Game Recap

Ice Prowlers home versus the Olentangy Braves
@ the Chiller at Easton
Sunday, December 18th, 2005

PROWLERS GIVE THE BRAVES AN EARLY HOLIDAY GIFT

On the last night before the Prowlers holiday break, it was the Olentangy Braves who received the gifts. In the form of odd bounces, the Braves took advantage of their opportunities and bested the Prowlers in their second meeting of the season evening up the season series at one game a piece. It was Olentangy goaltender Sean Wallace who played the part of the Grinch in this story, stealing this game away stopping 26 of 27 shots.

The Braves got on the board first just three minutes in when Kyle Lagendyk threw a long range shot at the Prowler net that junior goaltender Justin Lohrman tried to scoop up with his glove. Instead of coming up with the puck, he found it bouncing up and off of his glove and into the net. The Braves second goal with under a minute remaining in the period was also an odd bounce as Lohrman made the save with heavy traffic in front, but the puck bounced straight up into the air and came down behind the goaltender into the net. Brandon Urhammer was credited with the power play goal and put his team up 2-0. It was two tough goals that the team never recovered from. While the Braves took advantage of a few lucky bounces on offense, Wallace stymied the Prowlers at the other end, stopping all 11 shots in the first and 7 in the second while controlling all of the shots and not giving up any rebound opportunities.

The Braves added a goal by Andrew Tuller in the second period on another bouncing play to push their lead to 3-0. Freshman Nick Tagliaferro followed that up with a nice goal early in the third period to push the gap to four and it looked to be all but done for the Prowlers. The Braves seemed to beat the Prowlers to every loose puck in this contest, winning all of the little battles in this game. The Prowlers who came out with one of their best games of the season on Friday's 4-2 win over Newark (12/16/2005) were completely flat in this game. Junior defenseman Cody Berkebile was able to salvage at least a goal for his team with 1:10 remaining when he finally cracked Wallace to end the goaltenders shutout bid (assisted by junior Nick Hess).

The Prowlers held their annual holiday part after the game at the Shade on the Canal Restaurant in Canal Winchester. Both the varsity club and JV teams enjoyed good food from the Shade with the Prowler families, players and coaches getting together to celebrate the holidays.

The team now gets a few weeks off before getting back to action against the Braves again on the first Friday of the new year (01/06/2006) at 7:00PM at the Chiller North. They follow that up with their first home game of the season against the league leading and still undefeated Athens Bobcats on Sunday (1/08/2006) at 5:40PM on the ice at the Chiller at Easton.