LEWIS CENTER, OH - Friday's matchup against the Arrowhawks and Maple Leafs, two powerhouses within the Friday night CAHL division, was everything it was supposed to be and maybe a little more. The night began with a crash, literally. Starting goaltender Jason Jensen and some of his Arrowhawk teammates were stuck in traffic and were late getting to the rink. The Arrowhawks called their timeout before the puck even dropped, hoping their netminder would enter the building. All eyes were on the arena doors, but there was no Jensen.
"Let's start this thing," said Danny, the head ref.
The puck dropped and Barry Snow was in net. He looked a little light in the equipment department (insert crude jokes here), but was fast and mobile in his crease.
"I have dabbled in goal before," Snow admitted after the game. "I could have played better but I think I did OK all things considered."
Realizing the Hawks would have to carry the puck to have a chance to win, they did just that. They passed, carried and dangled their way through a period and a half with Barry in net. The score was 2-1 Arrowhawks with 7:30 to play in the second period with the agitated Jensen waiting to take the ice. It appeared the Hawks were going to carry a lead against the league's top scoring team despite not having a goalie, but it all changed in an instant.
The Hawks failed to touch-up a high stick deep in the Leafs offensive zone, leading to an odd-man rush the other way. Two tape-to-tape passes later and the score was tied, 2-2.
Oleg and Kevin Griffith's goals weren't going to be game winners.
"It was a bad error on our part," said dejected second line defenseman Mike Gauthier after the game. "Championship teams can't give away chance like that. There was a clear momentum swing after that."
The Leafs seemed to control play for the next period.
"I think we were tired from all the skating," said Mac Lawless from the golf course. "Here, let me put my beer down and I'll illustrate." Lawless begins simulating skating strides around the tee box in a rather excited fashion. He's quick -- a long strider, but able to maneuver around his soon to be empty can of Coors Light. "See, I'm good now but last night I would have hit my beer and that tells you everything."
Huh?
The second and third period were, as usual, chock-full of scoring chances at both ends. It took two brilliant goals from the Leafs -- one on a deflection in front and the other on a great individual, unassisted breakaway -- to notch their four tallies.
Nick Lanctot and Nate Mensell were paired together for the first time this session. They were like Batman and Robin, without all the annoying THWAP! and BLAMS! Each was dominant controlling the puck and setting up the Hawk forwards. Mensel added a dandy goal early in the third period to tie the game 3-3.
The Hawks rolled three lines of offense during the game. Most of their scoring chances came from the first and second lines but the grind line of Titus, Snow and Kenyon played a good role neutralizing the Leafs top offensive threats.
"It's a good thing we were on the ice," said Snow, released from the net to play center. "We bring energy like fighting bull in small china shop," he said while looking at Oleg. Oleg just shook his head and walked away.
The Hawks trailed 4-3 with 1:15 to play. They pulled Jensen and blitzed the Leafs with 9 shots but couldn't put one past the Leafs goalie. Bryce Griffith had the puck on his stick, wide open after a rebound as the buzzer sounded.
"It was that type of game," said Bryce Griffith. "I thought I had a millisecond more, but as it turned out..."
He didn't.
