GTHL Game Review: Mississauga Reps 3:0 Vaughan Kings – AAA Bantam 05’
The GTHL AAA Bantam was back in action as the Mississauga Reps clashed with the undefeated Vaughan Kings. The Reps headed into this game after an entertaining 3-3 draw in their last game against Toronto Young Nationals. And on the other side, the Kings draw with Toronto Marlboros with a score of 4-4.
Vaughan Kings Review
The Kings headed into this game as one of the two teams that are still undefeated in the GTHL AAA Bantam this season. The Kings have been playing well with their record standing at 4 wins and 1 draw. But with games coming fast, the prospect of fatigue was always going to be a factor for every team in the league. The Kings were no different.
They started the game with a plan to score early.
However, that plan was countered by their opponents and the Vaughan based team had to defend during the early minutes of the 1st period. Denver Gayer had made some strong tackles and goaltender Mason Vaccari had two notable saves. After that early defending, the Kings started to come out more and more. Giacomo Martino came close to score but his shot was saved by goaltender Monaco. However, that good play did not last long and the Kings conceded a goal in the 7th minute of the 1st period after a swift counter-attack.
Nevertheless, it looked like the team is unaffected by the conceded goal and continued with their game plan. Goaltender Mason Vaccari also stopped a few shots to keep the Kings in the game. Yet, the talented athlete was not able to prevent the Reps from scoring another goal from a counter-attack in the 13th minute. The Kings had 5 shots on goal but trailed 2-0 behind the Reps at the end of the first period.
The 2nd period started with the Kings trying to impose control of the game. But, their opponents stepped up to the challenge and goaltender Mason Vaccari had to make some notable saves from long range but the puck remained contested. The Kings started to play with high tempo with pressing forward and threatening the opposing goal. Andrew Lanni and Marco Colella stabilized the defensive side of the game and started to mount dangerous attacks. They had better control of the biscuit at this point and they came close to scoring on a few occasions.
The final period of the game saw the Kings starting with the same attitude and commitment as the 2nd period. Forward Nathan Fehr was in a good position to score. But the Kings did not stop here as Denver Gayer and Andrew Lanni pressing forward. Suddenly, the Kings started to play with high intensity. But the Reps were determined to hold on the lead and defended well. Therefore, the Vaughan side took more risks bombing forward and that backfired as the Reps scored their 3rd goal in the 8 minutes and sealed the win.
On the offensive side of the game, the team has an average of 2.8 goals per game.
On the defensive side of the game, their record is 1.66 goals per game. The Kings are a good team, but they were not at their best today. They have played 3 games in 5 days and fatigue might play a role in this game. Nevertheless, the Kings suffered only the 1st defeat of the season and their performances so far looked very promising. They ended the game with 17 shots on goal.
Mississauga Reps Pro Hockey Club Review
The Reps headed into this game hoping to get back to winning ways after their disappointing draw in the game against the Young Nationals. They strongly started the game and were dominant in the early power plays. Daniyal Batrkhanov had a commanding presence in the early stages of the 1st period.
Also, flamboyant forward Stephen Campbell had some good movements and dangerous shots. And in one of those actions, the 15years old forward managed to light the lamp with an effective finish in the 7th minute. An emotional celebration followed as the Reps were determined to get something out of this game.
Goaltender Monaco also joined the show with some notable key saves that galvanized the morale of the Reps. The team capitalized on the stability at the back and scored another goal in the 13th minute through Mike Levin.
In the 2nd period of the game, the Reps were aiming to stabilize the game. They controlled the biscuit at periods and looked solid defensively. Oliver Savard was a notable blueliner supported by Monaco’s solid goaltending display. Stephen Campbell also played well and the Reps looked like they could score the 3rd goal. But that did not happen at this point due to the high tempo imposed by their opponents. Tucker Mcconnell-Fritz gap control was second to none and that optimized the Reps to take control of the game. Mike Levin also had some notable forward weaves and came close to scoring on a couple of occasions. Nevertheless, they were not able to score the 3rd goal and had to satisfy with maintaining their 2-0 lead.
The final period of the game, the Reps started strongly too. Stephen Campbell played well and his forward waives were top class. Olivier Savard and Daniyal Batrkhanov played an integral part and their defensive switches confused the Kings offensive players on several occasions. Also, their hard work resulted with Ivan Fabyan scoring in the 8th minute of the final period to seal the win the Reps.
On the offensive side of the game, the Reps score an average of 3.33 goals per game.
On the defensive side of the ice, they concede an average of 1.5 goals per game.
The Reps ended the game with 15 shots on goal.
Final Thought
All in all, the Reps deserved to win this game with their strong defensive display and clinical finishing upfront. On the other side, the Kings showed glimpses of their quality at certain periods of the game. But that was not enough for them to get something out of this game.
