A flurry of second period penalties cost the Haliburton County Huskies dearly as the team dropped a 3-2 game to the Caledon Admirals on home ice in Minden Sept. 27.
The blue and white were called for five minor penalties in the middle frame – two for tripping, two for slashing and one for roughing, as disciplinary issues reared their head again, contributing to a fifth straight defeat.
The hometown team was outshot 12-7 in the period, struggling to put much offence together after an encouraging opening 20 minutes and gave up two goals. While they rallied in the third, stellar work from visiting goaltender Calem Yorke kept the Huskies at bay. He made 24 saves in the final period and 41 in the game.
Alternate captain Isaac Larmand, playing in his third season in Haliburton County, admitted it was a game that got away from the young team.
“We wanted to win, we wanted to come out strong, but we took too many penalties as a team. Accountability is a big thing in our room – I think if we’re more accountable about our actions and stay out of the penalty box, that is a game we win 10 out of 10 times,” Larmand said.
Some fans were still finding their seats when Caledon opened the scoring just over a minute in – Deacon King beating Stephen Toltl in the Huskies’ goal at 1:15.
It was a scrappy opening, with both teams struggling to break out from their own end, though the Huskies found some rhythm at the midway point of the first. Ryan Gosse tied things at 9:10, potting his third goal of the season, with defensemen Luis Sturgeon and Oliver Tang recorded assists on the play.
The second period was a stop-start affair, with the officials kept busy throughout. Huskies forward Kieran Raynor and Admirals forward Curtis Freeman started the parade to the box, taking offsetting minors at the threeminute mark. Raynor was boxed again at 9:24, this time for roughing – and he had Toltl to thank for keeping things even, with the netminder making three smart saves a man light.
The Huskies were back at even-strength for less than two minutes – Julius Da Silva took a slashing minor at 12:57, and while the team killed the penalty, Caledon re-took the lead seconds later, at 15:12 through King.
There was more trouble to come – Cristian Giancola took a tripping penalty at 15:47 trying to wrestle the puck from an Admirals skater and Caledon made him pay. Jack Feng had all the time in the world to pick out the top corner after skating into the right faceoff circle from the boards, making it a two-goal game.
Things almost went from bad to worse for the Huskies – Oliver Tang took a tripping penalty at 17:22, this one booed heavily by the home fans, and Cam Lang was the width of a crossbar away from making it 4-1, ringing the iron with seconds left on the powerplay.
It was one-way traffic in the final frame as the Huskies took control. Jacob Smith had a great chance in close at 5:01, but couldn’t find a way past Yorke, with Carter Petrie and Kaiden Thatcher also going close.
Del Colombo was bright throughout the third and had three great opportunities to score, ringing the crossbar at 8:49, drawing a penalty after releasing a shot at 10:56, and missing a one-on-one with Yorke at the 14-minute mark.
Head coach Jordan Bailey went for it in the closing stages – he pulled Toltl while on a late powerplay, giving the Huskies a six-on-four opportunity, which they took full advantage of. Thatcher scored his first of the season at 18:57 on the rebound after Yorke first denied Raynor and Connor Hollebek, but it wasn’t enough.
The Huskies were back in action Oct. 1 against the Wellington Dukes, with the result unavailable as of press time. They host the Trenton Golden Hawks in Minden Oct. 4, with a 4 p.m. puck drop.
