The London Jr. Knights minor midget AAA team steamrolled through regular season have an overall record including playoffs of 43 wins, 4 loses and 5 ties, good for the top ranked team in Ontario.
After sweeping the Sun County Panthers in the first stage in 3 straight games by the scores of 7-1, 7-1 and 5-1, the Knights now move forward to play the Cambridge Hawks.
Jr. Knights looking on in the play
Heading into Game 3, the boys in gold won both games prior by the scores 3-0 and 7-1.
Liam van Loon opened up scoring in the first frame banging in a loose rebound. The Knights controlled majority of the first period despite running into penalty trouble.
Big defenceman Mason Howard playing down in-front of the net on the power play slaps in the puck to give the Knights a 2 goal lead going into the second period.
The second period, the Hawks stormed back into game by tying it with goals by John MacDonald and Steven Grant. The Knights loss a lot of their momentum in the second by taking penalties allowing the Hawks to get back in.
But, forward Aidan Prueter snipes his first goal of the night, in the slot that would end up being the turning point in the period.
A couple minutes later, while the Hawks were scrambling in their own zone where one player broke his stick and tosses the broken shaft towards the puck that would lead to this.
@2001LJKAAA Ryan Suzuki scores on the penalty shot #OHLCuppic.twitter.com/PBvI99Rro6
— XFM Sports (@SportsXFM) February 14, 2017
In the third period Aidan Prueter scored his second of the night on a planned play according to head coach Greg Benedetti “his second goal off the face off was actually a play we have been running in practice, it’s nice having those kids that can always put the puck in the net but when they execute plans like that it makes them better”.
Hawks winning a faceoff in their own zone in the 3rd period
Hawks would tally one back during a scramble in front of the net before the Knights land an empty netter to finish a 6-3 victory.
Coach Benedetti had this to say about his club afterwards “I’m not totally satisfied with what we accomplished tonight, it’s nice to get the 2 points but I think we let them hang around too long and it made the game closer than what it should have been”.
The Knights can potentially knock out the Hawks this Friday in Cambridge, Benedetti explains that elimination games are always the hardest, but his team is prepared for it “those games are always the hardest but these kids since they were 8 years old have won the state championship like every year and they know when to turn it on and I think we will have them ready to go Friday night”.
The puck drop on Friday is at 7 o’clock at Galt Arena Gardens.
