The Oakville Blades traveled 15 minutes down the highway to Port Credit Arena to take on the Mississauga Chargers on Saturday night for their third meeting of the season. The Chargers won the first meeting between the two clubs back in September, but Oakville managed to snag the 2-1 victory thanks to former Chargers forward Ross Sloan, who potted a goal early in the third to seal the deal. The Blades, who were coming off a win the night before against Georgetown, came hungry on the night of the Winter Solstice, but a wacky back and forth contest resulted in a 6-5 loss for the visiting team.
After a thirty minute delay for the Zamboni breaking down, the Blades got on the board on just their second shot of the contest. In his second game since returning from injury, Mark Bzowey sniped one past the blocker of Oakville native Austin Washkurak. Three minutes later, Kris Bennett, who was coming off a three point performance last night against Georgetown, gave Oakville the 2-0 lead only five minutes in.
Just when it looked like Oakville was going to run away with the game, Mississauga answered back with three quick ones of their own. First, Ryan Hunter squeaked home his eleventh goal of the season from the side of the net to cut the lead in half, then Austin Galli got his first of the season from an identical angle just ten seconds later. Not too long afterwords, Stefano Alonzi gave Mississauga the 3-2 lead, meaning Oakville managed to blow a 2-0 lead in a matter of ten minutes. The red, white and blue didn't lose it thanks to a lack of trying; however, as Austin Washkurark played some of his best hockey after allowing the second goal. “Ozzy”, who is known for his great athleticism and ability to make fantastic desperation stops, had the save of the night in the dying seconds of the first period when he dived across to save Bennett's one timer with his stick, denying the forward of his second goal of the period.
There was no shortage of excitement for the fans who made it out to Port Credit Arena despite the poor weather. The first period featured five goals, tons of back and forth action, a very physical contest between the two rivals, as well as a total of eight minutes in penalties between the two clubs.
The second period wouldn't lack in excitement whatsoever. Right off the bat, David Dischiavi sent the puck right over the glove of Washkurak and into the twine, tying the game up at three apiece. Approximately thirty seconds later, Bennett, who has been absolutely amazing since the arrival of linemate Matt McLeod, recorded his fourth goal of the weekend and second of the contest, handing Oakville the 4-3 advantage with more than half the game to go. A few plays later, defenseman Austin Clapham honored one of the greatest defenseman to ever play the game, Bobby Orr, by making a fantastic diving play to break up a two on one in front of the net, keeping Oakville's 4-3 lead in tact. Unfortunately, Clapham, after getting back up on both feet, would be victim of a nasty hit from behind by Chargers forward Joseph Molinaro, and would leave the ice favoring his upper body. Luckily for the Blades, he would return after a few minutes on the sidelines.
Buitenhuis may have had a rocky ten minutes in the third, but that didn't stop him during the second. One save, in particular, meant more than most. After “Boots” was called for throwing a broken stick from inside his crease, the Chargers were awarded a penalty shot, but the Blades goaltender manged to get his glove in the way just in time. As were most Oakville fans, Buitenhuis was excited, letting out a wild yelp that was loud enough to be heard all the way back at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. The save put an extra oomph in his play that was missing after allowing three quick ones, making fantastic diving glove and pad saves on almost every shot.
Unfortunately, Buitenhuis was bound to break. With the second period winding down, Cory Hyashi sent a perfect cross crease pass to Jackson Howe who made no mistake it potting it home, tying the game up at four.
The third period didn't see the same early goal scoring like the previous forty minutes, but it surely didn't lack intensity. For Oakville, Bennett wasn't interested in another two goal performance, and had many chances to improve on his already strong night but couldn't get it done. Luckily, Sean Perichak was able to snap the tie, standing all alone in the crease before banging in the puck for the 5-4 goal.
McLeod almost got his first as a Blade on the very next shift when he skated the distance for a shot on net, but he was taken down by a defender and fell on top of Washkurak, causing a big scrum in front of the Mississauga net. As a result, five players between the two teams would have to sit in the box, but even while down an extra man, the Chargers managed to get a goal. Thanks to a great play that begin with a pass by the Mississauga goaltender, defenceman Tyler Cooper was given a great chance in the Oakville zone and ripped it past Buitenhuis to tie the game up at five.
If the game wasn't crazy enough, Mississauga managed to re-gain their lead shortly after their tying marker. After a great rush down the ice, took a wicked slap shot up close, sending the puck past the glove of Buitenhuis and into the net, disintegrating his stick in the process. Despite popular belief, the game would go another few minutes without a goal, but for the Blades, that meant that they would finish off the weekend with two less points then they were aiming for. The Chargers, on the other hand, recorded just their second home win of the season, both of which coincidentally came against Oakville.