Jan 05, 2013 | Joe Heinisch | 342 views
Team Allstate Insurance Extends Unbeaten Streak to 3 Games
Saturday January 5, 2013
Game Reporter: Jay Nijhuis
Team Allstate Insurance arrived at Albert McCormick Arena this morning, a mere 12 hours since their last game, feeling pretty good about a modest 2 game winning streak. However, to a man, they knew the game today was going to be a tough one as they prepared to face Team Libro Financial, the team the Boys in Black knocked out of the Christmas Tournament just a week ago.
The boys were also aware that Team Libro got spanked 5-0 on Friday night by the Kitchener Rangers so they would be in a foul mood.
Team Allstate has played a lot of hockey in the last 2 weeks and it showed early on in the game as Team Libro got the jump on them early opening the scoring early in the 1st period on a goal mouth scramble. Team Allstate Goaltender Jack L. made the first save but the puck was eventually shoved into the net. The Boys in Black responded quickly with a fantastic end to end rush by Wesley S. that resulted in a sweet goal to make it 1-1. Soon after that Captain Joe V. went hard to the net to pick up a rebound from an Elliott D. shot to make it 2-1 and Wesley S. once again showed off his blistering speed with a breakaway top shelf zinger to make it 3-1.
Early in the 2nd period Team Libro scored to make it 3-2 but before the buzzer could sound, Joe V. busted through the defence and scored a beauty with just :35 secs left in the period to make it 4-2 Team Allstate.
In the third period, Team Allstate looked like a tired team, the effort was still there, but there were several mental mistakes that cost them some goals. The one member of Team Allstate that was wide awake in the 3rd period was goalie Jack L. who single handedly kept his team in the game as Team Libro kept coming hard. Jack L. made a huge breakaway save, but somehow, Team Libro scrambled for the loose puck and slid it into the net to make it 4-3. Later on Elliott D. picked up a loose puck at centre ice and broke down the right wing into the Team Libro zone, he was hauled down but Joe V. followed the play, picked up the loose puck and scored to make it 5-3.
Things were looking good at that point. However, Team Libro was not going to quit and they scored on a spiner-ama in the high slot with 6:23 left in the third when the Boys in Black couldn't clear a rebound from the front of the net. A few minutes after that, Jack L. made the save of the game, when Team Libro had a breakaway and Jack L. made a "look what I found" glove safe on a shot clearly labeled for the top shelf. The boys just couldn't hold on though, as all 5 players got caught deep with just 2 minutes left and Team Libro capitalized with a clear cut breakaway to make it 5-5, which would hold up to be the final score.
Team Allstate Insurance will gladly take that point and gets set to enjoy a few weeks off before their next game riding a 3 game unbeaten streak.