Photo by Jack Gower
The Komoka Kings headed into a two-game week this week, facing conference opponents once again, and worked hard to obtain a victory on Saturday night, leading to a split of the two games.
On Saturday, the Kings played host to the St. Thomas Stars for the first time this year, looking to get back into the win column. Komoka opened the scoring at the 11:16 mark, when Ryan Daze netted a power play goal from Alex Akena and Riley Alexander. In the second, the teams combined for five goals, as Trent Clinton tied things up at 2:57, then Kade McGeen gave Komoka the lead back (assisted by Justin Skirten and Jagan Chanderdat) at 8:08. Thirteen seconds later, Quinn Gavin-White tied things back up at 2-2, and then at the 11:25 mark, Colsen Joyce gave the Stars their first lead. Just a minute after that though, Kade McGeen would bury his second of the game, from Ryan Daze and Riley Alexander, making it 3-3 after two.
In the third, the Stars regained the lead, thirty seconds in, when Lincoln Moore found the back of the net. Midway through the period, Kade McGeen scored his third goal of the night, getting a hat trick, from Nate Adams to tie things back up at 4-4. Then, with less than thirty seconds left in the third, Ryan Daze was left wide open and wristed home the game winner, from Kade McGeen and Riley Alexander, propelling the Kings to a victory. Ryan Burroughs made 32 out of 36 saves in the winning effort, the Kings outshot the Stars 43-36. McGeen and his hat trick performance, where he also added an assist, netted him Nothers Player of the Game honours.
The Kings other game this week was on Wednesday night, when the Kings travelled to LaSalle to take on the Vipers for their first meeting this season. Seth Huygen got the scoring started just 53 seconds in, on a goal from Gavin McGahey-Smith, making it one nothing Kings. Six minutes later, Adriano Tonin scored for LaSalle, tying things up after one. The second was all Vipers. Noah Caswell scored his first of the year at 9:48, then Jak Thiessen added a goal eight minutes later, and Matteo Vilardi scored less than a minute after that. Tonin added his second of the game in the third, before Ryan Daze scored from Nathan Gaitens and Nate Adams to make it 5-2. Julien Gignac and Jak Thiessen then scored power play goals for LaSalle, and Everett Force would add a late marker for the Kings, from Kade McGeen. Owen Edwards made 33 saves in the defeat.
The Kings are back in action this weekend, as they travel to Stratford on Friday night to face off with the Warriors for the second-last time this season, then they play host to the KW Siskins on Saturday at home, with puck dropping at 7:15pm at the Komoka Wellness Centre.
Top Statistical Performers from the Week:
Kade McGeen: 2 GP, 3-2-5
Ryan Daze: 2 GP, 3-1-4
Riley Alexander: 2 GP, 0-3-3
Nate Adams: 2 GP, 0-2-2
