By: Agrani Tiwari
The Ottawa West Golden Knights secured a hard-fought 2-1 overtime victory against the Athens Aeros on October 10th.
The game started with both teams struggling to find their rhythm. Coach Barry Cape acknowledged that his team wasn’t at their best:
“It wasn’t our best game, skill-wise. We weren’t clicking at first, not making the right passes, or working hard enough. But we found a way to win, and that’s all that matters,” said Cape
Athens struck first with a late first-period goal by Gavin Clarke, assisted by Tanner Hawkins, giving them a 1-0 lead heading into the second. The Golden Knights had chances but failed to convert, with Athens’ goalie Dustin Riff turning away multiple shots and making 26 saves by the end of the night.
In the third period, the Golden Knights finally broke through when Bailey Pipe scored a crucial power-play goal at 5:41. The goal, assisted by Connor Dickey and Ryland Landon, was the turning point that gave Ottawa West the momentum they needed. Pipe was pleased with his game-changing contribution:
“I was really happy with that goal. It definitely shifted the momentum for us, boosted our morale, and helped us start working harder” said Pipe
This goal brought the Golden Knights level with the Aeros, forcing both teams to lock down defensively as the game progressed toward overtime.
The extra period saw the Golden Knights continue to press forward, and just 2:31 into overtime, Marco Peloso delivered the game-winner, assisted by Justin Murdoch and Rhett Cleverdon. Peloso’s goal sent the home crowd into a frenzy and sealed the win for Ottawa West.
With James Cole standing tall in the net for Ottawa West, stopping 24 of 25 shots, the Golden Knights proved their resilience. Coach Cape praised both goaltenders:
“Both goalies played really well. It was a 2-1 game, which is rare in this league, but both teams were strong defensively.”