Wild Persevere, Beat Storm
- by Alex Dodds
- Feb 20, 2016
- 3 min read
The Hanover Wild (21-7-0, 15-1-0 NHAHA) took down the Upper Valley Storm (10-3-1 NHAHA) 4-3 in a great game to end regular season play.
It was a playoff type atmosphere in Campion Rink when the Wild took the ice to take on the cross-town rival Storm. With the Wild clinching 1st place in NHAHA Tier IV the game before and the Storm clinching 2nd place, many onlookers may have said this game was of no importance. How wrong they were.
The Wild struggled to compete with a deep Storm team in two prior matchups, getting handed a crushing 8-3 defeat early in the season before falling 4-1 in a heart breaker later on. While playoff seeding would not be altered, this game felt to both teams like a must win. As with any rivalry, no matter what the standings say or the so-called "importance" of the game, there is a special meaning to the game and you never want to come up short.
After a great 1st period of hockey the score remained 0-0. Jackson Kapuscinski was only tested twice in the period, but made an unbelievable left pad save on a breakaway that swung the momentum to the Wild who earned seven shots in the period.
Gregor Vogel opened up the scoring early in the 2nd period to give the Wild a 1-0 lead. Vogel wasn't done yet, capitalizing on the powerplay after Nate St. Pierre won a faceoff back to Carter Auch who made a gorgeous pass from behind the net to a streaking Vogel at the center red line before finishing off the play to put the Wild up by 2.
As the Storm players, coaches, and parents started to unravel, the Wild let off the gas and let the Storm right back into the game, giving up two goals before the end of the period to send the game into the 3rd tied up at 2.
St. Pierre gave the Wild a 3-2 lead in the middle of the 3rd period on a shot that deflected into the back of the Storm net. Just a minute and a half later the Storm answered back, tying the game up with just over five minutes to play. With the game tied and momentum on the Storm side, it looked like the Storm would outplay the Wild in the 3rd period for a third straight game.
That all changed when a bad turnover led to a 2-on-1, but a fantastic defensive play by Teddy Lyons broke up the play. Just seconds later the Wild turned the puck over once again in their own zone and gave the Storm a 2-on-0 from the top of the circles. The play seemed to move in slow motion, flashbacks of past games against the Storm started to creep into view, the whole rink was silent.
As the coaches looked on waiting for the Storm fans to erupt in celebration on what was sure to be a goal, Kapuscinski out waited the shooter, forcing him to hold onto the puck for one second too long, allowing Lyons to make a play that saved the game for the Wild. When the rest of the team gave up on the play, waiting as the coaches were for the inevitable goal, Lyons busted back to the net, never giving up on the play, and lifted the stick of the Storm attacker to clear the puck away.
The momentum swung back in favor of the Wild and St. Pierre capitalized on a wrist shot from the blueline that found its way to the back of the net to put the Wild on top 4-3 with just under three minutes remaining. While the Storm fought hard to the buzzer, the Wild battled their way to a victory.
"That's a huge win for our team." Dodds said after the game. "That's the way you want to head into playoffs. That's a very talented, hard working, and deep team on the other bench. If all goes as we hope, this won't be the last time we play this team."
The Wild now have three weeks until they compete for a NHAHA Tier IV championship.
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