By Damon Proctor – October 5th, 2023
LaSalle, ON
Since the season’s beginning, it has been nothing but wins at the Vollmer Complex for the hometown boys. So far, LaSalle has scored at least five goals at home per game, and tonight would be no different. The had a very uneventful and dull start up until the 11:49 mark, where Jak Thiessen would score his GOJHL debut goal off a great shot from the top of the slot. The boys were pumped for this goal and the energy was amped up tenfold after that. LaSalle kept up the offensive zone pressure for the rest of the period, leading to another Jak Thiessen goal to go up 2-0. Despite this, the crowd hadn’t finished cheering before St.Thomas stormed back off the face off and scored their first of the game just twenty one seconds later. Despite the quickly conceded goal, the Vipers would get sent to the power play thanks to a Stars’ interference call. The PP unit would waste no time as Connor Tucker would bury LaSalle’s third goal to make it 3-1. Just when fans thought the momentum was back with the Vipers, Long and the Stars blitzed the LaSalle defense and scored just twelve seconds later. The ending of the first period was nothing but a rollercoaster of events for both teams. Ultimately, LaSalle would head into the break with a 3-2 lead, and lead the period in shots 20-7.
Period 2 would start off on a high note for the boys in white, as Connor Tucker would score another power play goal a minute and thirty seconds in. St.Thomas found themselves in the box again soon after, this time for too many players on the ice. The Vipers power play would succeed yet again, this time thanks to Adriano Tonin! LaSalle took a commanding 5-2 lead and once again seemed like they had taken all the momentum. After a spree of LaSalle penalties throughout the period, the Stars would slowly start to put the pressure on. Eventually, St.Thomas would respond with not one, but two Donovan Appleford goals. LaSalle’s lead was yet again cut down to one going into the break. Shots for the second period were still in favor of LaSalle, 31-16.
Not one person in the entire complex knew what was going to happen in the last twenty minutes of this game. The Vipers seemed to start off every period hot, however St.Thomas would always close out the period strong. The period would commence with two offsetting roughing penalties. Soon enough, it would be Adriano Tonin and the Vipers who would find the back of the net off of an interesting spin-o-rama move. With a 6-4 lead LaSalle continued to pressure St.Thomas shot after shot. Connor Chartrand would riffle home the 7th Vipers goal and extend the lead to three with just ten minutes to go. Shaun Horne would get a penalty for high sticking but ultimately it would not affect the Vipers, and eventually the boys would close out the game and take it home 7-4. Shots on goal for the game were 45-27 and LaSalle would grab their 3rd win in a row, and at home!
