This past weekend the Spitfires found themselves locked up in a couple Divisional battles with both the Sun County Panthers and the first place Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs.
Essex arena was the venue for the Friday night contest with The Sun County Panthers. This one would prove to be a tight checking affair right from the get go however it was the Spits who carried the majority of the play. From the opening faceoff the Spits offensive attack was on display as the boys used a strong forecheck and constant puck pressure to create turnovers and great scoring chances. But a hot SC goaltender kept the score knotted at 0-0 for the bulk of the game. It took until the final 8 seconds of the game for the Spits to take advantage of a late turnover and score the game winning goal! Some real tight defensive play, some stellar goaltending and an efficient offensive attack were the keys to the win in this one as the Spits put nearly 30 shots at the SC net. Great complete team effort fellas and a special nod to Phil DiMambro in net who picked his 2nd consecutive shutout.
On to Saturday and the Spits headed down the road to face the Division-leading Chiefs of Elgin. This game started off with some real jump in the legs from the Spitfires. Again a consistent forecheck caused huge headaches for the Chiefs and it wasn’t long before the Spits were rewarded for their efforts. And what a huge goal it was as Denzel Aguilar was able to pop his first AAA goal on a big bomb from the point!! Denzel has been working hard in practice and it was nice to see his efforts pay off! Score at the end of the first 1-0 Spits. From there the game took a bit of a turn as the Chiefs rattled off 3 straight goals and took control of the game. The Spits were able to counter with one of their own in the 3rd as Nate Dowling finished off a nice pass form the corner however it wouldn’t be enough as the Spits fell 3-2 in a hard fought battle. Trevor Heslop provided some great goaltending throughout the game and was solid in the net. The Spits will look to get back into the win column as they take on Cambridge at home on Saturday.
Great job boys!!
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MIDDLESEX ESSEX