Knights Unplug the Plugs While Phantom Fall Short in Debut
The first game of the evening saw the Knights (0-0-1) take on the first place Plugs (1-0) in Victoria Field Lacrosse League action.
Right out of gate, the Knights Adam Golia looked like a knight riding his courser as he drove to the net to bury the first three goals for the home team. Brodie Wade and Patrick McMillan answered for the visiting Plugs but the goal spread increased as Parker Johnson and Golia (again) scored for the home squad who took a 5-2 lead into the first intermission.
The Plugs Alex Pocetti got bombarded in the 2nd quarter but stood tall as he held the Knights (in white satin) to a single tally (Rhys MacDonald) while his teammates mounted a comeback with goals by Ryan Lewis and another by McMillan to head into halftime with the Knights up 6-4.
Ethan Garland buried the Plugs only 2 goals in the 3rd quarter but they weren't able to decrease the deficit as the Knights' Brenden Harstad and Kyle Drouin potted 1 each to keep the 2 goal lead (8-6) into the fourth quarter. Parker Johnson scored to increase the lead to 3 but then a shocking charge by the Plugs with goals by McMillan, Benard and Wade tied the score with 9 minutes left in the match. The cavaliers in white then controlled the next 5 minutes of the game and with goals by Sean Clark, Parker Johnson and Cole Christiaens with just minutes left, put the game out of reach. The Knights would bury another with under a minute left to end the game Knights (13) and Plugs (10).
HeadCase Sportz Players of the Game:
Plugs: Patrick McMillan
Knights: Parker Johnson
In the second game of the evening; the Phantom were making their season debut against the struggling Goal Diggers (0-1-1). Both teams missing players due to holiday and special occasion activities, fearing the cold or jet-setting to sin city; those in attendance played hard in an entertaining last match of the night.
The Phantom jumped out to an early first quarter lead 30 seconds into the game but from then on, it was the goalies show. Neither team could mount an great attacks and when they did, the Goal Diggers Doug White and Phantom' Parker Teufel stole the show stopping shot after shot to keep the game a low-scoring affair. With 5 minutes and 2 minutes left in the quarter, the GD's Dane Sorensen and David Byrne dug a couple out of the vault but the Phantoms' answered back to end the quarter tied at two apiece.
Another netminders' quarter saw limited goals scored. The GD's got a marker by Sorensen 5 minutes into the 2nd quarter but the goalies stole the show again. Then with under 5 minutes left in the half, the Phantom tie the game at three's but before you knew it, with two goals by Ryan Fedrigo and Matt Benedict, the Diggers headed into half with a 5-3 lead.
Each team scored three goals in the third quarter; GD's goals by Fedrigo and two from Colten Merilainen and the Phantoms' by Karl Hare, Bob Gallagher and Connor Rant kept it a two goal game. The fourth saw the Diggers control possession a little more than the Phantom. The Phantom had goals by Connor Rant and Sean Clark to draw them close but it was goals by Chris Benedict, Johnny Harmsworth and two by everybody's favourite realtor (Dane Sorensen) that ended the Phantoms' hopes for a season debut "W". The Phantom showed well in their first game playing together as a unit.
HeadCase Sportz Players of the Game:
Phantom: Parker Teufel
Goal Diggers: Dane Sorensen