It was plain as day. Even from the bench and the stands at Rim
Park. Everyone in the building saw the mesh raise and the puck in the nest.
Everybody, but the four on ice who needed to see it and didn’t.
No goal.
And, it was costly, as the Waterloo Wolves ended in a 4 to 4
tie against the Woodstock Jr Navy Vets. The video review of the disallowed goal
only made it more infuriating. Almost as annoying as the video review of the
goal against that was offside by a foot or more. But, alas, this is hockey and
these are the mistakes that happen and can cost you points if you don’t play a
full game.
And the Wolves didn’t play a full game.
Casey Ross started the Wolves off with a power play goal
from Grayson Seiling and Dell Wang. Allan Wang sent a rocket in from Seiling
and Logan Murtha. Antonio Parisi scored the disallowed goal and then picked up
a goal that counted before he set up another powerplay marker for the Wolves by
Wang, D with Seiling getting his third assist in the game.
The Wolves had a healthy line up for a first. Ben Schofield
helped out on defense with Ben Sawyer, Cole Gardiner, Owen Ottens, Jackson
Hunter and Murtha. Which meant the Wolves ran with 10 forwards in the game with
a trio of Ross, Parisi and Wang, D, a trio of Logan Landry, Reed Rozema and
Seiling, and a trio or Cam Murray with Hiatt Rich and Carter Talboom. Wang, A
cycled through and lines and positions.
For two periods the Wolves played inspired good hockey. And
then, in the third, left poor Jake Howard to fend for himself. Howard kept the
team in the game and made the saves he had to and some he had no business
making. But you can only play with fire so long and the Wolves ended up
getting burnt.
It was a chippy affair with lots of hits and trash talking. Unfortunately,
it appears the teams will not face each other in round one and an upset would
have to occur to play again. The two teams clearly have a dislike for one
another so it would have been a fun and emotional series.
Instead, all signs point to a rematch of last year’s series
between the Wolves and Sarnia Sting. The Sting have a couple games remaining and
the Wolves will play St Thomas before the regular season commences. The team is
hopeful they will have all players available for playoffs.
Go Wolves!