Haliburton County Huskies captain Patrick Saini believes a morale boosting 2-1 win over the table-topping Trenton Golden Hawks Oct. 14 can be the catalyst for the hometown team to turn their season around.
Welcoming the eastern conference’s first place team to Minden on Saturday, the Huskies put on a show for the 511 fans in attendance, dominating much of the game. The win, their first in three games, saw their season record improve to 6-5-2, good enough for 14 points and eighth place in the league standings.
“We’ve been struggling as of late, we’ve not really had the ability to hold onto a lead, so this is a huge win. It’s a confidence booster for sure, and a bit of a statement. The performance, as well as the result, shows what we’re capable of,” Saini said.
The Golden Hawks got the better of the early exchanges, with David Fournier giving them the lead four minutes in after a scramble in front of the Huskies net. There was frustration on the ice and in the stands as it appeared the goal had come off the spikes before the puck crossed the line, though the officials waved away complaints.
A flurry of penalties, nine in total, led to a stop-start feel for the rest of the period.
The home team started the second on the penalty kill and had goaltender Vlad Visan to thank for keeping it a one-goal game, the 18-year-old flashing the glove to keep out an Adam O’Marra shot from the point, then sprawling to deny Fournier on the rebound.
Back at regular strength, the Huskies took over. Saini fired narrowly wide after finding space off the boards, and blueliner Jack Staniland saw a screened shot from the point go narrowly over the crossbar. The home side’s persistence paid off midway through the period – Ty Petrou backhanding a rebound in at 10:22 after Saini had another shot saved.
Rhyse Brown went eye-to-eye with Bonisteel a minute later but couldn’t find a way through. Josh Rumolo, playing in his third game as a Husky after moving from the Burlington Cougars last week, saw a shot from the point, tipped by forward Antonio Cerqua, flash agonizingly wide, and Charlie Fink then struck the iron with a rasper from the point. Aidan Yarde then saw a low shot blocked in the late stages, sending the teams in tied at the end of the second.
The Huskies peppered Bonisteel in the third, with Lucas Stevenson, Johnathon Mead, Raine Nadeau and Rumolo all having opportunities early in the frame. Visan then stood tall to deny Matthew Lee on a breakaway, sending the Huskies down the ice on a two-on-one opportunity of their own. Petrou found an open Fink, who made no mistake with the finish, but the goal was called back by the officials who felt the Trenton goal had come loose.
Boos rang out through S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena, which seemed to drive the home side forward. After Yarde spurned a good opening at the 10-minute mark, Saini took centre stage, tipping a Staniland shot in over Bonisteel’s blocker at 11:08 to spark mass celebration on the ice and in the stands. “It was an emotional moment – there’s a lot of history between us and Trenton, so I let things show a little more than usual,” Saini said, commenting on his oneknee celebration.
“It was a big moment in our season, too. I think we’ve been a bit unfortunate to lose some of the games we have, so getting the goal that our play deserved was huge.”
The Huskies defended their zone well to close the game, with Visan making six stops in the final two minutes after Trenton pulled Bonisteel, earning the Huskies a muchneeded win.
“That was our best game as a group, no doubt. We were dialed in for a full 60 minutes, which is something we’ve struggled with,” Saini said. “To dominate against arguably the top team in the league, it shows how good a team we are. We just need to work and make sure we’re at this level every single game.”
The Huskies are on the road this weekend, with away games against the Aurora Tigers Oct. 20 and the Golden Hawks Oct. 22. They will be back in Minden Oct. 24 to play the Milton Menace. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m.
