44 shots in regulation weren’t enough for the Stingers to end the game
The Concordia Stingers pocketed a second straight victory last week in front of a large audience at the Ed Meagher Arena on Oct. 29 and won 1-0 against the Nipissing Lakers. It was their fourth win of the season.
The Stingers outshot their opponents 11 to eight in the first period. At the end of the first period, Stingers’ forward Tyler Hylland was hooked on a breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot.
Hylland attempted to fake a shot and backhand the puck in between the Lakers’ goaltender Zach Roy’s legs, but Roy got the best of him.
“I just tried to open him up a bit,” said Hylland, the Stingers’ alternate captain. “I have to give him credit. He kept his team in it until the very end.”
The second period was similar, as the Stingers outshot the Lakers 14 to nine. The Stingers had their best chance at winning the game midway through the second period, as Roy gave two rebounds in the slot. But he stopped them anyway.
“The goalie on the other side played very well,” said Stingers’ head coach Marc-André Elément. “Sometimes there’s nights like that where we’re doing the right things but the puck doesn’t go in.”
The Stingers added more pressure in the third period by taking another 18 shots. The Lakers also took two late penalties that allowed the Stingers two power plays in exchange. However, with Roy stopping every shot at that point, they were ultimately unsuccessful.
It was not until the first few minutes of overtime that Stingers’ forward Isiah Campbell received a pass from his teammate Samuel Desgroseillers in the neutral zone to form a two-on-one against Roy. Campbell skated past the defender and barely slid the puck past Roy’s blocker side to win the game in overtime.
“It definitely felt nice,” said Campbell, referring to the only goal of the game. “[Roy] played a hell of a game, but we found a way, and that’s all that matters.”
This game was also Stingers’ goaltender Jordan Naylor’s first of the season. He earned his first victory and shutout by stopping all of the Lakers’ 24 shots.
“We were a bit snake-bitten there,” said Naylor in regard to the struggle to get a goal past Roy. “But it feels really good to get my first win as a shutout and get a win with the boys,” he continued with a smile.
“He played an unbelievable game,” said the game-winning goal scorer about Naylor. “He’s been working hard in practice, and he definitely deserved it.”
The Stingers improved to a 4-2 record this season and stopped the Lakers from getting their first win of the season. The Stingers will head to the nation’s capital as they will face the Ottawa Gee-Gee’s on Nov. 4 at 7 p.m.
