There are still a lot of games to play for the Reeths-Puffer hockey team, but sophomore forward Tyler Tindall will be hard-pressed to match his performance on Wednesday.
The Rockets trailed Kenowa Hills by three goals after two periods, then Tindall went crazy, scoring three goals in the final 20 minutes and four overall to lead R-P to a stunning 7-5 comeback victory at Walker Ice and Fitness Center.
The Rockets scored five unanswered goals in the third period to erase their 5-2 deficit.
“Without a doubt, the third period was our best period of the season,” said R-P Coach Ryan Martin, whose team improved to 5-3 after starting the season with two straight losses.
The first two periods were problems for Reeths-Puffer. Kenowa Hills scored two quick goals in the first period, Tindall answered with his first goal (with assists from Connor Stawski and Isaiah Winters), and the Knights led 2-1 headed into the second period.
Kenowa Hills had a 3-1 scoring advantage in the second period and took a 5-2 lead into the third. Carson Harwood scored the only goal for R-P with assists from Croix Klint and Avery Freeland.
“We weren’t playing poorly in the first or second periods, but we just couldn’t score and Kenowa was capitalizing on every mistake,” Martin said. “The bounces seemed to be going their way, and overall Kenowa was playing a great game.”
The R-P surge started just over a minute into the third period when Tindall scored his second goal with an assist from Stawski. A few minutes later Jaxon Stone scored on the rebound of a Tindall shot, making the score 5-4. Eli Cuti assisted on the goal.
Tindall completed his hat trick and tied the game when he deflected a Stawski shot into the net on a power play. Winters assisted on the goal. Tindall then nailed the game-winner with an assist by Gavin Pastotnik.
The Rockets’ final goal came when Stone intercepted a Kenowa Hills pass and scored on a breakaway.
Despite their big deficit after two periods, the Rockets really believed they could catch the Knights and win, according to Martin. A big part of the comeback involved some adjustments that were suggested by the R-P team captains – Stawski, Winters and Stone.
“Between the second and third periods, we talked about facing adversity and character-building moments and the opportunity in front of us,” Coach Martin said. “We made a few adjustments to our defensive game plan – adjustments that our captains suggested – and we were intentional about chasing the lead one goal at a time.
“We constantly talk about this being the players’ team. We want our players to lead and follow one another. We want them to play for one another. We try very hard to let them know this is their team and the coaches are there to help them accomplish their goals. Tonight I am extremely thankful for that philosophy and the leaders we have in place.
“Sometimes, as coaches, we get bullheaded and stuck in our ways, but tonight our captains were vocal and comfortable enough to speak up when they felt we had other defense schemes that would help them try to come back.”
