February 11,
2025
There was a full moon this evening. A rare “planetary parade” graced the
skyline, with Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter all visible to the naked eye.
Inside the Emily-Omemee Community Centre, the Stars were shining, the
Coyotes were yipping, and the parents were freezing. A perfect night for hockey
in Canada.
The boys of Millbrook were feeling loose, having won four in a row going
into this match. Nonetheless, they found themselves in a battle in the first
frame. Back and forth action, perhaps a tad sloppy, and maybe not entirely
dialed in. Certainly, they had a few high-danger chances but settled for a 0-0 draw
after one period.
The narrative in the second period read differently – indeed, the ice
started to slant towards the Coyotes end. Early on, it was the line of Owen
Verdoch, Kasen Poole, and Carter Rose who had an excellent offensive zone
dominated shift, with Rose breaking the deadlocked score. A few minutes later,
Elijah Dunlop sent a quick snapper past the Yotes keeper off a gorgeous feed
from Simon Gillespie. A shift later, the Adams/Pherrill/Larmer line entered the
cosmos with a powerful shift in which Adams used a quick, smart stick to bury
the biscuit for a 3-0 lead. Finally, to put an exclamation point on the frame,
Lochlan Pherrill pulled a Savardian-spinorama from behind the net to complete
the second period starburst.
The Warrick/Gillespie/Dunlop line struck in the dying minutes of the
third, and Griffin Larmer added a final tally, as Millbrook took the decisive
6-0 victory.
To this writer’s eyes, the defence pairings of Hilton/Carney,
Brown/Stinson, and Harris/Harrigan played a high IQ game – breaking up plays,
frustrating opponents, jumping into the rush when appropriate, stifling the
counterattack, and showing off their ability to mobilize on both sides of the
puck.
The keeper, Wynn Jennings, played with full confidence, and channeled
his inner Dominik Hasek with some classic highway robbery when tested. A tip of
the cap for the shut-out.
Next up, the fellas return home to the friendly confines of the Cavan-Monahan
Community Centre, where they will host a re-match against these Kawartha
Coyotes. Puck drop is 1:30 pm on Saturday, February 15, in what is sure to be a
dandy of a tilt. So come on out and enjoy some great hockey!
Go Stars Go.
M. Carney