Flyers Fall to Mitchell in Hard-Fought 6-3 Loss

Flyers Fall to Mitchell in Hard-Fought 6-3 Loss

Author: Colin Carmichael

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The Goderich Flyers faced off against the Mitchell Hawks on Sunday, September 22nd, in a high-energy game at the Maitland Recreation Centre. Despite controlling much of the play early on, the Flyers were unable to overcome key defensive lapses and timely goals from the Hawks, ultimately falling 6-3.

Coming into the game with a 1-1 record, Goderich was looking to build on the momentum from their first win of the season, but Mitchell—at 1-2—proved to be a tough opponent. Flyers goaltender Christian DeJong made his second start of the season after appearing in 23 games for the Flyers last season.

First Period: Strong Start, Missed Opportunities

The Flyers dominated possession early, spending much of the opening period in Mitchell’s zone. Goderich had the first power play of the game at 7:36 after a slashing call against Mitchell’s Owen Holloway. Though the Flyers generated some shots, they struggled to establish a setup.

Mitchell capitalized on a broken play at the Flyers’ blue line, with Kaden Brame opening the scoring at 11:08, assisted by Nathan Jewitt and Cole Baier. Minutes later, Goderich found themselves on the penalty kill, and Mitchell’s power play wasted no time, scoring just seconds into their opportunity. Carter Coates buried a cross-seam pass at 11:57, extending the Hawks’ lead to 2-0.

Despite the 2-0 score, Goderich controlled the majority of play, outshooting Mitchell 13-12 by the end of the period. They were unable to convert on their chances, but the team remained in striking distance heading into the second.

Second Period: Flyers Break Through

The Flyers opened the second period with 1:41 of power play time, but despite spending most of the man-advantage in Mitchell’s zone, they couldn’t convert.

Mitchell struck again at 9:01 with Kaden Brame scoring his second of the game on the power play, assisted by Jewitt and Jarrett Van Bakel. The Flyers responded with a goal of their own at 13:39, as Kingston Powell scored his second of the season after a Mitchell defensive breakdown led to a 2-on-1 opportunity. Powell’s shot trickled past the Hawks’ goaltender, with Trent Carter picking up the assist.

Mitchell regained their three-goal lead late in the period, as Owen Holloway scored at 18:09, making it 4-1 heading into the final frame.

Third Period: Flyers Fight Back, but Mitchell Pulls Away

Early in the third, the Flyers found some life. Just 1:49 in, Iain MacIsaac scored his second goal of the season off a setup from Jeremy Hamilton and Leland Weber, cutting the lead to 4-2. Goderich continued to press, and at 8:43, Kaeden MacDonald scored a well-executed tip-in goal, bringing the Flyers within one at 4-3. Weber picked up his second assist of the game on the play.

However, penalties continued to hurt the Flyers. At 6:15, Mitchell’s Ryan Gansevles scored on the power play, assisted by Carter Coates and Ben Tenhag, restoring the Hawks’ two-goal cushion.

Late in the period, Goderich was given a four-minute power play and pulled DeJong to create a 6-on-4 advantage. Despite the extra skater and sustained pressure in Mitchell’s zone, the Flyers couldn’t find the back of the net. With just 20 seconds left, Kaden Brame completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal, securing a 6-3 victory for the Hawks.

Final Thoughts

Despite the final score, the Flyers showed moments of strong play, particularly in the first period, where they spent the majority of the time in Mitchell’s zone. The team will need to clean up some defensive errors and find more consistency on the power play to capitalize on their offensive opportunities.

Christian DeJong made 26 saves in a solid effort, but Mitchell’s timely goals—particularly on the power play—proved too much to overcome. Goderich now sits at 1-2 on the season and will look to bounce back on Friday, September 27th, as they hit the road to face the Wingham Ironmen, followed by another road game on Saturday, September 28th, against the Hanover Barons.

 

Author: Colin Carmichael
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