The Pepper Mill Steak and Pasta House U15 Highland Storm Yellow travelled to Lindsay to play Lindsay Muskies Teal for their second game of the playoffs Feb. 20.
The Storm was riding high after a dramatic comeback win in their first playoff game. The team came out flying with sustained offensive zone possession and a few rush chances by Chris Fillier.
Fillier’s speed and confidence have been improving all season and it showed in this game. The offensive spark plug of the team, Jackson Sperrino, broke through Lindsay’s defence and drew double coverage, leaving Linus Gervais open for a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle giving the Storm a 1-0 lead early in the first.
Sperrino was not finished as minutes later he broke in all alone and scored on a well-placed shot to the top left corner of the net.
The Storm carried momentum into the second period. Strong forechecking by Claire Hamilton, Addison Haaijema, Brayden Collins and Grayson Miscio led to multiple turnovers and shots on goal.
Easy defensive zone exits by Cameron Bawks and Lucas Sinclair allowed for Joseph Porzuczek to showcase his speed and stickhandling through the neutral zone. Jacob Manning and Grayson Thomas played hard defensively in front of our net, blocking out bodies and clearing rebounds.
The Storm had the game in hand until a couple of penalties disrupted their flow. Mismatched lines and defensive pairings started showing cracks as Lindsay applied pressure by getting pucks on net and hunting for rebounds. They finally broke through on a rebound after a terrific pad save by Marshall Heasman. This boosted Lindsay’s confidence as they continued to attack the front of the Storm’s net and were rewarded with the tying goal with four minutes to go in the second period.
The first shift of the third was sluggish for the Storm. Missed clearing attempts and poor defensive coverage led to Lindsay taking the lead 45 seconds into the period.
The Storm tried hard to tie it, including a six-on-four opportunity in the final minute, but Lindsay’s goalie made timely saves and kept the Storm at bay. The team has little time to dwell on this loss as the playoff schedule is busy.
