The Georgian
Shores Novice Rep Lightning were unable to overcome a lacklustre road start as
they narrowly fell 7-6 to the Wasaga Beach Stars in Georgian Bay Minor Hockey
League action on Tuesday.
The loss marked
the first of the season for the Novice Reps, who skated past the Collingwood
Blackhawks in exhibition play by a score of 7-1 and then proceeded to shutout
the Owen Sound Jr. Attack in their season opener, 12-0.
On Tuesday, the Stars burst out of the gates with four straight first period goals before a long range shot off the stick of defenceman Cooper Allen found the back of the net for the Lightning. Ronin Riddell and Noah Ruffett chipped in with the assists. Ruffett, accepting a pass from Riddell, was able to cut the Lightning’s deficit in half at the midway point of the second frame to make it 4-2. Wasaga Beach, however, would regain its three-goal lead with just over three minutes to play in the period, but Georgian Shores responded quickly when Travis Brown, from Austin Maxwell and Logan Burnham, lit the lamp only 36 seconds later.
Wasaga would extend its lead to 6-3 less than a minute into the third period, however a relentless Lightning squad would strike back with a pair of goals within a span of 1:09 off the sticks of Cameron Samson (from Austin Maxwell) and Dylan McFadden (from Travis Brown and Jaren Pirie) to suddenly make it an interesting 6-5 contest.
The Stars, though, would pull ahead 7-5 before center Jaren Pirie, from Brown and Ruffett, rounded out the game scoring with just over eight minutes to play.
Unfortunately for the Lightning, who had six different goal scorers contribute to the scoresheet, it was as close as they would come.
Georgian Shores finished 0 for 1 with the man advantage while holding Wasaga Beach scoreless on two power play opportunities.
The Lightning Novice Reps (1-1) will look to get back to their winning ways when they pay a visit to the Shelburne Wolves (1-2) on Sunday. Game time is 2 p.m.
Submitted by Jason Pirie