The Northview Wildcats followed up the Cold Turkey Thanksgiving weekend with 2 wins and a tie over 2 weekends of play in the NHC Red division race. Overall 4 wins 2 losses and a tie push the Cats record to 5-2-1 after 8 games.
At the Cold Turkey the Cats sandwiched a pair of tough Saturday losses with 2 quality shutout wins over Erie Prep and Newark to go 2-2 on the weekend. On Friday night Drake Symbolik scored an early 1st period goal and Liam Diesing scored a Power play goal for a 2 goal lead. Benny Seals would hit an empty net in a 3 to 0 win over Erie. Nowak picked up his 1st shutout of the season in the win. Saturday was a rough one all around. The offense was stagnant in 2 losses. Benny Seals scored 2 more goals, 1 in each game but Eds and Liberty both added some empty net goals to pull away with the wins. The Cats also lost Senior captain Landon Elliott to injury and Seals to a tough call vs Eds. Northview would get back in the win columns Sunday without Elliott and Seals, but would suffer another injury as fellow senior Captain Riley Ames suffered an injury. That wouldn’t hold the Cats back as they skated away with a 5-0 win. Nowak secured his 13th career shutout and Tryston Harrell scored a pair of goals. Fellow seniors CJ Lehman, Mason Crandell and Drake Symbolik finished off the Generals.
Last Sunday the Cats kicked off league play down in BG. With Elliott only at about 80% and Seals and Ames still out the Cats looked flat early. BG held a 2 to 1 lead after 2 periods of play in part to a 5 to 0 power play advantage. Drake Symbolik’s shorty kept the game close. In the 3rd period it was the Cats turn to play of the power play and did they ever. 3 PP goals in a 2 minute span took the Cats from a 1 goal deficit to a 2 goal lead. Harrell along with 2 more from Symbolik to complete the Hat trick had the Cats in the lead. Junior Sam Himmel finished of the Bobcats with a short handed goal of his own as Northview scored 5 special teams goals to win 5 to 2.
This past weekend the Cats welcomed St. Johns and Findlay into Tam-o-Shanter. Friday nights game was electric and the fierce competition even spilled into the hallways!! On the ice it was a goaltender battle as the team’s skated to a 1-1 draw after 3 periods of play and an 8 minute OT session. Harrell continued his torrid scoring with a rebound goal, but the Cats couldn’t make good on their 41 other shots on net in settling for the tie. Nowak allowed just the single Titan PP goal in net for the Cats!
Northview looked to get back in the win column less than 18 hours later against a strong Findlay team. The Trojans jumped out to an early lead but it was all NV after that. 5 different seniors scored to lead their team. Harrell scored for the 4th game in a row and Seals, Lehman, Crandell and Elliott also scored. In all 9 different Cats picked up points with Symbolik adding a pair of assist. Young Freshman Brennen Wiltshire who almost won the game in OT the night before continued to play well with an assist and Diesing and senior Zach Denny also picked up assist. Nowak was stingy again with just the single goal against in the 5 to 1 win.
The Cats look to build off the strong weekend at the tough Padua invitational this weekend. They will also look to avenge their only losses Friday night and Saturday morning with St. Eds and Olentangy Liberty. They will finish the weekend round robin portion with University School. They will play a seeding game on Sunday.
The Junior varsity continues to battle hard with an injured lineup of their own. A few tough losses this past weekend have the team at 2-5-1 as they look to get back to full strength and string some wins together.
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