This past Sunday saw a complete Mite roster that included the newcomers and those that split time with the squirts, for the first time this season. The visiting Penguins from Easton came to “The Bird” for a pair of exciting games.
In the opener, Dominic Norris continued to flash a hot stick as he picked up two goals in the first period, both assisted by Finn Mitchell. Then, Eli Kennedy jumped in on the action scoring two goals within 20 seconds. The first goal was assisted by Mason Michigan which happened to be his first point as a Mite.
After getting a taste for the net during the first period , the Mites cranked up the offense even more in the second. Nicolas Barga had two goals, Mitchell one, and Norris and Kennedy each had one more to complete their hat tricks. The Penguins were blanked in the second by goaltender Moss Woods who was in net for the first time in his career. Collecting assists in the second were Kennedy (2) Barga (2), Jackson Kohn, Henry Welsh, Mitchell, and Michigan. Bostic Eason also tallied his first point with an assist to Kennedy.
The Penguin goal keeper kept the Mites to just one goal in the final period (Kennedy from A.J. Sammons). Donovan O’Malley & Wyatt Wood displayed some awesome poke checks to help keep the Penguins at bay as the Mites cruised to a 10-3 victory.
The rematch saw the Mites jump on the Penguins in the same manner as the first game. Goals from Barga, assisted from Michigan and a unassisted goal from Norris gave the Mites an early 2-0 lead. But, the Penguins snuck a goal in past goaltender Eli Kennedy in the last minute and one could feel a momentum shift on the ice.
Because the Bobcats were possibly suffering from “Doughnut Crash,” the visitors were able to deadlock the score during the second period. Helping keep pace with the charging flightless birds were Barga and Welsh (from Michigan) who both popped the back of the net to take a 4-4 tie to the 3rd period.
The 3rd period began with a familiar number putting the Penguins up one than up two with under 7 minutes to play. Getting fired up now that they were down, the Mites found that “On” switch from the previous game. Barga inched the Mites one goal closer with a blast fed from Sammons that gave him his hat trick. A few minutes later, Mitchell used his patented lift shot that popped the water bottle and brought the match back to all square. Then, with just 41 seconds left on the clock, Barga “Texas-Sized” his hat trick with the game winner that stretched the back of the net to its fullest and gave the Mites their 7-6 victory and a sweep of the day.
The Mites will be back in action on Sunday at 7:15 A.M. and again at 10:00A.M. against the Rangers of Columbus. See you there!
Photo: Dominic Norris surveys the play on his way to a hat trick during the first contest against the Pens.