GTHL Game Review – Vaughan Kings 4:2 Don Mills Flyers – AAA Bantam 05’
The GTHL AAA Bantam was back in action as the Don Mills Flyers clashed with their rivals Vaughan Kings at the Westwood 1. The Flyers headed into this game after a disappointing 5-0 defeat at home in their last “G” game against the Mississauga Rebels. And on the other side, the Kings recorded a routine 2-0 win in the game against Toronto Young Nationals.
Vaughan Kings Review
The Kings headed into this game as favourites due to their good form so far this season. The Vaughan based team has been on a great run with 3 wins in the first 3 games of the new GTHL season. However, the Kings had a slow start in this game and that allowed the Flyers to dominate in the early stages of the first period.
The first three minutes saw the Kings defending and goaltender Cole Stevens making a couple of key saves. But has caused a response from the Kings as they started to mount counter-attacks through Stefan Forgione and Luciano Supino. Also, Jaden Sturge had some good control of the biscuit. Yet, the Kings were not able to cause much trouble for goaltender Jayden Tang as the 15years-old saved their two shots on goal in the first period. The Kings managed to prevail in the final moments as the Flyers had more than a dozen shots on goal in the last 4 minutes.
The 2nd period started with the Kings being under strong pressure. Moreover, their opponents had total control of the game as they kept their momentum from the 1st period. The Kings were defending with Cole Stevens making 2 notable saves. However, their opponents took advantage of the early pressure and scored from close range in the 1st minute of the 2nd period. The Kings were not able to consolidate and shortly after the first, they conceded another goal in the 3rd minute of the 2nd period. At this point, it seemed like they have a mountain to climb to get back into this game.
Nevertheless, the Kings finally decided to step up and started to dominate the game. They got good control of the biscuit and their transitional movements were quick and lethal. Additionally, their defence was improving. Jason Sturge was a dominant figure and had good possession of the puck. He was supported by Denver Gayer’s commanding style checking tackles. Suddenly, the Kings looked like the real deal and they got rewarded when Giacomo Martino scored from a close range in the 9th minute of the 2nd period.
That goal had a galvanizing effect on the Kings and two minutes later Ben McIsaac lights the lamp to make it 2-2. Andrew Lanni was another player that stepped and made a great assist as Luciano Supino scored a cheese goal from close range to make it 3-2 for a complete turnaround for the Kings.
The final period of the game saw the Kings controlling the game. Goaltender Cole Stevens had to make some saves to maintain their lead. Stefan Forgione dominated the centre of the ice and had a few Yard Sale tackles. Furthermore, their opponents were not able to keep up the pace and the Kings took advantage with a close-range goal from Luciano Supino. That sealed the 4th win in 4 games so far this season.
On the offensive side of the game, the team has an average of 2.5 goals per game. On the defensive side of the game, their record is 0.75 goals per game. This is a talented team, with a strong foundation at the blueline and clinical finishing upfront. Surely, they will play a vital role in the GTHL this season. They ended the game with 16 shots on goal.
Don Mills Flyers Review
The Flyers started the game strongly and quickly took control of the puck. Moreover, Don Mills had most of the power plays and their first chance came through the flamboyant forward Marko Saroglou in the 2nd minute of the game. Also, Ben Zaretsky was their key player at the start. The combative bluelinesman kronwalled one of the Kings forward and controlled the biscuit with relatively easily. Luca Marrelli was also a stable figure during the early stages of the 1st period. The Flyers dominated the middle of the ice. Moreover, they started to bombard goaltender Cole Stevens with 10 shots on target.
Dylan Edwards and Brandon Gill came close to score but their shots were saved. Yet, the most spectacular moment came when Damian Lewiecki had a golden opportunity to score from a close range. But the result of his effort was a breadbasket. All in all, the Flyers showed that they have quality and determination to bounce back after their hard defeat in the previous game.
In the 2nd period of the game, the Flyers kept their momentum. Their mounting pressure finally paid off as Kristian Lamanna scored a grinder forward style goal from close range in the 1st minute of the 2nd period. A great celly followed as it was the first goal for the Flyers in their last 60 minutes of play in the league. But Don Mills did not stop here. They doubled their lead with another goal in the 3rd minute of the 2nd period through the two-way forward Brandon Gill.
Nevertheless, the Flyers were able to maintain the high tempo that they imposed from the first minute of the game. Slowly, they start losing the battle in the middle of the ice. Also, goaltender Jayden Tang had to make more saves. Their opponents took advantage of that drop in pace and scored 3 goals and turned the tide of the game.
The final period did not bring much excitement for the Flyers, expect a few dangerous shots. They looked tired and their rivals scored the 4th goal to seal the win. It was a disappointing end of a game in which the Flyers had a great start. But their performance in the early part of the game looked promising. A sign that Don Mills can end their winless run this season.
On the offensive side of the game, the Flyers score an average of 1 goal per game.
On the defensive side of the ice, Don Mills allow an average of 4.4 goals per game.
The Flyers ended the game with 18 shots on goal. They are a good team going forward, but they need to work on their defence and consistency throughout the game.
Final Thought
All in all, it was a great game with 6 goals on the board and plenty of chances to score. Once again, Vaughan Kings showed that there are in top form. Their quality and determination were the key factors that enabled them to get back into this game. As for the Flyers, it is safe to say that they have good potential. They can surely score goals that can cause problems for any opponent in the GTHL.
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