(by
Greg Brown) The Waterloo Novice Ice Wolves recently completed the second round
robin of games on the schedule, resulting in the trifecta of a win, loss and
tie, to earn 3 more points in the standings.
The first game saw the Ice Wolves travel to Cambridge to take on the Cambridge Black team. The Cambridge team proved to have a bit more energy than our Wolves, as the Wolves played a good game but struggled to score, resulting in a 5-1 loss. The lone Waterloo goal was scored by Michael Rintche, assisted by Christopher Brown and Connor Rowell. Nathaniel Miloje had a good game in net for the Wolves, but the Cambridge team found a way to get to the net fast and often.
The second game saw the Ice Wolves travel to Brantford to battle a tough 99’s team. Solid goaltending by Mischa Stastna kept the Wolves in this game, along with a strong defensive effort from the rest of the team. Aidan Coffin, Hunter Baird and Evan Howe held strong on the blue line, warding off Brantford rushes to the net and keeping the puck in the offensive end. Even the forwards chipped in defensively, with Callahan Reesor, Easton Schnarr and Jonnie Dinner playing tough on the boards and back checking.
The last 15 seconds of the game proved how defensively tough the Ice Wolves were, as they were down a man and got caught up in a line change. Brantford rushed the net with 3 men and only Mischa in their way of winning the game. However, Mischa stood strong in net, turning away the puck into the corner until help came. And help came in the way of Cooper Way, who lost his stick down the ice, but stayed in the play to dive and block another shot on net with less than 8 seconds left to help seal the win.
The result was a 2-2 tie, and a hard-earned point for the Ice Wolves. Kyle Maloney led the scoring with both goals, while defenseman Jake Anderson assisted on one.
The final game had the Ice Wolves travel to Kitchener to take on the Blue team, a team the Wolves had yet to play. The Kitchener team played a very physical game, and it took the Ice Wolves some time to adjust before they settled in and played their game of working hard on the boards and passing. This led to some great scoring chances and some great goals.
Strong forward play from Michael Rintche, Christopher Brown and Jonnie Dinner set the tone for some great passing and scoring opportunities. Defensively, Connor Rowell, Kaden Washkurak and Jake Anderson were very strong, getting chances to push forward into the offensive zone. In net, Nathaniel Miloje had a fantastic game, holding the Kitchener team to only 2 goals.
The end result was a 6-2 win for the Ice Wolves, and a strong finish before the next group of round robin games. Scoring for the Ice Wolves was lead by Cooper Way and Kyle Maloney, who each scored a hat-trick. Ryan Hanson was also in on much of the scoring by contributing 3 assists, while defenceman Kaden Washkurak assisted on another.
Congratulations to the Ice Wolves as they move forward to a tough schedule in the new year! Go Wolves Go!