Feb 04, 2016 | Terri Patterson | 706 views
Howson Mills Crusaders fall to South Bruce in OMHA playoffs
The Crusaders traveled to Teeswater Wednesday night to play game four of their OMHA playoff series, and lost the game 4-1, and the series 3-1.
The Crusaders got out of the gate quickly, opening the scoring two minutes in to the game.
The Crusaders kept the Blades hemmed up in their own zone, doing a great job of cycling the puck when Bailey Bos was able to steal the puck from a South Bruce defender and slip the puck in the net, past the goaltender for an unassisted goal.
The Crusaders played a good first period, not allowing the Blades any quality scoring chances and the first period ended with the Crusaders in the lead by one.
The Crusaders ran in to penalty trouble in the second period, killing off two, five on three situations.
The first five on three was successfully killed off with some great work from Mason Weber, Alex Coultes, and Dakota Coultes. The boys were able to clog up the shooting lanes, and didn't allow any of the Blades to get up for any quality shots.
The second penalty kill unit was mainly manned by Colin Howson with Bailey Bos and Mitch McNichol, who didn't allow the Blades to set up anything, constantly clearing the puck down the ice. Nick Aitken and Cole Zwep also added to the penalty with each getting a short handed chance.
Despite being short handed most of the second period, the Crusaders headed in to the flood with the game tied at one.
The South Bruce team came out ready to play in the third period, and the Crusaders did not. The Crusaders were not able to clear the zone and the Blades were able to score the go ahead goal before the ice was marked up.
The Crusaders battled, but didn't have the spark that they had in previous game and couldn't generate much offence. After successfully killing off their fifth penalty of the game, the Blades were able to score a back breaking goal after a man was left uncovered in the slot and fired a laser shot over the shoulder of goalie Spencer Lazarevich.
Down two players due to injury the Crusaders marched on trying to get back in the game. The Crusaders pulled the goalie with just less than two minutes remaining in the game, but were unable to get many quality scoring chances, and with two seconds remaining in the game, but Blades were able to score an empty net goal and clinch the series.
Even in defeat the Crusaders can hold their heads high. They battled every game, and if not for a couple of unlucky bounces, and a few shots shot directly in to the catching glove of the South Bruce goalie, the series could have had a very different end to it.