Nov 18, 2013 | abader | 756 views
League action resumes with win, tie
The Mitchell Scotiabank Bantams returned to WOAA regular season action with two weekend games, at home to Saugeen Shores last Friday and a road trip to Ripley Sunday afternoon to take on Kincardine.
Mitchell battled Saugeen Shores to a 1-1 tie at home, starting off slow and giving the visitors a pair of power plays in the first period, and they capitalized on the second to take a 1-0 lead.
The Meteors dominated territorially as the game wore on but, as usual, had a little difficulty finishing around the Saugeen Shores' net, finally getting the tying marker with 2:30 left on a deflection of a Ryan Bader shot by Kevin Rops. Mitchell had some chances to complete the comeback but to no avail.
Aaron McNeil was steady between the pipes in the deadlock, including a dandy pad save late in the second period on a Saugeen Shores' breakaway.
In Ripley Sunday, it was the Meteors' turn to get a jump on their opposition as Quaid Austin scored just 19-seconds after the opening face-off, wristing a shot past a startled Kinuck keeper from the high slot he would like to have back.
Kincardine applied some pressure well into the second period, cycling the puck to good advantage, but Mitchell stood up to their challenge both physically and with solid defensive play. It was rock solid defenceman Luken Van Pelt who set up the second goal late in the second period to give the visitors some breathing room, passing from deep in his own end to a streaking Kevin Rops in the neutral zone who turned the play into a two-on-one break with winger Austin. Rops set up Austin beautifully and Quaid did the rest, snapping the puck into the open net.
Van Pelt added some insurance with another harmless looking shot from the point five minutes into the third, as his knuckler eluded the Kincardine netminder and essentially seal the victory.
Tyler Meinen was confident and impenetrable as he recorded his first shutout of the season in an overall steady road performance by the Meteors.
Mitchell's lone weekend action is in Clinton this Friday against first-place BCH Ice Dogs, the site of their next tournament the following weekend, Nov. 29-Dec. 1.