Photo by BJ Klompstra
Article by Dylan Baker
It was another successful week for the Komoka Kings this week, as the club remained over .500 and won their third consecutive home game.
The Kings were on the road on Friday night, as the club travelled to Stratford for the first time this year. The Kings fell behind midway through the first, but responded quickly, as Owen Miniotas scored his second of the year just 1:16 after Stratford’s first goal and it was tied after 1. The second, however, favoured Stratford. They scored three goals in a six-minute span to take a commanding 4-1 lead after 2. Jacob Vandeven found the back of the net on the power play 7 minutes into the third, but Stratford got that goal back a minute later. The Kings would chip away at the Stratford lead and make it 5-3, as Nate Adams scored a shorthanded goal, but it would not be enough, as Komoka fell by that score. Brock Lane stopped 32/37 Stratford shots in the loss.
Saturday night, the Kings returned home to face the St. Thomas Stars, a team with whom they are well acquainted and will likely be competing with for positioning all season. St. Thomas opened the scoring on the power play nine minutes in, but Nate Adams got his second in as many nights 43 seconds later to make it 1-1. Just 1:11 after that though, the Stars got another on the power play and they led 2-1 after 1.
In the second, the Stars made it 3-1 with 5:16 to play in the second, but the momentum swung 49 seconds later when Nash Jacobs scored a pivotal goal to make it 3-2. Owen Miniotas then tied the game 20 seconds later with his third in three games. Less than two minutes later, Parker Graham found the back of the net on the power play for Komoka, who all of a sudden had their first lead of the night after two periods.
In the third, the Stars tied it up 3:36 into the frame. Six minutes later though, newly-minted captain Riley Alexander got his first of the year at the 9:23 mark to put the Kings back ahead by a goal. Just 1:35 later, Colsen Joyce scored his first as a King against his former team. This goal was the second shorthanded goal for the Kings in two nights and put the Kings ahead 6-4, a lead the never relinquished, as the club picked up its third win of the season. Xavier Bussiere 28/32 in the winning effort, and Komoka outshot St. Thomas 40-32.
With the win, the Kings finished the month of September at 3-2-0, their most successful September since the club moved to Komoka in 2017. Two of their three wins came against teams that made the playoffs last season. The Kings also surpassed their home win total from last year, which was two.
Top Statistical Performers from the weekend:
Owen Miniotas – 2 GP 2-2-4
Quinn Gavin-White – 3 assist game on Saturday
Nate Adams – 2 GP 2-0-2
Nash Jacobs – 2 GP 1-1-2
Lucas Van Steensel – 2 assist game on Saturday
What’s Ahead…
The Kings are back in action at home on Saturday, against St. Thomas once again. The puck drops at 7:15pm at the Wellness Centre. The Kings then hit the road for their first tilt with the Chatham Maroons this season, as puck drops at 7:00pm on Sunday night at the Chatham Memorial Arena.
