Its play off time in the Centre 4 League and the Tisdale Rambler Bantam "AA" team are locked in a dual with Humboldt Broncos. Their first game in a best of two total point series began last night as the fans and supports of both teams were treated to some outstanding hockey.
Tisdale, this year is seeing consistent play from team to team. There is a distinct style of play that is typical of the community that features good skating and a reliance upon passing and polished plays. This produces
excellent
hockey to watch andno doubt those playing the game are experiencing considerable satisfaction in being able to consistently product game play that is foremost in any league or competition in which they play.
The Bantam "AA" team has that style and though they were shaky in the very first four minutes of the first period, they soon got into their standard routine and put together a well played game.
The Humboldt Broncos rely
upon
getting fast moving plays organised and breaking. Throughout last night's game we
saw them, time after time, come out of their end with some excellent attacking plays.
Tisdale's defenseman were often caught with one man back and in most case that was
all that was needed but five times during the game they came up short. Defensemen
Andrew Tarala was picked as the FTLComm 2nd star of the game for his
work in these situationsFrom the middle of the first period to the middle of the third it was an even game Humboldt scored the first goal as you can see them on the right here as Joey Eaton scored from a point shot,(Eaton was picked as the FTLComm 3rd star) a couple of minutes later, below right Tisdale came back with a slick passing combination play to put their first goal on the score board and that is
the
way the game went on trading goals until the third with two a piece the Ramblers
were able to sneak in a third and enjoyed for perhaps ten seconds a one goal lead.
But the Broncos were completely unrelenting and produced a tying goal then
shortly there after put in two more. The quick reply by the Broncos seemed
to shock the hard working and well disciplined Ramblers.Four the last five minutes of the game it was a disheartened Rambler team that could not rally their spirits and get themselves back into the game.
But for the later part of the first, all of the second and the beginning of the third it was a well played and extremely evenly matched competition.
In this picture you can see a typical Rambler scoring attempt and an equally typical defense by Humbodlt. The Broncos relied upon breaking plays while the Ramblers controlled the puck and play for two thirds of the game but Humboldt had a second effective weapon and that involved shooting.
They consistently put the puck on the Rambler net and from further distances. It was not uncommon for Bronco forwards to drill the puck at the net from the Red line and it is to the credit of Rambler goalie Mark Kehrig that the score was as close as it was. (The FTLComm Number one game star was Humboldt captain Jason Doering) There were only a handful of penalties in the game and only one injury.
Late in the second period a Bronco took a nasty cross check that put him out of action and in the composite picture below we see the Humboldt trainer working on the downed player then with an assistant taking him off the ice with 1:01 left in the period.
