PORT CREDIT -- It appears that most Tomahawk fans chose to wait for this game-of-the-week to air rather than attend. The Port Credit Memorial Arena hosted a modest crowd that witnessed a match reminiscent of last season's Burlington-at-Mississauga meeting with the home team building an early lead to have it gradually erode in a fast paced but often sloppy affair. Again the 'Hawks held on for victory and this time added a plethora of late insurance goals. If the TV viewers are not too discriminating they should enjoy the end-to-end action.
Ryan Young won the 'battle of the Ryans' making 50 saves and claiming Tomahawk Player of the Game honors. At the other end, Ryan Avery turned out a more than adequate performance - not at par with the heroics of his previous outings but nonetheless, he played well and could not be faulted for the far majority of Tommie goals. He was treated to a rough start as Matt Moulson converted a Justin Burton dish from the slot, beating Avery on the first possession of the game.
Steve Youngman added an undefended power-play marker when Chiefs Tim Cribb flung a premature shot at the net while his line-mates unwittingly attempted a change. Young boasts improved passing ability since last season and he easily gathered the shot and pegged Jeff Shattler up-floor for a cozy two-on-one.
The occasional defensive blunder continued to invite opportunities for Mississauga and the Tommies took advantage. Shortly after Eric Beatty's outside under-hander found the low corner, Riley Moher burst gloriously down the middle and picked the same corner. Four-nothing Missy.
Joel Leveille rescued a shred of Chiefs morale with a late period effort, snagging a crease-side loosie and reaching around Young for his first goal of the season. Duncan "Bonesavers" Ross attempted another later marker as he faced Young alone with five seconds on the game clock but he couldn't handle the pass.
The Tomahawks out-hustled the Chiefs in the second frame and added another four goals but the visitors would tally a slight edge in shots-on-net and trade off four goals of their own.
These were highlighted by a Justin Settle side-arm fake after Cribb performed a marvelous loose-ball snag-and-dish to spring Settle on the breakaway - and a stubborn one-handed effort from David Lomas as he battled through traffic.
Beatty, Youngman and Moulson each added their second tallies of the game and David Cosmo dumped mercilessly over Avery after absorbing consecutive offensive rebounds.
The third period became downright squirrelly as lacrosse textbooks went out the window. Again the home side connected on the first possession as Jason Huber breezed down the middle and beat Avery high. This paved the way for a combined 13-goal explosion.
Beatty would add his 3rd, 4th and 5th markers while Shattler bumped his assist tally from 3 up to 6.
Cribb contrived another breakaway, this for Merrick Thomson who beat Young four times on the night, three of them in very similar fashion.
Thomson teed up the brutish Ryan McNish for a boomer from the pivot spot to draw the Chiefs within two. But Beatty took it back right off the draw sailing care-free down the middle with little threat of opposition.
Trevor Wagar notched his second goal of the game, deftly converting his own rebound and Thomson delivered on the short-handed breakaway to put the Chiefs in their best position of the night - down one. But the comeback then collapsed on a hideous transition miscue granting Burton a hilarious open net exploit.
The Chiefs' composure mortally wounded, the home team orchestrated a "cross-crease slicer" clinic angling in three consecutive markers to put the match out of reach.
Chief notes:
It was great to see Adam Lustic make an appearance in the line-up. It was no reflection on him that the Chiefs exhibited their worst defensive effort of the season thus far.
Chris Kowalczyk played a terrific game, his best yet. Ditto to Trevor Wagar. Coincidentally they led the loose ball effort with eight each. Settle and Lomas played very well in the offensive end. A good effort from the under-rated Mike Dawson. Nathan Gilchrist was effective on the power-play but couldn't register a goal despite nine shots on net.
Rookie netminder Paul Dawson saw his first Junior A stint stopping three of four shots as he was thrown in for the game's final four minutes.
Needless to say the Chiefs are desperate for a win and should be hungry when they take on the Excelsiors this Sunday.
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