GTHL Game Review –Reps Hockey Club 2:3 Toronto Jr.Canadiens – AAA Bantam 05’

The GTHL was back in action as the Reps Hockey Club faced one of their main rivals for the top, the Toronto Jr. Canadiens. The Reps headed into this game after a 4-0 win over the Flyers in the season opener. And on the other side, the Jr. Canadiens won against the North York Rangers with a score of 3-1.

Reps Hockey Club Form
The Reps had a strong start of the season with a solid win against the Flyers. Also, that winning momentum was there to be seen in the early minutes of the 1st period. Goaltender Monaco made a great save in the first minute to deny the Jr. Canadiens to score. And in the aftermath, the Reps managed to mount a quick counter-attack and Campbell scored the opener from a close range. That spurred the team and the Reps came close to double their lead on a few occasions. Although they were not able to score more, they were by far the better team in the 1st period.

In the 2nd period of the game, the Reps played with a slower pace. But they still looked solid at the back with the commanding presence of defencemen Batrkhanov.  Christie also played really well and he was supported by the talented forward Ivan Fabjan. Their partnership proved to be effective as the Fabjan assisted Christie to double the lead for the Reps. A team celly followed and the Reps looked well in control. Yet, their opponents took control of the game and managed to pull one back in the 9th minute of the 2nd period. Also, goaltender Monaco made a few key saves in the final minutes of the 2nd period of the game.

In the 3rd period, the battle began. The Reps were trying to impose their control. But their opponents were more aggressive and that resulted with the Reps conceding two consecutive goals. Although the Mississauga side was 3-2 behind, they were up for the challenge and battled hard until the end. Defencemen William Bray controlled the puck well, made a couple of od yard sale tackles and had a couple of long shots. Also, Fabjan came close to score but the opposing goaltender made 3 saves in the final minutes. Therefore, the Reps were unlucky not to get something of this game.

Toronto Jr. Canadiens
The Jr. Canadiens are one of most solid teams in the GTHL. Also, they had the winning momentum in their camp after a routine 3-1 against the Rangers. However, the Toronto side did not had a good start of the game as they conceded early in the 1st period. Moreover, they could have been well behind, but the in-form goaltender Rizzo made 3 crucial saves in the first period of the game. The Jr.Canadiens came close on 3 occasions to score and their best player in the 1st period was Laurenza.

In the second period of the game, the Canadiens played better. Yet, they were not able to prevent their opponents from scoring the 2nd goal. But that goal had a galvanizing effect on the team. After the conceded goal, the Toronto side looked a different team. All of sudden they started to be more aggressive in the duels, their control of the biscuit was second to none. And they dominated the barn with their runs and transitional movements. That good play paid off as the Jr. Canadiens scored in the 9th minute of the 2nd period. 

In the final period of the game, the Jr. Canadiens pushed for the win. Flamboyant Anthony Romani managed to take advantage of a good build-up play to equalize the score with a well-placed cheese shot. Pinelli also played well and Frankie Bruno came close to score. However, it was Nicholas Sima that scored the 3rd goal through a solo counter-attack. The Jr.Canadies managed to hold off their lead thanks to goaltender Rizzo with his fine saves in the last moments of the game.


Final Thought 
Overall, this was a really interesting game. Both teams played well and perhaps the Reps my feel unlucky for not getting anything of this game. However, Jr. Canadiens battled hard and managed to win this game. All it was a great hockey game for the neutral fans.