by Romano Di Franco
NAVAN, ON – The Nepean Raiders made the short trek to Navan to complete the back-half of a home-and-home series against the Navan Grads.
The two teams met this past Wednesday night where the Raiders got off to a quick 2-0 lead but ended up on the wrong side of an 8-4 score. The Raiders had 30+ shots on net for the third straight game and had four different goal scorers starting 2022 off on the right foot.
The starting goalies for Friday night were Evan Martin (1-2, 0.852 GAA) for the visiting Nepean Raiders while Ben West (14-9, 0.905 GAA) got the start again in goal for the Navan Grads.
Navan struck first on Joseph Ianniello’s third goal of the season. Owen Parsons fed Ianniello in the slot and his slap shot went through heavy traffic in front of the net. Evan Martin was heavily screened and never saw the puck coming.
The Grads struck again when Cayden Faust banged home an errant Evan Martin clearing attempt that took a funny bounce. The goal came after the Grads won the face-off to Martin’s right. Navan then made it 3-0 after Justin Louette-Isaac’s blast from the point managed to elude all the bodies in front of the net. It was another goal that Martin never saw. The goal sent Nathan Loisel in to relieve Evan Martin in the Nepean goal.
The Raiders got one back in the last minute of the first period after Owen Hollingsworth notched his second goal in as many games. Hollingsworth took Louis Chabot’s pass right on the Grad’s doorstep and chipped past Ben West. Rylan Iwachniuk got the other assist. The goal was the result of excellent puck movement by Nepean.
After 20 minutes the Grads had a 3-1 lead and outshot Nepean 13-5. The Raiders had two penalties in the period and managed to kill off both infractions.
The Grads continued to pour it on and extended the lead to 4-1 after Gabriel Crete grabbed his own rebound and put it past a diving Loisel. The score was 5-1 after Devyn Orpana beat Loisel glove-side that the Raider keeper got a piece of. Orpana then blasted a one-timer from the top of the left playoff circle to make it 6-1 Navan. The PowerPlay goal came with Zachary Lefebvre in the box for Slashing.
After 40 minutes the shots were 25-17 after the Raiders and Grads both sent 12 shots on goal.
Nepean went on the PowerPlay in the first minute of the third period after Alexandre Hogue was assessed a Slashing minor. Cayden Faust intercepted a clearing attempt and found himself all alone in front of Nathan Loisel before his back-handed five-hole shot found the back of the net to make it 7-1 Grads. Faust would register a hat-trick after a wrap-around to the right-side of goal. Loisel looked to the referee for a goaltender interference penalty after some shenanigans to his left by Blake Butler went unnoticed.
Calum Chau’s point-blank shot from the slot beat Loisel high blocker side to make it 9-1 Navan. Chau would make it 10-1 after another shot from close range beat Loisel. Loisel made a spectacular glove save just before the goal. The goal came on the PowerPlay with Chase Campeau in the box for Slashing.
The Raiders had the final say in the game when Coleman Bennett scored his 7th of the season. The goal came after Ben West gave up a big rebound on Samuel Beaulne’s point-shot that went right to a pinching Bennett who made no mistake roofing a wrist shot past the Grads netminder. The Grads led 10-2 after the Nepean captain’s goal.
Cayden Faust (3G) was named the game’s first star, Devyn Orpana (2G | 2A) got the nod for second star while Raider Owen Hollingsworth earned third star honours.
Coleman Bennett (1G) was named the hardest working Raider. His 7th goal of the season puts him into second place in league scoring among defensemen.
The Raiders are back at it Sunday afternoon as they host the Carleton Place Canadians at the Nepean Sportsplex Steve Yzerman Arena for a 2:30pm puck drop.
