirrell, with Pollini and Grasso assisting with 3:23 to go in the period.
The two teams again exchanged penalties as the period was winding down and with the Falcons on a four-on-three advantage with 1:16 to go, they put the tying goal in the net for a 3-3 score heading to the third period. Mitchell had a nice block and Goggin turned away a few shots in the final minute of the period.
The Knights still had 35 seconds worth of penalty to kill off to open the third and with just six seconds to go on that advantage, Bow scored for a 4-3 lead.
Kingswood kept on pressuring, with Pollini and Grasso teaming up on a great look, while Owen Richard and Riley also had chances in the offensive zone. Goggin made a couple of solid saves and Grasso turned in a nice defensive play, but with 7:04 to go in the game, a slap shot went top shelf on the Knight keeper and Bow had a power play goal and a 5-3 lead.
Sirrell poked one of the post and Mitchell put one wide as the Kingswood assault continued. Riley and Pollini had chances as well and Kingswood got a power play in the final minute but couldn't capitalize and took their first loss in more than a month.
Trimble spoke highly of his team's ability to come back from early deficits, something that has happened all year.
"These kids, they do that, they battle back," the Kingswood coach said. "They always show that type of character."
On Wednesday, the team was at Somersworth, after deadline.
The Knights will host Windham-Pelham at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16, will be visiting Lebanon at 1:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 19, and will be hosting Winnacunnet on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m.
Joshua Spaulding can be reached at sportsgsn@salmonpress.com or 569-3126
| |
|
|
| |
|
