The Mount Forest Novice Rams put the leash on the Blyth Bulldogs when they visited the Mount Forest Sports Complex. The Rams pounded the visitors' net within the first 30 seconds as Riley Moore shot the rubber who passed up to Corbin Peter who then in turn set up Jacob Reeves for the first marker of the game.
Blyth attempted a retaliation but were frustrated by solid work from Dalton Harrison between the pipes. Less than two minutes later Reeves returned to the Bulldogs crease and scored his second point off of Sam Bye. The Rams were charged as Ryan Pacheco rushed in for a solid attempt, followed by Luke Cowan.
The hosts were just as determined in the second period as Nole Black grabbed the puck off the faceoff of and carried it end to end to cash it for a 3-0 count. To secure the lead, Alex Iles used his body to block shots on defense, followed by a flurry of activity from Corey Lewis, Black and Pacheco. The team overall was solid with passing and play making, making for a thrilling match.
Elijah Menzies was solid on defense as he held the blue line to feed the rubber up to the forwards. This paid off moments later as Black used his backhand to pop in a rebound off Lewis. In spite of solid work at the Mount Forest end, Harrison was bested twice to end the match 4-2 for the Rams.
MF at WINGHAM
The Rams then pound through the Wingham Ironmen as they continued on a winning streak.
The Ironmen drew first blood with a goal three minutes into the first frame. The Rams needed some time to settle in to a routine, but finally Corey Lewis counted with a wrist shot high on the catcher side. The Ironmen regrouped and charged on Harrison, who stood up well to the attack. Reeves was key in back checking, while Pacheco continued to impress by digging hard on the boards. Lewis advanced the score with a chip all alone in front of the crease. Black was credited with assist. Lewis then earned his hat trick, making good on a breakaway for a 3-1 count. Peter looked to add to the count, but was frustrated at the Ironmen end.
Position play was key in the second stanza. Menzies was solid on D and held up during the Wingham attacks. Peter excuted a sharp pass to Cowan who gave the rubber a wrist shot in the top corner. Lewis then advanced the cause by digging around the pipes for a 5-1 count.
Black got in on the action as Lewis handed off the rubber, allowing him to go end to end and deke the goalie for a 6-1 count. Wingham didn't want to surrender and gave the Rams defense a number of challenges. Iles used his body to block shots on net, while Harrison was there for his team to insure the large margin. Reeves took advantage of a sharp angle to beat the Ironman cager allowing a 7-1 final.
MF vs ALMA LOGAN
It was a quick wake up call as the Alma Logan Wildcats drew first blood off the first faceoff with only 10 seconds off the clock. The Rams regrouped as Moore chipped the puck off Wildcat sticks. and Black worked magic carrying the puck. Iles wrestled the puck off a Wildcat winger, as Black, Lewis and Cowan dug deep at the visitor end. Reeves then went solo to end the period 1-1.
Harrison maintained the tie with two excellent saves early in the second period. The Wildcats swarmed the Mount Forest crease but with work from Moore, Harrison and Bye, they were dened. Pacheco cashed a rebound from Lewis and Black to advance the cause. A flukey shot at the Rams end tied things up at 2. Bye was put to work repeatedly in the final moments of the frame and helped to hold the tie.
In the third, Lewis took a couple of backhand attempts before prefecting the technique off a pass from Black. Moments later, the Wildcats tied it up again as the rubber slipped between Harrison's toe and the pipe. The Rams cager then regrouped and made a solid stick save. Black, Lewis and Peter attacked the visitor end. The Rams defense was highlighted by Iles who acted as backup goalie for Harrison to cut the angle on the crease. Lewis and Peter used the boards to their advantage and best the Wildcat forwards. The fans were on their feet as Lewis took a pass from Black to move the score to the 4-3 final.
MF vs WINGHAM
The Rams ended the year on a winning note as they hosted the Wingham Ironmen.
Ryan Pacheco started the scoring withing the first minute of play, with assists going to Black and Bye. Cowan had a thrilling close call, but was denied. Harrison put his stick to good use between the pipes and the defensive team of Bye and Moore had a workout of their own midway through the frame. It seemed as though the Rams could advance the cause, as Lewis and Black were diligent at the Ironmen end, but the time ran out before they could be effective.
Early in the second Reeves scored off a long sweeping shot as Cowan and Peter were credited with assists. Peter was a force to be reckoned with as he forced the play in the Ironmen end and then scored just inside the pipe with thanks to Reeves and Cowan. Pacheco and Lewis had a near miss that had fans screaming. The Ironmen finally got on the board with a fast sweeping shot. On defense, Iles hustled back to the Rams zone to back check and Cowan had a thrilling breakaway opportunity. Reeves then went end to end and scored with a pretty backhand for a 4-1 count. Harrison stood up well to some serious action, preserving the solid lead. Moore helped his cager by clearing any rubber that cross the blue line.
Black cashed a Lewis rebound which trickled over the goal line. Next, it was Iles' turn as cruised end to end to bulge the twines. The Ironmen regrouped and chipped a high corner shot for a 6-2 count. Reeves then earned his hat trick thanks to a Peter pass followed by an Iles repeat of the solo goal for an 8-2 score. While Iles prefected his rushing defense Menzies was holding down the defensive fort. Harrison stopped several shots to keep his team motivated, but a tricky bounce off the pipes gave the visitors a point. The Ironmen forwards co-orinated a smart rush and out deked Harrison for the 8-4 final. The Rams paid no attention to the clock and kept digging til the end. Menzies was impressive with his board work, while Lewis, Black and Pacheco were digging and chipping right until the final buzzer.
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