Dec 22, 2012 | Joe Heinisch | 190 views
Santa Claus Gives Team Allstate a Bag of Goals
Saturday December 22, 2012
Game Reporter: Jay Nijhuis
With a winless streak hanging over their heads, Team Allstate Insurance arrived at Albert McCormick Arena in Waterloo to prepare for a huge game against Team Skills Plus. It has been a frustrating couple of weeks for the boys in black as they have done everything right, yet they haven't been rewarded with a win in the last 5 games.
Coach Joe spent a good 3-4 minutes before the game asking the boys "What do we need to do to lean more towards winning a game?". The answer was presented to the team "We need to focus our effort. We need to try and think more about where we are on the ice when we're skating hard with our effort". The coaches praised the boys for their hard work and no quit attitude over the last 5 games, but mentioned that today would be a great day to try and turn the ship around...with a big win.
The pep talk seemed to work as Team Allstate Insurance started the game with great tempo, skating more with the puck and looking to make plays rather than just dump it down the ice. Team Allstate opened the scoring when Liam J. converted on a beautiful pass from Logan N. to make it 1-0. Team Skill Plus then responded by scoring 3 straight goals to take a 3-1 lead half way through the 2nd period. Most teams at this point would roll over and call it a day, but staying true to their character the boys in black potted a goal late in the 2nd from Ty C. making it a 3-2 game at the end of the period.
Early in the 3rd Liam J. chipped the puck out of the zone and Wesley S. broke in all alone scoring a beautiful goal to tie the game 3-3. What didn't show up on the game sheet was the fact that Goalie Jack L. should have had the secondary assist on the game tying goal.
What followed was an offensive explosion like we have NOT seen this season. Team Allstate Insurance went up 4-3 after Ty C. did a Savardian Spinarama in the corner and then centered the puck where both Dustin K. and Joe V. took a swipe at it popping the puck up into the top corner of the net. Elliott D. then followed Joe V. on a breakaway and pushed in the rebound to make it 5-3 Team Allstate. The game was officially put away after Elliott D. scored his second goal of the game on a right wing rush and wrist shot that caught the bottom corner of the net giving Team Allstate a 6-3 win over Team Skills Plus.
The win moves Team Allstate Insurance to a 3-4-1 record and gets the boys in a positive state of mind heading into the Christmas Tournament.