Listowel Novice LL Red snapped their losing streak with a
5-4 win over the Wallace Sabres on Monday.
Red got the early jump on the Sabres as Finn Molenhuis’ wrister found the back of the net just 30 seconds into the contest. The goal was setup by both his wingers, Nehemiah Dyck and Noah Hiemstra.
Wallace then tied the game but Listowel replied on the very next shift. It was Grayson Matheson that had the go-ahead tally, beating the Sabres’ netminder with a shot from the blue line.
The home team scored before the period wound down, sending the game to its first intermission tied at two’s.
Molehuis broke the deadlock about a minute into the second period as Hiemstra picked up his second assist of the game. After the back-and-forth match was knotted again late in the frame, Hiemstra put his team up a goal for the fourth time of the night, putting home a rebound from Dyck with seven minutes left in regulation.
The Sabres weren’t about to go away as they proved why they finished 1st in the league this year, coming back to tie the game again with four minutes to go.
But Red would not be denied. With three minutes to go, Ruby Hillier chipped a puck out to center Kole Schiestel, who moved the disc on to Spencer Henhoeffer, who then picked the bottom left corner of the net.
Schiestel’s two-way efforts throughout the night were enough to earn him Player of the Game honours.
Noah Szasz was tested plenty on the night and made several key saves. The birthday boy proved to be the biggest factor of the evening, as he snuffed out a bunch of Wallace breakaways, and then rewarded his teammates with cupcakes following the game!
The Bash Brothers pairing of Warner Hurst and Oliver Hershey, along with fellow blueliners, Brynn Berfelz and Matheson, put together perhaps their best effort of the season, holding the offensive blue line while keeping the speedier Sabres to the outside all game long.
Red will look to keep the momentum going as they return home for the back half of the two-game series on Saturday at noon.