by Romano Di Franco
The Nepean Raiders travelled to the Navan Memorial Centre for Game 2 of their five game road trip to visit the first place Grads. For the starting goalies, it was John Gedraitis who was fantastic in his last start against the Rockland Nationals who was in goal for the second straight game. Haydn Gould got his second start in as many weeks for Navan.
Scoring Recap:
The game kicked off with a power-play goal from Navan Grads’ forward Colin MacDougall at 5:35 in the first period, setting the tone for an action-packed contest. The second period saw both teams finding the back of the net on the power play, with Devon Savignac extending Navan Grads’ lead. Unfortunately, Navan’s lead would be short lived as Nepean answered back with two goals of their own. Josh Reid was able to put home his 15th goal of the season assisted from Peter Freel and Nick Sinani. The Raiders then tied the contest at two goals to two when Brandon Reinisch scored his tenth goal of the season assisted from Marty Magaletta and David Taylor.
Heading into the third period tied at 3-3, the teams continued their relentless pursuit of victory. Shaan Kingwell of Navan Grads found the net with his 19th goal of the season with Devon Savignac and Noah Carpenter providing the helpers. That third period was not without its fair share of Grade A scoring chances. Nepean’s best chance to tie the game was when Oliver Band nearly capitalized on a cannon shot from Mario Scalise. On the other hand, the Navan Grads had a tremendous chance to seal the deal when Nicholas Paone delivered a long lead pass to Sebbie Johnson, but John Gedraitis used his stick to rob Johnson from that and his save made was the highlight of the afternoon as well.
Eventually, the Nepean Raiders got the equalizer when Oliver Band scored on a deflection goal from John Lumsden to send the game into overtime after 3-3 through regulation.
In a swift and decisive move, Cristobal Tola of Navan Grads secured the win for his team just 37 seconds into the first overtime period, sealing the fate of an exhilarating matchup.
Shots on Goal:
The battle was not only fierce in scoring but also on the shot count. Nepean Raiders fired a total of 43 shots on Navan Grads’ goaltender Hadyn Gould, who made an impressive 40 saves. On the other end, Navan Grads managed 55 shots on Nepean Raiders’ netminder John Gedraitis, who made an outstanding 51 saves.
Penalties and Physical Play:
The game also witnessed its fair share of penalties, showcasing the intensity and physicality of the matchup. Both teams fought hard to gain an edge, with power-play opportunities and penalty kills playing a crucial role throughout the game.
Three Stars of the Game:
- Hadyn Gould (#29) – Navan Grads: The goaltender stood tall, making crucial saves and earning the first star of the game with a remarkable performance.
- John Gedraitis (#30) – Nepean Raiders: Despite the loss, Gedraitis showcased exceptional goaltending skills, earning him the second star of the game.
- Cristobal Tola (#16) – Navan Grads: Tola’s contribution with a goal and an assist in the overtime victory earned him the third star of the game.
In conclusion, the Nepean Raiders and Navan Grads delivered a game that will be etched in the memories of fans for its thrilling goals, outstanding goaltending, and the dramatic overtime finish. This was the last meeting of the season for these two teams.
Nepean’s next game will be held on Tuesday March 12th when they visit the Smiths Falls Bears at the Smiths Falls Memorial Centre for a 7:30PM puck drop.
