by Romano Di Franco
The Nepean Raiders went out to the Jim Durrell Sports Complex to play out their first game of the home and home series against the Ottawa Junior Senators. Nepean came off a wild game against the Brockville Braves. Meanwhile the Ottawa Junior Senators wanted to leave behind their season opening loss to the Navan Grads.
For the starting goalies, Otsirakatste Brant made his first start of the season and Josh Scully who was in net for that game got the call for the Junior Senators.
Nepean began the game with a lucky bounce as Tyler Smith saved a goal following a turnover from their own goalie. Ottawa scored twice in the first period with Caleb Lead and Kairui Gardner scoring the goals. Despite that, the Nepean Raiders have outshot the arch-rival Junior Senators 9-7.
The Raiders began the second period with two quality chances including on a takeaway from Raphael Tellier. He came into the game with points in the last three games all of them were assists.
The only goal of the second period came when Antoine Poirier scored from a slapshot that popped the water bottle. Dax Kennedy and Nathan Pratt-Vallier assisted on the goal. At the end of the second period, the shots on net were dead even.
Nepean got on the board when Tyler Smith shot from a pretty impossible angle that Josh Scully had no chance on. Liam Wallace got the only assist. The Raiders best chance of the third period came when Mikayil Kahriman’s shot that hit Scully’s mask.
The Junior Senators closed out the scoring from Clement Valette’s first goal of the season. Overall, the Nepean Raiders outshot the Ottawa Junior Senators 29-27 in a scrappy game, but in the end it was Josh Scully who had an outstanding game.
For the three star selections, Kairui Gardner’s game winning goal earned him the first star, Josh Scully’s 28 save performance rewarded him the second star and Tyler Smith’s second goal of the gamed nabbed him the third star. The Navan native now has goals in the last two games.
The Nepean Raiders and the Junior Senators will continue their home and home set tomorrow at the Nepean Sportsplex for a 2:30PM puck drop.
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