Jan 21, 2018 | jclarke | 809 views
Lawson Backstops Majors to 2-0 Series Lead
Game 2 of the OMHA preliminary round proved to be a goaltender's duel, and Huntsville netminder Josh Lawson lived up to his end of the bargain. Lawson and the Otters found a way to win yet another tight game, taking a 2-0 series lead back to home ice next weekend.
A quick turnaround saw Huntsville and South Muskoka take to the ice in Bracebridge for game two of their first round playoff series. The Otters came out flying in the first period and applied constant pressure in South Muskoka's end. The Bears' goaltender was up to the task, turning aside countless Huntsville scoring chances to keep the game scoreless. Back-to-back minor penalties for the Majors allowed South Muskoka to edge their way into the game, forcing Lawson and the Otter's penalty kill to earn their keep. Neither team could break the deadlock and the first period ended 0-0.
Huntsville continued their strong five on five play in the second period, keeping the South Muskoka goaltender very busy. Late in the frame Otter's defenseman Nick Lavigne made an outstanding end-to-end rush to set up Adam Dupuis on the Bears' doorstep for a 1-0 lead. Lawson and the Otters bent but did not break and were able to withstand South Muskoka's onslaught to take the one goal lead into intermission.
Huntsville carried the momentum to start the third period, but an untimely penalty once again allowed South Muskoka to generate pressure. The Bears would make good on their power play chance and finally solve Lawson to knot the game at 1-1. As the play swung from one end to the other both teams had quality scoring chances, undoubtedly keeping the fans entertained. Late in the game the Majors found themselves with a power play opportunity. Huntsville would not be denied as Nick Coleman banged home a loose puck in the slot to give his team the lead.
Lawson was peppered with shots in the final five minutes but remained unfazed, providing his teammates with every opportunity to win the game. One final push by South Muskoka was turned aside and the Otters hung on for a 2-1 victory.
With South Muskoka on the brink of elimination the series now shifts back to Huntsville for a Saturday night tilt. If the first two games have provided any indication, Game 3 will be another extremely close contest decided by the slimmest of margins. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:10pm.