May 4th – It’s no secret the Saints entered the 2018 season on an infamous losing streak. But four games in, the boys finally got that elephant off their backs with a dramatic 9-8 win over the Orillia Kings.
Dylan Munro started in net for the Saints, while Dylan O’Rourke got the call for the Kings. Early on, Newmarket controlled the play, generating several chances and resets, before Eric Mawdsley, playing his first game of the season, got the Saints on the board. Mack Nevin followed up just minutes later to extend the lead.
A march to the penalty box reversed the momentum and gave the Kings life. Munro stood tall, making several stops on a lengthy 5-on-3, but Orilla managed to sneak one in to cut the lead in half. The team went into the break with the score 2-1 Saints.
The second started a little shaky for the Saints with a series of turnovers. Munro weathered the storm until things settled down and the teams began trading chances. Will Lynch and Luca Romano tallied to make it 4-1 Saints, Orillia got two back, before Liam Hamilton and David Eadie, scoring his first Jr goal, restored the three goal lead. The score was 6-3 at the intermission.
In the third, the back and forth continued, with Orillia scoring twice and Mawdsley answering back each time. Then the Saints got into foul trouble again, setting up another 5-on-3, and three straight Orillia goals evened the score at 8s. With momentum clearly shifting in the Kings favour, the Saints called a timeout to stem the tide. When play resumed, the Saints were still short, and a determined Austin Pringle stepped up. He blocked a shot, grabbed the ball and headed up floor, bullying his way to the net and potting the go-ahead goal.
A furious final eight minutes saw the Kings do everything but find the equalizer, giving the Saints their first victory of the year.
“It feels good to win. It was winning ugly, but it's still a win,” said Saints Head Coach, Dan Ransom Sr. “They pushed back in the 3rd, we were a little undisciplined, but in the end it was a nice win for the club, especially for the guys who've been here in the lean times. So now, we have a new streak, one win in a row.”
Final score - Saints 9 - Kings 8.
Next up – the Saints travel to Orillia for the back-end of the home-and-home with the Kings. Game time is 7PM at Rotary Place.