After a season of some excellent home ice performances, the Leamington Flyers suddenly struggled to score goals on their home rink in the Ontario Junior Hockey League Western Conference finals.
Many factors contributed to their three losses on home ice in the series, the latest of which was a 2-1 nail-biter in game five on Sunday night, April 13, which ended their season.
Special teams certainly played a role in the series loss as Leamington’s powerplay couldn’t generate an extra-man goal, especially in the critical Sunday night game five.
Leamington lost last Tuesday night 3-2 here, then 4-1 in Milton on Friday before bowing out with a 2-1 score in front of 954 fans on Sunday.
With 1,200 fans packing the arena on Tuesday, April 8, no one realized the fireworks they were about to see.
At the opening faceoff, Flyers’ captain Adrian Bosev and Milton’s Gavin Sheehan traded a few crosschecks before the first puck was even dropped. Then, as the two were ushered to the penalty box, Menace player Kyle Burton and Flyer Dalton Kane squared off at their positions on right wing and moved the scuffle towards the end of the Milton bench. Kane and Burton spent several minutes in a tussle during which both linesmen struggled to separate the two combatants.
Both Kane and Burton were tossed with major fighting penalties and later each received a two-game suspension for a “staged fight.”
That was the beginning of long battle versus the Menace.
Leamington’s Cade Bell struck first as he skated behind the Menace net, moving left to right, and came out and stuffed the puck between starter Carter Bickle’s pads at 3:46.
But soon penalty trouble allowed Milton to tie the contest. A slashing call to Brody Cook was compounded 10 seconds before its expiry when Bell took a crosschecking penalty. About 15 seconds later, as Cook returned to the ice, Milton’s Luke Johnston’s shot from behind the Leamington net was banked off starting goalie Marcus Vandenberg and the game was tied.
At 12:22, Ashton Pacheco drilled Milton’s second goal which vaulted them into a 2-1 lead.
Nine seconds into the middle frame, Flyer Marquis Brown was sidelined for interference. The Menace wasted little time in going up 3-1 as Johnston ripped a top of the slot screen shot that eluded everyone.
The Flyers nudged closer near the midway point of the second when Tyler McGuire and Brody Cook hooked passes to Ashton Darocy, who backhanded the puck into the net.
The score remained that way for the rest of the game despite the Flyers pulling Vandenberg briefly for an extra-attacker in the final minute. Both goalies made 22 saves.
Game four in Milton on Friday was a good effort by the Flyers, but the puck bounces did not go their way. Down 2-1 in the final minute, they surrendered two empty-net goals to make it a 4-1 final. Nick Mahy scored the Flyers’ only goal.
That left Leamington trailing the series 3-1 heading into Sunday’s home game.
Sunday at the Highbury Canco, the Flyers pumped shot after shot at Bickle but goals were elusive.
In the second, the Menace thought they had surged ahead at 3:57 but the goal was disallowed. At 17:23, Milton’s breakthrough came when a long blueline screen shot by Luke Johnston found the mark.
One minute later, Ivan Fabjan cruised a breakaway and beat Vandenberg from in close.
In the third, the Flyers poured another 14 shots on Bickle and got one back in the final minute with an extra attacker. Bell fed Colton Smith, who snapped a shot towards the Milton net where Brayden Degelas got his stick on it and whisked it into the net at 19:27.
The dream may be over, but many thanks to the Flyers’ fans and sponsors who supported the team this past season, as well as the staff, billets and volunteers.
Flyers forward Ethan Walker (27) is poised for a rebound as teammate Ethan Tatomir (25) sets for a one-timer during Sunday night’s game five in Leamington. The puck was gobbled up by Menace netminder Carter Bickle.
SUN photo
