Photo by: Markus Spiske
On Wednesday Oct. 19, the Brock men’s hockey team played in their third game of the season against the Western Mustangs.
The Badgers had won their first two regular season games on the back of goaltender Mario Peccia. Peccia had shutouts in both of the first two regular season games, making 22 saves in the season opener against Waterloo and 21 saves against Western this past weekend. Peccia would look to continue his outstanding performance against Western in Thompson Arena, London, ON.
The Badgers set the tone early, having many of the chances in the first few minutes of the game. They controlled the play in the offensive zone and did not allow many high danger chances against Peccia. That was until a missed pass in the offensive zone that led to Western player Andrew Bruder being tripped up on a partial breakaway by Badgers Zach Taylor. Taylor would go to the box (two minutes for tripping) and Western would go on their first powerplay of the game.
Western had no trouble setting up the powerplay in the offensive zone. It was a slap pass from Shane Bulitka to Jason Tucker that would put the Mustangs up 1-0, ending Mario Peccia’s shutout streak at 128 minutes and 52 seconds.
The game restarts with just under 10 minutes gone in the first period and the Badgers are hungry to tie up the game. A couple of chances from the low slot but Western goaltender Dylan Myskiw makes two incredible saves, before the quick whistle from the referee.
Western would press back and in doing so Brock’s Jonathan Schaeffer takes a interference penalty with 3:31 left in the first period. They would kill off the penalty with ease, not allowing a shot on goal, making their penalty kill one for two. The Badgers would have one more chance off the rush to end the period, but no luck in finding the back of the net through 20 minutes.
Captain Jared Marino and his teammates would end the first period down 1-0 and be outshot 19-13.
Centre Tyler Burnie would get the first shot on goal just over two minutes into the second period. Both teams could not get much going offensively in a tight checking game thus far.
That was until Cole Thiessen, Badgers defenceman, wired a shot forcing goaltender Dylan Myskiw to make a sliding blocker save. Following the Myskiw save, Brock forward Adam Berg rifled a shot off the crossbar up and out of play.
The Badgers were shifting momentum their way and it led to Western player Jack Sander taking a hooking penalty, putting the Badgers on the powerplay for the first time in the game; a great opportunity for the Badgers to tie.
Jared Marino along with the rest of the first powerplay unit would come out in hopes of tying the game up. Marino from the right boards would have a couple shots on goal, all steered away by Myskiw. With the power play coming to an end, the Badgers got a two on one rush. Bernie would slide it across the crease to Pucci who got the shot away but was robbed once again by Goaltender Dylan Myskiw.
Badgers continued to control the second period, cycling in the Mustangs zone but they could not find the back of the net.
The second half of the second would be riddled with penalties as offsetting minors were given to Mustang’s Jake Gravelle (Interference) and Brock’s Adam Berg (Unsportsmanlike conduct) at 10:30. Followed by a pair of Mustang penalties at 13:47 by Eric Van Impe (cross checking) and Riley Macrae (delay of game) giving the Badgers an opportunity to tie on the five on three powerplay.
Defenseman Cole Thiessen would set up the power play from the point, passing the puck to Roach on the half wall who would feed Marino off to the side of the net for the goal. Tie game, 1-1 at 14:49 (Marino goal, assisted by Roach and Thiessen).
Brock would be unable to convert on the remaining five on four powerplay as Western took control of the game for the remainder of the period.
1-1 after 40 minutes and as the Badgers looked to stay undefeated heading into the 3rd period. Shots were 12-10 for the Badgers in the second and 34-30 through two in favor of Brock.
Once again, Brock would get off to a hot start in the 3rd period making Western player Kyle Pettit take a penalty (two minutes for boarding at 2:08). However the Badgers power play would not score this time.
Back and forth hockey would ensue over the first half of the 3rd period with both teams trading chances. Brock Forward Max-Antionne Melancon had the best chance in those 10 minutes whacking away at the puck three different times in the low slot as Western goalie Myskiw continued to stand on his head throughout the third.
However it would be the Mustangs who regained momentum after Badgers Jonathan Schaefer and Jack Cella took back to back minor penalties allowing the Mustangs to have a five on three advantage. Western would score to make it 2-1 on a goal by Jack York assisted by Jack Sander and Brett Jacklin.
Brock killed off the remaining five on four penalties and now had seven minutes to tie the game. Brock battled in the Western zone for much of the next five minutes as Myskiw and his teammates hoped to hang on to the 2-1 lead.
But in a game where the refs could not keep the whistles away, the Badgers were given one last chance to tie the game as Western player Jake Gravelle got called for holding with 4:31 left in the third.
This time it would be the second power play line that tied the game for Brock. Frank Pucci goal, from Cole Tymkin and Tyler Burnie with just under two minutes left in the game.
Western pressed in the last minute of the game, but 60 minutes would not be enough. The game would head to overtime, the first of the season for both teams.
Although it would not take long for the game to be decided. After a high flying two minutes Badgers Jacob Roach would come wheeling down the left wing and shoot beat Myskiw far side for the OT winner.
Brock improves to 3-0 on the season while Western loses for the second time in overtime this season.
The Badgers next game is Thursday, Oct. 27 in Waterloo against Wilfrid Laurier University. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. and will be streamed at https://oua.yaretv.com/.