In a
perfect world the Waterloo Wolves would be waking up to see who the next round
opponent might be, but alas, instead dropped game 2 to the London Jr Knights
White 3 to 1 Sunday night setting the stage for a potential do or die game in
Waterloo Monday.
A lot
of credit must go to the Knights who have played inspired hockey and brought
all they have in each game. That said, the Wolves did not play badly and they
out chanced the Knights and out hit them.
It’s
a Wolves thing! At least, at times this season, it appears to be the way we do
it. We take the hardest route possible! We also get the job done.
Mitch
Simmons did his job in the game. Especially when the Wolves took 10 mins worth
of calls against them in the first two periods. Simmons made several saves to
try and give his squad the opportunity to score first. Even when they failed he
was there to keep them within scoring distance of being back in the game.
Griffin
Beddis got the team back in it with a goal to even the score at one from Ryan
Beckner and Caleb Cumming. Sadly, for the Wolves, the Knights got back the lead
and added an empty net goal.
Before
the game the coaches talked about being a more physically present team and several
players were happy to help in that area. Cole Ledgister, Tate Merritt, Yianni
Peppas, Jake Patterson and Jackson McNichol all responded with physical games.
The defenders did a better job dealing with an aggressive Knights forecheck and
Carson Bernhardt, Cullen Derry and Connor Palmer used speed to get loose.
Once
again the line of Declan Uniac, Matthew Ball and Cole Hunsberger carried the
play for the Wolves in the Knights zone. There constant cycling wears the
Knights down and creates a lot of opportunities to create offense. The Wolves will
need this to continue to be successful and Tyler O’Hearn line with Matthew
Anderson and Jacob Reid-Brant has picked things up and looks set to explode.
This
is not the Wolves first taste of adversity this season and will not the last. The
coaching staff is confident in their group and confident the players will be
ready to battle.
Go Wolves!