Playoff hockey is not for the faint of heart. Thursday night’s
5 to 4 overtime win by the Waterloo Wolves over the Brantford 99ers was about
as exciting a hockey game you could watch. The win put the Wolves up 3 games to
0 and two points from a birth in the Alliance Finals.
The Wolves got off to a great start with a pair of goals in the first to go up 2 to 0 with Matthew Ball scoring the first goal from Cole Hunsberger and Riley Webster. The second goal was scored by Declan Uniac from Hunsberger and Jaxon Broda.
However, in the second period the 99ers responded with back-to-back goals of their own to tie the game. The Wolves players didn’t let that bring them down and Hunsberger put the team back up a goal from Broda and Uniac.
The never give up attitude of the Wolves players has really emerged and was center stage in the third period. The 99ers not only tied the game but then went ahead a goal to take control. But Hunter McMurdo had different plans tipping home a Webster shot, and Griffin Beddis also registered an assist on the play and the game was tied and headed to overtime.
In overtime, both teams traded chances and Jack Driscoll had to be sharp once again for the Wolves. Driscoll has been a force for his team and a big reason the team is able to fight back. All the Wolves players elevated their game and Webster picked up his third assist in the game while Beddis earned another assist on the Cole Ledgister tip off Webster’s point shot. Ledgister was a deserving hero in the game as he was working hard the past several games.
It was a chippy game that once again called on the Wolves penalty killers to step up and that is just what Ethan Wasylyshyn, Jackson Andrews and Michael Wei did for their team. They were all relentless on the puck and battled hard. Jackson McNichol continued to get under the 99ers skin with crushing hits. Cooper Gaul once again was rock solid and did a fantastic job protecting his end of the ice. Jackson Dietz had to put in time on the power play and penalty kill and was a constant steady force for his team.
The series will continue in Waterloo next week with the team having a few days away from games to work on some elements of their game that need improvement. The team will need to be ready for the hardest game of the series…..an elimination games where the hard working, never give up 99ers will come ready to fight for their season. The Wolves have been committed to each other and have been resilient in their efforts all series. These traits will have to continue as they will need to find yet another level to avoid a need to return to Brantford.
Go Wolves!