SmartStop Post-Game Recap – Pink at the Rink
In a hard fought battle, the Steelheads come up short in their 9th Annual Pink at the Rink game against the Peterborough Petes.
First Period
The Steelheads host the Peterborough Petes in their 9th Annual Pink at the Rink game to kick off the weekend, dawning their tie dye specialty jerseys to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. Through the specialty jersey auction, the Steelheads have raised nearly $5000 so far with three days remaining to pick up a jersey.
After a heartwarming ceremonial puck drop, the Steelheads were off to a strong start. From the moment the game started, the Trout were able to slow the Petes momentum. With the help of goaltender Alessio Beglieri and solid defence, the Steelheads managed to keep the Petes off the board for a majority of the period.
The Steelheads best chance of the period came with 12 minutes left in the frame from forward Owen Beck. Winning the face-off, Beck barreled towards the net, evading defenders to get in close. With little space, the Port Hope, ON native managed to create a dangerous scoring chance that was ultimately denied by Petes goaltender Michael Simpson.
After some back-and-forth play, the Steelheads ran into some penalty trouble. With just over six minutes left in the period, the Petes struck just as their two-man advantage expired, as Chase Stillman beat Beglieri high to put the visitors in the lead.
The Steelheads upped the pressure and physicality, hoping to get one back before the end of the frame. Ultimately, the period concluded with the visitors up 1-0.
Shots on Goal – 10 PBO/12 MISS
Second Period
The Petes did not wait long to add to their lead. Less than 30 seconds into the period, Peterborough’s Chase Stillman put it straight past Beglieri to record his second of the night and extend the Petes lead to two.
The Steelheads best chance of the period came from their urgent need to get back into the game following the Petes quick goal. Trout defenceman Parker Von Richter sent the puck into the offensive zone, bouncing it off the board, and right to Steelheads’ forward James Hardie. The Innisfil, ON native, who was positioned behind the defender, collected the puck in close, but was ultimately blocked by the opposing goaltender.
After some good opportunities by both teams, the Petes struck once more. With about 8 minutes left in the middle frame, Petes’ forward Chase Stillman beat Beglieri once again to secure the hat trick and put the Petes’ ahead 3-0.
The Trout upped the physicality, laying hard hits in an attempt to swing the momentum back in their favour. However, late in the period, Peterborough’s Tommy Purdeller and Sahil Panwar each added one to put the Petes up 5-0 to end the second frame.
Shots on Goal – 13 PBO/9 MISS
Third Period
The third period began with a goaltender change by the Trout, now opting for Ryerson Leenders. With the change and the opportunities the last 20 minutes held, the Steelheads came out determined to get back into this game as soon as possible. After some great chances, they finally managed to beat Simpson.
Just over 4 minutes into the period, Zakary Lavoie managed to shake off the Petes’ defenders and secure open ice near the goal line. Seeing this, Hardie collected the pass from defenceman Chas Sharpe and sent it straight to Lavoie. The forward beat Simpson short-side to get the Steelheads on the board and record his 9th goal of the season.
The Petes did not take kindly to Mississauga’s goal, returning the favour just 4 minutes later. Peterborough’s Chase Stillman shot one past Leenders to put the Petes’ up 6-1 and record his fourth goal of the night. Just over a minute later, Petes’ forward Nick Lardis slid one past Leenders increasing the Petes’ lead to 7-1.
Despite the goal difference, the Steelheads were not discouraged and continued to increase the pressure. This determination paid off as with just over 6 minutes left in the final frame, the Steelheads struck once again. Brice Cooke’ shook off the Petes’ defender to get the shot off and beat Simpson to make it 7-2 and secure his third goal of the season. Charlie Callaghan picked up the assist.
The Steelheads used their new-found momentum to remind the Petes that the game was not yet over. After some great chances and cycles, Luca Del Bel Belluz found Beck who quickly put the puck on net. The shot beat Simpson to make it 7-3, giving Beck his 14th of the season. Despite some dominant play to end the period, the game ended 7-3 in the Petes’ favour.
Shots on Goal – 7 PBO/13 MISS
Total Shots – 30 PBO/34 MISS
Three Stars:
- Chase Stillman (4G, 1A)
- Michael Simpson (31SV)
- Brice Cooke (1G)
The Steelheads look to bounce back on Sunday when they take on the Ottawa 67’s at home in their Special Olympics game. You can purchase tickets by clicking here. Pick up one of our tie dye Pink at the Rink jerseys by clicking here.
