The Mount Forest Patriots put a dent in the perfect home record of the Wingham Ironmen tonight, winning 3-2 on the road.
The Ironmen were 7-0 on home ice heading into tonight's contest, and the game was extremely tight right from the get go. Wingham took a lead off a beautiful individual effort from Logan Toltan, before Chet Phillips pinched in from the point to bang in a rebound to tie it up after 1. Devon Carson for Wingham and Aidan Quish for Mount Forest were both busy in the first, forced to make a number of great saves.
Into the second, the Patriots would take the lead as Ironmen captain Carter Collinson made a rare mistake at his own blue line as he tried to corral a low bouncing puck with his glove, only to have it slip through his feet, allowing Pollock Division leading scorer Jack Birkett to walk in and bury a backhand five-hole on Carson for a 2-1 Patriots lead. Just a few minutes later, Birkett would add his second of the night as he walked from behind the net and shredded a low hard shot past Carson for a 3-1 lead, and the eventual game winner. The Ironmen peppered Aidan Quish with shots, but Quish stood tall.
The third period saw the game devolve into a chippy affair. Wingham would cut the lead to 3-2 early as Rhys Vollmer beat Quish low on a power play right along the ice through traffic, but that would be the last goal Quish and the Pats would surrender. Late in the 3rd with under 2 minutes left, Wingham began taking undisciplined penalties which had them down to a 5-on-3, including a fight that occurred when Logan Toltan destroyed Patriots AP player Aiden Yard with a high hit, which Chet Phillips took exception to as the two dropped the gloves and were shown to the locker rooms. Then, Ironmen call-up Ethan Vollmer cross checked Patriots captain Mike Stefanelli right in the neck, as he was shown to the room and will likely see a suspension handed out to him along with Toltan and Phillips. The ame's final minute took nearly 5 minutes to get through, as the referees started tossing players until the clock mercifully hit zeros.
That road win ties the Patriots with the Ironmen in points atop the Pollock Division. These two rivals always supply entertaining games, and this night was no exception. Mount Forest will now gear up for road game in Kincardine tomorrow at 7:30, while the Ironmen will wait for a home contest this Sunday against Hanover at 3:30.
