Vipers withstand Hurricanes
LaSalle Vipers goalie Conner MacKinnon (centre) is congratulated by teammates Blake Jones (left) and Rio Anzolin (right) after a 6-2 win over the Guelph Hurricanes Nov. 7 at the Vollmer Centre. MacKinnon stopped seven of nine shots in the victory. (Photo by/Rob Benneian)
by Rob Benneian
The LaSalle Vipers tallied three times in a span of 1:43 to pull away from the Guelph Hurricanes for a 6-2 win Nov. 7 at the Vollmer Centre.
Guelph was able to take an early lead by spending much of the game’s opening minutes in the Vipers end. The Hurricanes scored 1:49 into the contest when twenty-year-old forward Brock Malatches banked the puck in from behind the goal line.
LaSalle was able to weather the early Guelph storm and surrendered just the one goal before rebounding to outshoot the Hurricanes 14-3 in the first period. However, they were not able to beat Guelph netminder Quinton Henry until captain Eric Noel scored his ninth of the season just over five minutes into the second period. He was quickly followed by rookie Korey Morgan and defenceman-turned-forward Evan Makaric.
“We really just stuck to our game plan,” said Vipers leading scorer Dylan Denomme. “Crash and bang, get the puck below the red line, work it from behind the net, use the points a lot and it paid off for us.”
A week prior, the Vipers scored twice in a span of 41 seconds to dispatch the visiting Strathroy Rockets. The team was sparked by a big hit from forward Dylan Seguin that bloodied a Strathroy skater.
“We’re a team that feeds off energy,” said head coach Ryan Donally.
The Hurricanes have struggled to keep the puck out of their net all season. They have allowed the second-most goals in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League this season with 95. The only team to allow more is the Buffalo Jr. Blades, who surrender nearly 10 goals against per game. The Hurricanes 2-17-0 record is also second-worst to 1-22-1 Buffalo.
Morgan, who was born in Riverside and is a graduate of the Windsor Minor AAA hockey program, scored the game’s final goal with just under two minutes to play. He intercepted a clearing pass, dipsy-doodled his way around a Guelph defender and roofed the puck over Henry. Morgan is producing at better than a point-per-game clip in his first season in the GOJHL.
“I’m just going to the net. I just have to thank my teammates. I don’t think I’d scored a goal yet from more than two feet away,” said Morgan.
The Vipers will travel to Waterloo for a Remembrance Day date with the Siskins.
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