Kings 5 Dogs 4, rematch this afternoon at 1:30

 A gutsy effort for the Dogs, almost digging out of a 5-2 hole after 40 minutes only to lose 5-4 to the top team in the Coastal Conference.

It was 1-0 Dogs early when Lars Hepso converted a breakaway on a nice pass from Chase Van Allen, but the Kings got it back on a Cohen Adair goal just past the midway mark of the period, a goal that the Dogs argued shouldn't have counted as their net was dislodged. It was 2-1 Kings after two when J.P. Villeneuve was left all alone in front.

The Dogs started the second period very flat with the Kings getting the better of the chances with the Dogs on the power play. A Kings power play made it 3-1 minutes later on an Evan Richardson goal, followed by a Daniel Schuler marker on a very pretty power play set up late in the frame. The Dogs appeared to have life when Hepso scored his second of the game after a Brandon Adams drive to the slot 1:14 later on the power play to make it 4-2, but a bad giveaway just half a minute later made it 5-2 Kings after two on Villeneuve's second of the game on a slap shot from the high slot.

The Dogs started the third much better than the second as Ryan Lough picked off a pass at the Kings line and raced in on a breakaway to make it 5-3. It was 5-4 with seven minutes gone in the period when the same line struck again as Hepso fed Adams down the left wing on a 2 on 1 that he ripped off the post and in to make it a one-goal game.

That's as close as the Dogs would come though, with the best chance the rest of the way again coming from the trio of Adams, Hepso, and Lough as they hemmed the Kings in their zone before Hepso was found all alone in the slot where he rang a shot off the post.

Shots favoured the Kings 35-19 with Sean Maguire and Max Fenkell being the goalies of record. The Kings went 2 for 6 on the power play while the Dogs went 1 for 5.

Three Stars:
3) Hepso
2) Waugh
1) Villeneuve

The two teams go back at it today with the pregame show kicking off at 1:15 and the play-by-play to follow at 1:30.

For now, time to hit the hay.

Hammer