Tim Alexander Memorial Tournament: Avon Ties Cross Town Rival Avon Lake 4-4

To start the Tim Alexander Memorial Thanksgiving Hockey Tournament, Avon Lake battled to a draw in a back and forth game with cross town rival Avon.

Scoring Summary
2nd – 13:50 – Avon
2nd – 7:46 – Avon
2nd – 7:37 – Nick Ospelt from Hunter Hall
2nd – 6:48 – Nick Ospelt unassisted
2nd – 5:52 – Brian Walasinski from Justin Share
2nd – 3:40 – Tommy Kacmarcik from Matt Van Cleave
3rd – 11:34 – Avon
3rd – 1:19 – Avon

Avon Lake Game Leaders
Goals – Nick Ospelt – 2
Assists – Justin Share, Hunter Hall and Matt Van Cleave – 1
Shots – Nick Ospelt – 5
Saves – Dillon Aslaksen – 23

Avon Lake Team Stats
Power Plays – 0 for 2
Shorthanded Goals – 0
Penalties (min) – 3 (6)
Shots on Goal – 20
Face Offs Won – 13 of 26

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and eat with our families then wake up and play in hockey tournaments! The Shoremen kicked off Tim Alexander Memorial tournament with new jerseys in a back and forth game with Avon. The Avon and Avon Lake rivalry games are must see and now that the Eagles and Shoremen are in the same hockey conference, the teams will get to know each other well.

In the first period, the play was slower than expected as each team tried to figure each other out and burn off the turkey dinner. While neither team could score, each team had 5 shots on net with 1 power play chance for Avon Lake that created most of the Shoremen’s first period chances.

The second was filled with goals and action as the teams heated up and figured out the goalies. After falling behind 2-0 with Avon scoring the second while playing 4 on 4, the Shoremen added two of their own 4 on 4 goals. The first goal was scored on a nice shot from the wing by junior Nick Ospelt on a pass from Hunter Hall that went off the post and in the net. Less than a minute later, Ospelt would score again, this time unassisted to tie the game.

Avon Lake came through again about a minute later with junior Brian Walasinski scoring from the front of the net on a pass from fellow junior Justin Share. The flurry from Avon Lake that started with Ospelt’s first goal with 7:37 left in the second, ended with their fourth goal at 3:40 to go in the same period with a goal by junior Tommy Kacmarcik who tipped it through on a shot by sophomore Matt Van Cleave.

After the ice cut, the Shoremen couldn’t find a way to get one through the Avon defense and goaltending. The Eagles battled to score two goals with the tying goal coming with just 1:19 left in the game.

Avon Lake falls to 2-0-1 in the early season where they have shown flashes of solid hockey like the 4 minute stretch in the second period today. The Shoremen will be back at it tomorrow 11/24 for games against Rocky River (10:30am) and Hudson (3:45pm).

Via Avon Lake VNN Steve Burns