Third period eruption leads to Kochevar’s win

Battle of the undefeateds, sorta

[  by Than Acuff  ]

For those of you keeping score, undefeateds is not technically a word. That said, I feel if there is a collection of letters that convey a message when put together, that is a word. My Wikipedia digression told me that, “A word is a basic element of language that carries an objective or practical meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible.”

Sort of like, dranktankerous, adj. a person who has passed the point of happy drunk and becomes an aggressive drunk, often the result of mixing energy drinks and/or cough syrup and alcohol or staying at any one of the local bars too late and watching your ex walk out the door with someone else, oftentimes your friend.

The town league hockey game Monday night was to be the premier showdown of the regular season as Kochevar’s and Lacy’s Construction came in with records of 7-0 and the matchup could set the stage for potential future fireworks in the post season.

Or it could deteriorate into a shouting match as tempers flared due to calls made by officials and, more than likely, a bad day at work or home that carried onto the ice. Or result in dranktankerous behavior.

Neither ended up happening though.

Instead, we had an awesome game for two periods and then, we had a blowout. Which could still set the stage for fireworks sooner rather than later as the two teams will meet again on Monday, February 20.

Not to come across as lecturous but, by fireworks I mean great hockey and not yelling at the officials or heated exchanges with opponents. 

You could tell this game was a bit different than most for a couple of reasons. First, there was a pretty sizeable crowd. Second, there was a weird silence on the ice and in the arena just before the opening face-off.

Lacy’s had the first chance to open the scoring as back-to-back Kochevar’s penalties led to a 5v3 situation for Lacy’s four minutes into the game. After some erratic play by Lacy’s, including a diving shot block by defenseman Montana Wiggins to make up for a horrible turnover, Lacy’s finally settled down to take advantage of the situation as Sam Kay skated behind the Kochevar’s net and set up Austin Noel for the first goal of the game.

The celebration was short-lived though as 30 seconds later Ryan Fitzsimmons skated coast-to-coast for Kochevar’s to score, tying the game 1-1.

Lacy’s soon found themselves in another advantageous 5v3 situation but heavy forechecking by Kochevar’s, shot blocking by Jake Sunter and the work of Jack Morgan at the blue line in Lacy’s zone handcuffed the efforts of Lacy’s. Mitchell Bever soon tried to settle things down for Lacy’s hoping to instill some puck possession while Wiggins made yet another shot-stopping dive and the two teams finished the first period tied up 1-1.

Kochevar’s opened the second period on the powerplay but early efforts to score were thwarted by goalie Lucan McMullan. They eventually scored as Isaac Long set up Sam Reaman for his first goal of the night. But once Lacy’s returned to full strength they went back on attack. Robbie Vandervoort’s work spinning in neutral ice flummoxed Kochevar’s enough to allow Lacy’s to set up on offense and when Wiggins slid the puck across the point to Nathan Lacy, Lacy blasted a slapshot through traffic and past goalie Eric DiMarco to tie the game back up.

Kochevar’s retook the lead four minutes later as Reaman scored off an assist from Sunter, but Lacy’s came right back as a poke check by Wiggins sent Kay loose up the ice with the puck and Kay scored to tie the game once again.

Once again, though, Kochevar’s responded immediately winning the ensuing face-off opening the door for Reaman to score for his third and final goal for a 4-3 Kochevar’s lead with one period left to play.

Here we had ourselves a game and when the teams took the ice for the third period, it was anyone’s game, until it wasn’t as Kochevar’s turned scorching hot in the third period to rattle off seven unanswered goals despite the continued diving shot-blocking work of Wiggins. The list, in order, goes like this. Andrew Billmeyer started off the onslaught scoring in the opening minute off an assist from Sam Evans. Robbie Holleran then scored on a wraparound two minutes later. Fitzsimmons netted his second goal of the game for a 7-3 Kochevar’s lead and 40 seconds later Sunter roofed his slapshot from the point. CJ J. Edgar Hoover then scored, Holleran recorded his second goal of the night and Sunter closed out the seven-goal barrage for the 11-3 win.