Aidan Macchia’19 skates up the ice.” (Inji Kang’19/Staff)
Hoping to carry the momentum from their tremendous tournament play last weekend, the Vikings faced off against Worthington Kilbourne at Chiller Ice Works on Friday, December 8. The Vikes showed why they are one of the top JV teams in the state, outlasting the Wolves, 10-6.
Despite a rowdy Academy crowd, it was Kilbourne that struck first. Just seconds into the game, a Wolves forward made a pair of nice moves to create a one-on-one with freshman goalie Max Crane and sniped the puck into the top corner.
On the ensuing shift for CA, the two junior captains linked up for a sensational team-effort goal. Cole Walker created havoc behind the net, drawing the defense’s full attention. This allowed for Gunnar Geiger to be wide open near the blue-line. Walker fed him with a saucer pass, and Geiger did the rest, hitting a slap shot that sailed into the back of the net. The score was knotted up, and the CA faithful were back on their feet.
Just two minutes after his first goal, Geiger was hungry for more. His defensemen gained possession in his own defensive zone and skated coast to coast for a beautiful breakaway goal. The Vikes went on top 2-1, as the scoring floodgates opened for Academy.
But Kilbourne refused to back down. The Wolves strung together successful shifts and put two quick goals on the scoreboard, taking a 3-2 lead.
The first period ended with chippy play from both sides, and a couple of penalties were assessed for the ensuing period. Unfortunately for Kilbourne, the Vikings’ power play was clicking on all cylinders. Walker led the offensive attack again, gliding past Kilbourne defenders with ease. The shifty forward skated up the boards with pace, and finally put the puck between the legs of the Wolves goalie, evening the score.
The back and forth play continued for the remainder of the second period. It was a dog fight, as either team was able to pull away from the other. Fantastic individual goals by junior Jacob Sardo and freshman Campbell Gwin put Academy on top, but the Wolves hung tough, matching with 2 goals of their own.
At the start of the third period it was all Academy, as the Vikes began to dominate. Geiger added two more goals to complete a hat trick. Walker wanted to join in on the fun, and he notched three more goals to acquire a hat trick of his own. The Vikings had finally created the separation that they had been looking for since the beginning of the game. Not only was the offense finding the back of the net, but CA’s defense tightened up as well. Juniors Oscar Giller and Greyson Noblitt helped hold the Wolves in check for the final fifteen minutes. Kilbourne put up the final goal in the dying minutes of the game, but it was too late, as the Vikes improved to 5-3 in their inaugural season.
Academy looks to extend its winning streak when it takes on Olentangy Braves on Friday, December 15 at Chiller Easton at 5:10.
