GTHL Game Review – Toronto Titans 3-1 Vaughan Kings – AAA Bantam 05’

The GTHL was back in action as the Vaughan Kings faced the Toronto Titans. The Kings headed into this game after a 5-4 loss in the game against the Marlboros. And on the other side, the Titans enjoyed a routine win against the Senators with a score of 6-2.

Vaughan Kings Review
The Kings headed into this game after a defeat in their last GTHL game. Also, they have not won in their last three games. Therefore, the Kings hoped to get back to winning ways in this match. And they started the first period with determination and aggressiveness. But they faced a swift resistance from their opponents and the first period did not bring much excitement. Jason Sturge had some Kronwall style tackles and Andrew Wycisk made some powerful long-range shots. As always, goaltender Vaccari was stable on goal and made 9 saves during the first period.

In the 2^nd period of the game, the Kings dropped their pace. Although, they were still a treat going forward. However, their opponents stepped up and had better control of the biscuit. Therefore, the Kings were mostly defending at that point and that ended up with two consecutive goals for the Titans. Nathar Fehr came close but his shots were not powerful enough to pass through goaltender Ethan Kowatsch. The Kings ended the period with 7 shots on goal but were not able to score.

In the final period of the game, the Vaughan side went all in. And that offensive pressure resulted with the Kings scoring through Jackson Mayo’s clinical finish from the left side. Therefore, the Kings were back in the game and started to bombard the opposing goaltender with shots. And in the final minutes of the game, the Kings pulled the goalie for an extra attacker leaving the net defenceless. However, that risk
came at a cost as the Titans had a cherry picker position and scored the 3^rd goal. It was another unlucky defeat for the Kings.

On the offensive side of the game, the Kings score an average of 3 goals per game.
Also, their defensive record stands at 2.5 conceded goals per game. 

Toronto Titans Review
The Titans played really well in recent weeks. Moreover, they demolished the Senators  6-2 win in their last GTHL game. Now, they were about to face a Kings team that had not won in their last three games. However, during the first period of the game, the Titans had to deal with a strong, organized and determined opponent. Goaltender Ethan Kowatsch was in-form as he made some key saves. Also, bluelinesmen Petrovski had a commanding presence. The 15^th years old defender broke up most of the opponents’ attacks and controlled the puck really well.
Also, Maguire came close to score but his close-range shot was saved. Lazaris, Terrance and Brooks also played well but were unable to break the deadlock.

In the 2^nd period of the game, the Titans took control of the game and quickly scored two effective goals through Cain Tucker and Yianni Koukoves. And those two goals gave them the upper hand and control of the game. Additionally, goaltender Ethan Kowatsch made some vital saves to maintain the 2-0 lead for the Toronto side.

In the final period of the game, the Titans were bombarded with shots from the Kings offensive players. But, the Toronto side also had a significant number of chances to seal the win. However, they decided to defend deep and the commanding presence of Petrovski made the Titans solid. That was the key element for the Toronto based team as their opponents had one extra attacker as they played without a goaltender. But that also created a cherry picker position for the Titans and Maguire placed the puck in the empty net to seal a 3-1 win for the Titans in this game.

On the offensive side of the game, the Titans score an average of 3.7 goals per game.
On the defensive side of the game, the Titans concede an average of 1.3 goals per game. The Titans have the best defensive record in the GTHL AAA Bantam so far this season. 

Final Thought
On a final note, it is important to emphasize that the fatigue played a key role in this game. After all, this was the 2^nd game in two days for the Kings. And that was there to be seen in the game. On the other side, the Titans played well and had some luck on their side. But they managed to prevail in the last minutes and that is what big teams do.