Applekings Win Home Opener against Creemore, News (Applekings)

News Article
News Article Image
Oct 13, 2024 | Mackenzie | 601 views
Applekings Win Home Opener against Creemore
The Georgian Bay Applekings got a big first win against the Creemore Coyotes on a night they raised the Senior 'A' Championship banner. 

Thornbury, ON 


The Georgian Bay Applekings hosted the Creemore Coyotes in their Home Opener for the second year in a row. Last year, the Applekings lost 8-2, but this year, they showed their fans a much-improved team, beating the Coyotes 5-4 and earning 2 big points to start the season.

The evening kicked off with the Beaver Valley Pipes & Drums band leading the Applekings onto the ice. They also unveiled the Hugh McLean Trophy Champion banner.

The Coyotes, who finished 2nd in the league last year, provided a great test for the new-look Applekings. The team added size, skill, and depth to their lineup, which was clear in this exciting Home Opener.

The first period was a bit rough, with penalties on both sides. It was a choppy start, as is often the case with the first game of the season, but there were some great plays and big saves by both goalies—Allan Menary for the Applekings and Mason Kameka for the Coyotes. Menary made a huge save with just 2 seconds left in the period to keep the score tied 0-0. Shots were 11-11.

In the second period, the Applekings picked up the pace, but it was Creemore who scored first on a breakaway goal by Ben Hughes, assisted by Jordan Taylor and Aiden McKenzie. The Applekings responded with relentless pressure, and finally broke through with a shot from Logan Blaser that was tipped in by Evan Buehler for his first of the season. Momentum was on their side, and after drawing two penalties, the Applekings capitalized on a power play goal by Austin Ulett, his first in Senior Hockey, assisted by Jacob Robitaille. The Applekings outshot the Coyotes 19-8 in this period.

The third period was action-packed, with plenty of goals and penalties. Both teams scored power play goals within the first 7 minutes. Anthony Novielli tied it up for the Coyotes, assisted by Hughes and Adam Logozzo. Three minutes later, the Applekings regained the lead on a power play goal by Matt Salituro, assisted by Ulett and Noah Rowland. The lead grew when Derek Sweeney made a great pass to Evan Buehler, who showed patience before sliding the puck to Mackenzie Fleming for his first goal of the season. However, the Coyotes quickly answered with a goal by Owen Heilemann, assisted by Michael Capicotto and Logozzo.

The Coyotes kept the pressure on and tied the game at 4-4 with a breakaway goal from JD Falconer, who followed up his own rebound after being stopped by Menary. The Applekings didn’t let up, though, and with just under a minute to go, Mitchell Good made a great play on the wall, firing the puck toward the net. Austin Ulett managed to kick the puck to his stick and tip it in, assisted by Good and Salituro, sealing the win for the Applekings in front of 350 fans. Final shots were 38-32 in favor of the Applekings.

The Applekings hope to build on this opening win when they travel to Milverton next Sunday, October 20, for a rematch of last spring's Senior A Championships!

3 stars of the game:  

3rd Star: Ben Hughes 1 G 1 A

2nd Star: Matthew Salituro 1 G 1 A

1st Star: Austin Ulett 2 G 1 A

Next Applekings Home Game: Saturday, October 26, 2024 5:30 PM vs Minto 81s. 
Sponsors
Kaegan Walsh Architect
KWA is a boutique architectural practice that places a premium on human interaction and experience. Founded on the belief that architecture is fundamentally about enhancing the lives of people, the studio embraces a holistic approach that integrates the needs, desires, and behaviors of individuals and communities into every design process. At KWA, technology serves as a tool to facilitate human-centered design rather than driving it. While the firm utilizes digital tools for visualization and analysis, decisions are ultimately guided by understanding and empathy for human needs and emotions. The studio fosters a collaborative environment where architects, clients, and end-users engage in meaningful dialogue and co-creation.
Sign Street - Owen Sound
Sign Street is a one-stop-shop for signage, vehicle graphics, graphic design and print.
Good Family Farms
Regeneratively raised beef, pork and chicken in the heart of Grey County. Healthy soil, food and people. Good Family Farms is a working farm consisting of 600+ acres. The fields are home to heritage-breed pigs, cattle and chickens all of which are raised regeneratively. Our meat and eggs are sold directly off the farm in our farm store as well as online. We also house micro-businesses who share similar values to us. Together, we are working towards improving the health and wellness of our community and supporting our environment to the best our ability.
Canada Clean Fuels
We focus all our energies on fueling your business efficiently, economically, whenever, wherever. - First-in-class service and safety - Experienced knowledgeable team - 24/7 flexible delivery schedule - Over 200 trucks to fuel your business - Real-time fuel management system - Customized biodiesel solutions - A proudly Canadian company
Thornbury Clear Choice Pools & Spas
We have been in the pool business for 30 years. We know pools.