It was a battle all night, but the Oilers topped the Royals, Photo Credit from Bleedin' Blue
Day 2 sees another shootout for the Oilers, Isca Town getting back on track, and the Steelers and Sharpshooters pitching shutouts, as well another extra-time game for Labrador.
Londinium Royals 1, DC Oilers 1 (0-1 SO): Just another day at the office for the DC Oilers, as two games have resulted in two shootouts and two wins to start the season. After vanquishing the middling Labrador Caribou to open the season, they took down a Londinium Royals team that had upset Isca Town the night before. Again, the Oilers were led by their stalwart goaltender Ted Carpenter, who made 31 saves in regulation, 3 more in overtime, and denied the Royals on all five attempts in the shootout. The two teams traded goals in the first period, with the Oilers' d-man Shane Manning putting home a rebound, and the Royals' Eric Benson scoring on a wraparound play to level the score at 1-all. Julian Stephens scored the only goal in the shootout. Asked his thoughts on his team's first two games, Oilers head man Sherm Willis replied, "Ted's been fantastic for us. It's not luck, it's been good play. But I am worried about these extra minutes early on in the season. We'll be trying to keep guys' legs fresh in our next game against Vinovium."
Pons Aelius Steelers 1, Sept-Iles Whalers 0: One day after scoring five goals in a rip-roaring start to the season for the Whalers, they were completely shut down in Pons Aelius. They scored zero goals and managed an anemic 21 shots, all of which were stopped by Pons Aelius backup netminder Christophe Collier, who stepped in for regular goalie Brett McQueen after McQueen was dealing with flu-like symptoms. Steelers players, forwards and defensemen alike, bullied the Whalers with hard hits and well-timed poke checks, knocking them out of their offensive rhythm. After being content to mostly defend for one and a half periods, a tripping penalty against the Whalers' James McDaniel gave them an opportunity and they took it. Center Joe Strickland found an opening after the Whalers got caught out of position and his shot found the back of the net. The Steelers proved that they're still a defensive force and that this young Sept-Iles team has a ways to go.
Eboracum Sharpshooters 2, Aquae Sulis Bears 0: For two teams as aggressive as Eboracum and Aquae Sulis, only two goals is awfully pedestrian. But maybe this shows that the Sharpshooters are capable of winning when they're not pouring it on offensively and, more importantly, that they can play defense too. Yes, the Bears aren't the most formidable opponents, but they just put up four goals last game, so there's something to be said for Sharpshooters goalie Wes Singleton and his 29 saves. For the Sharpshooters, Glen Gray picked up his second goal to open the scoring, and forward Josh Jensen saw his shot ping the post and then deflect off Bears goaltender Art Morrison and into the net, which gave Eboracum a 2-0 lead at 14:34 of the second period. Eboracum keeps pace with the Steelers and Oilers for the early lead.
Labrador Caribou 3, Portus Abonae Privateers 3 (4-3 OT): For the second straight game, the Caribou were involved in a game that took more than three periods to settle. This time, they came out on top, defeating the Privateers 4-3 in overtime. For the Caribou, it came after blowing a 3-1 third period lead, and took a well-timed shot from second-line winger Wade Hamilton late in overtime for them to prevail. They sit just one point behind the leaders at this juncture. For the Privateers, a third-period rally keyed by goals from Jordon Upshaw and line-mate Jesse Brock came to nothing. They did get a point for taking it to overtime, but with one point from two games, are behind where they thought they'd be. They'll host the Royals in another tough challenge next.
Isca Town Captains 1, Vinovium Lumberjacks 0: The Captains didn't play perfectly, but it was enough to get them past a Lumberjacks team that already looks like it's sleepwalking to start the season. Only one goal isn't great, but they did control the puck for the majority of ice time, and peppered Lumberjacks goalie Mel Pinson with 37 shots. Jason Gross found an opening at 8:44 of the second period for the final margin. On the Lumberjacks' side, there isn't a lot to be proud of beyond Pinson's 36 saves. They were outplayed by a generally poor Rangers team the other night, and failed to generate much against Isca Town tonight. They will have another tough opponent to break their streak against, as they host the Oilers next.
Newfield Rangers 1, Mancunium Raiders 3: When Newfield blanked Vinovium 2-0 the other day, we said their play was encouraging and they could be a competitive team this year if they kept it up against better competition. Well, maybe their win had more to with Vinovium's lethargy than Newfield's skill, because the Raiders, hardly murderer's row, continued their goalscoring and took down the Rangers easily, 3-1. New acquisition Quinn Baird opened the scoring as part of a two-goal first period, and even when the Rangers closed to 2-1 in the second, it didn't feel like the outcome was in doubt. When Brandon Scanlon scored on a wrister at 3:22 of the third, it felt like the game was over despite nearly 17 minutes remaining. Mancunium hosts the leaky defense of Aquae Sulis next, while Newfield will have to contend with an Isca Town team looking to really hit their stride.
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