by Romano Di Franco
The Nepean Raiders welcomed the Cornwall Colts for the seventh and final game of their season long seven game homestand at the Nepean Sportsplex Steve Yzerman Arena. Additionally, this was the fourth time this year the Colts and the Raiders got together this season. For the starting goalies, Brady McEwen got the start having gotten the game off against the Navan Grads and Donald Hickey answered the call for Cornwall.
First Period: Raiders Draw First Blood
The Nepean Raiders set the tone early in the game, with Carson McGurn netting a goal at the 10:41 mark. Assisted by Dylan Paron and Nick Sinani, McGurn’s goal gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead heading into the second period. Nepean had two great scoring chances in the first half of the game which included Nicholas Papineau having a great scoring chance 20 seconds into the game. At the end of the first period, it was the Raiders who outshot the Cornwall Colts 12-10.
Second Period: Colts Respond
The second period saw the Cornwall Colts bounce back, leveling the score with a goal from Fernand-Olivier Perron at 8:20. Ethan Montroy and Bradley Fraser assisted in Perron’s 15th goal of the season. However, the Raiders quickly regained the lead with goals from Curtiss Sturgeon and Oliver Band, making it 3-1 in favor of Nepean. Sturgeon’s goal was his 16th of the year. Band’s goal was his first goal in a Raiders jersey. After 40 minutes of play it was the Cornwall Colts who outshot the Raiders 15-8.
Third Period: Colts Surge Ahead
The Colts came out firing on all cylinders early in the third period with goals from Tristan Miron who scored twice as well as Tyler Samodral. It was the Nepean Raiders who refused to go away as Mario Scalise tallied home his fifth goal of the season on a terrific feed from Oliver Band. The Colts got the lead back when Nathan Garnier scored on the rebound to make the score 5-4 for Cornwall. Once again, the Raiders did not go down without a fight as Oliver Band punched home his second goal of the game with 31 seconds left to go in regulation. The Over-Time period would not last long as Nathan Garnier’s second goal of the game was the game winning goal.
Notable Performances and Penalties
Nathan Garnier emerged as the star of the game, earning the first star with an impressive two-goal performance. Oliver Band of the Nepean Raiders claimed the second star with two goals and an assist, while Tristan Miron of the Cornwall Colts secured the third star with two crucial goals.
Penalties played a role in the game’s intensity, with both teams accumulating penalty minutes. The Colts capitalized on the power play, going 1 for 4. As for the Nepean Raiders, their powerplay was a decent 2 for 8.
Three Stars of the Game
- Nathan Garnier (#91) – Cornwall Colts
- Goals: 2
- Assists: 0
- Oliver Band (#91) – Nepean Raiders
- Goals: 2
- Assists: 1
- Tristan Miron (#10) – Cornwall Colts
- Goals: 2
- Assists: 0
In a game filled with lead changes, spectacular goals, and intense penalties, the Cornwall Colts emerged victorious over the Nepean Raiders. This contest will undoubtedly be remembered as a testament to the resilience and skill of both teams in the pursuit of victory on the ice.
The Nepean Raiders next game will be held on Friday January 19th when the Raiders travel to the Smiths Falls Memorial Centre to play the Smiths Falls Bears.
