The Southtowns Stars entered their final game of the season at 18-0. The only thing in the way of the perfect season was the Jamestown Lakers, whom they defeated 3-1 three weeks ago. The Stars, who were on home ice, had everything on their side. However, that is why they play the games. The Lakers, remembering with disdain a loss that has weighed on them for weeks, were out to exact revenge. The roadies did just that, battling to a scrappy 3-1 win to culminate their season at six wins and two losses.
The Lakers had this game circled on their calendar since the previous engagement with Southtowns. The Lakers felt that they played their worst game of the year against the Stars, who not only hadn’t lost a game this season, but also were a perfect 19-0 LAST season, making their win streak a gaudy 37-0.
The first period saw the chippy Stars visiting the sin bin six times. Despite the several man-advantages, the Lakers struggled to maintain a consistent offense. When things went sideways in their own zone, the Lakers goaltender, Brock Eppinger, stood tall.
Eppinger was aggressive all night. An example of this was when he attacked a loose puck in an attempt to stop a potential breakaway in the first period.
After a tight period where the offensive opportunities were few and far between (there were a total of only 11 shots, six by the Lakers), Mikael Anderson found a streaking Gavin Smith in the final minute. Smith turns the Star defenders’ hips outside and attacks the inside with a nice move. His partial breakaway was halted to keep the score at 0-0 after the first siren.
The Lakers, full of confidence after the first, knew that they were up to the challenge the Stars were offering. They discussed tightening gaps defensively and getting more pucks to the net. The Lakers know that the best defense is called “stick-on-puck,” meaning the defending player should be close enough to the puck carrier that their stick blade can reach the puck. This method takes away time and space from the opposition, forcing panic and mistakes. A perfect example is on this play, where Ben Scott forces the Stars forward out of his attacking lane and to the wall. This pressure results in another Stars playing entering the zone too early. It is these types of plays that don’t draw much attention on the scoresheet, but often mean the difference between wins and losses.
One thing we have seen over this most unusual of seasons is the Lakers learning how to pass with intention, especially on the breakout. This example from the second period sees four Jamestowners touching the puck in rapid succession, leading to what could easily have been a breakaway. This newfound realization that it pays to keep your head up will pay dividends in seasons to come.
With about ten minutes to play in the second period, the Lakers finally had a serious defensive breakdown. The attacking Stars found themselves with time to get comfortable and whip the biscuit around the Lakers zone. This created a great scoring chance, but again Eppinger was up to the task, diving across the crease for a big stop. Eppinger left at the eight minute mark, refusing to surrender any goals for the first time in his career.
Kameron Press was again steady defensive force in this game. This season Press has added an offensive aspect to his game. This was on display on a lovely strip and pass, sending Smith on another partial breakaway. Smith wasn’t able to solve the Stars keeper.
As the game moved past the halfway mark, neither team had been able to muster a goal. That would soon change, however, as Carson Winsor put on a show. Attacking the Stars end, he worked his way through three Southtowns defenders using Mohawk skating. After drawing two black jerseys to him, he found a wide open Mikael Anderson in the house, who had time to find a spot short side and fire home his 13th of the season, giving the Lakers a 1-0 lead. The Lakers bench erupted with joy, with teammates hugging both the goalscorer and the passer equally.
As mentioned, the Lakers backenders have been called upon to provide offense frequently. Jackson Kresge provides that offense from the back end with consistency. Soon after the Anderson goal, Kresge jumped a loose puck at the Stars line, drew a penalty for a check, shook off the hit on his way around the net, and found his partner, Press, at the point for the shot.
Soon after entering the game, Laker ‘tendie, Stathi Theofilactidis, was tested. The Lakers again gave the Stars room to get comfortable. This time, the point man is able to find a gap in the Lakers defensive zone coverage and rifle a shot from a dangerous area. However, Theofilactidis, who has an incredible 95.6% save percentage on the year, was up for the challenge.
With time ticking away in the second, the road warriors got one more big chance. A 50-50 puck rolled into the Stars zone with Anderson in hot pursuit, hoping for a breakaway. The Southtowns goaltender realized the danger and attacked from his own crease. The two had a head-on collision, evoking winces on both benches. As the play continued, Cooper Shelters found the loose puck in the mess and fired it into the empty net for a 2-0 Laker lead with just 7 seconds to play in the second period. Both Anderson and the Stars goaltender sprung to their feet, unhurt. In fact, both Anderson and Kresge checked on the goalie’s status, a nice touch of sportsmanship.
Entering the third, the Lakers wanted to continue to play smart hockey. With a two goal advantage, they realized the need to focus on the defensive end first. Meanwhile, the Stars had a heavy history on their shoulders. Down two, they needed to bring everything and the kitchen sink to get back in the game if they wanted to earn consecutive win #38.
Showing the kind of gritty play the Lakers needed if they expected to win, Payton Daniels battled for a loose puck against multiple Stars early in the third.
The Stars quickly got to work in the Lakers zone. At the 10:40 mark of the third, the hometown team finally got on the board. The Lakers forwards were caught out of position in the neutral zone, with all three battling for a loose puck. While the effort is appreciated, trying to do someone else’s job often leads to trouble, and this was no exception. As the puck squirts to center, the Jamestowners were caught behind the play, permitting an odd man rush. Camden Weiss would beat Theofilactidis on a rebound from point-blank range after an initial save on Nathan Wolf.
With the score now 2-1 and black jerseys swarming, Theofilactidis and Kresge were doing all they could to control the area in front of the Laker net. The Stars would send 14 shots on Theofilactidis in the third.
The Lakers would get a huge insurance policy off the stick of Kameron Press at 6:38 of the third. Kyler Wojotowicz won a faceoff back to Press, who launched a seeing-eye shot through a crowd. The pill caromed high off the goaltenders’ stick, over his shoulder, and into the net for the 3-1 Laker lead.
The Stars knew they were fighting an uphill battle. Throwing caution to the wind, they pinched aggressively in the Lakers zone and drove the net with abandon. In a last ditch effort to score, the Stars pulled their goaltender in favor of an extra attacker. However, the Lakers held off the assault, and earned a historic win in their final game of the year.
The Lakers end their COVID-shortened season with a 6-2 record. More importantly, they grew together as teammates both on and off the ice. When the world seemed to be spinning out-of-control, the ice was a safe place where these boys could gather, laugh, and forget about the pandemic for a while. While this was a season unlike any other, these Lakers continued to make us proud as both players and people.
Jamestown Lakers 07 Blog 