by Romano Di Franco
The Nepean Raiders came back home to play out their first game of the month of December by welcoming the Hawkesbury Hawks to the Nepean Sportsplex Steve Yzerman Arena. Nepean came into this game hoping to snap their five game losing streak. Meanwhile the Hawks lost by a narrow margin by a final score of 5-4 to the Navan Grads.
For the starting goalies, Otsirakatste Brant who got the start two weeks ago against the Brockville Braves but did not finish the game got the start in goal for the Raiders whereas Jabe Breitzke was in goal for the visiting Hawkesbury Hawks.
The shots on net in this first period were even at nine a piece which certainly did not contribute to any goals being scored. However, the biggest scoring chance in the period came when Jack Yates went in solo but missed the net by a mile!
The Nepean Raiders took over in the second period when they exploded for five goals which included two goals from Owen Robitaille. Those were his first goals since he was acquired by the Kemptville 73s in exchange for a Player Developmental Fee. John Lumsden, Dekyln Campbell and Carter Williamson got the other goals for Nepean. The only goal of the period from the Hawks was from the former Cornwall Colt in Fernand Oliver Perron.
By the end of the second period, the Raiders proceeded to outshoot the Hawks 17-14.
For the final three goals in the third period, it was Deklyn Campbell who completed the hat-trick to cap off the scoring for the Raiders. Although Fernand Oliver Perron scored his second goal of the game, Nepean’s five goal second period was just too much for Hawkesbury.
Notably, the Nepean Raiders killed off all five of the Hawks powerplay opportunities whereas they went two for three on the powerplay.
Key Highlights:
- Deklyn Campbell was the star of the game, notching a hat trick (3 goals) and earning the 1st Star honors.
- Otsirakatste Brant, the Raiders’ goaltender, had an excellent performance, stopping 29 of 31 shots for a .935 save percentage, earning him the 2nd Star.
- Fernand-Olivier Perron scored both of the Hawks’ goals, securing the 3rd Star.
Penalty Summary:
The game saw its fair share of penalties, with both teams combining for 20 penalty minutes across 10 infractions. Key penalties included Aleksy Bandu and Nick Houben roughing incidents, and Maxime Charbonneau‘s slashing penalty leading to a Raiders’ power-play goal.
Final Thoughts:
The Raiders demonstrated superior offense and discipline in key moments, while the Hawks struggled with their power-play opportunities and defensive lapses. This win further cements Nepean’s strong performance this season, with players like Deklyn Campbell showcasing top form.
Nepean’s next game will be held on Sunday December 8th when they visit the Pembroke Lumber Kings at the Pembroke Memorial Centre or PMC for short. That will be a 7:00PM puck drop.
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