GAME 13 - FALCONS @ MILITIA




The Eastern Conference got a little heated when the Falcons swooped into town to face up to the Militia last week. Many a time have these two teams clashed against each other in the playoffs. Lets take a look at some highlights from the clash!





1. Highlight Reel

First period, 1:48

"Edvins Berzins dumps it into the Militia zone and it'll be picked up again by the Falcons. Berzins receives it on the point, he wires it across to Novastar. Novastar to Hippo in front of the net, Hippo scores! Detroit take the lead!"



Second period, 6:52

"The Falcons are ahead by a goal here, but Maverick Mitchell is going to be sent to the penalty box for two mintues for hooking. He's not happy whatsoever!"



"The Militia are on the powerplay! The puck's shot by Clayton Fuller, but Justin Novastar blocks it. It's picked up by Wells who shoots and scores! Tie game!"



Third period, 19:04

"The game is tied with less than a minute left to be played! Can either team get an advantage here? Nolan Angello of Montreal has the puck, skates with it into Detroit's zone. He's round one defender, dekes another, he's one on one with the goalie! WOW! Angello lifts the puck onto his backhand and calmly slots it past McSieve. What a goal with such little time left!"






2. You and me got a whole lotta history...

The Detroit Falcons and Montreal Militia are no strangers to each other. In fact it is probably one of the SMJHL's most heated rivalries, evidenced by their fiery playoff series last season. Both teams had a painless first round encounter, as the Militia defeated the Raiders in six games and the Falcons brushed past the Scarecrows in 5. Although Montreal were the kings of the regular season, most expected the playoffs to be a much more even affair. However this was not the case, and Montreal made their intent clear from the start. Taking Game 1 by a score of 5-1 set the tone for the rest of the series for the Militia, with goaltender Matt Lewis-Flood delivering a run of incredible performances to give the Militia a series sweep. Game 4 in Detroit is one that will linger in the memories of many fans, as after taking a early 2-0 lead in the first period, the Falcons goaltender Selena Bauer imploded and let in 4 goals in the second period. It would be her last game ever for the Falcons, and the boos of the crowd that night will be something I doubt will be forgotten. This game was the second meeting of the teams this season, and after Detroit managed to start on the road to recovery by winning that one, it will be important for the Militia to regain their dominance and win their second encounter.


3. I have to praise you like I should...
The Game's Unsung Heroes.

In a game that saw as many goals there are several names that jump off the page, but we're going to focus in on those who maybe didn't quite receive the attention they should have with everything else that went on. My two unsung heroes for this game are Maximus Sarone and Ilmari Maatta. Now you may find it a little strange that the players I'm choosing to write about here were among the few who didn't score any points, but hear me out. Sarone was an absolute ace on the draw tonight. Winning 21/37 faceoffs is a big boost to his team's posession and one that opens the door to so many more opportunities for his team. He also performed exceptionally when it came to playing big minutes. Sarone was on the ice for almost 26 minutes, an incredible amount of work for a forward, along with 2 minutes of hardworking time on the penalty kill. Truly the kind of blue collar, white knuckle performance that kept his team in the game. I chose Ilmari Maatta to be the game's other unsung hero for a similar reason. Maatta soaked up many important minutes for the Militia, was physical when he needed to be and worked harder than anyone else on the ice. While his performance wasn't one that many will remember after his time with Montreal has passed, it was full of grit and determination and without it Montreal may not have been able to win the game like they did.

In conclusion

A thrilling clash between two conference rivals did not disappoint in the slightest. Both teams had no trouble scoring goals and while it would be surprising to see this kind of game every time Detroit & Montreal meet, it wouldn't be a disappointment.

Final Score:

Detroit Falcons - 6
Montreal Militia - 7 (Shootout)