Three Blue Devils notch multi-goal performances in 9-1 win over Tawas
GAYLORD - The Gaylord hockey team defeated Tawas 9-1 following a mercy rule ending the game midway through the third period on Wednesday night.
Gaylord came into this game losing two in a row and they were looking to bounce back especially in their own zone. After giving up 19 goals in those two losses, there was an urgency to improve on defense.
The Blue Devils got just what they were looking for on defense in the first period as Tawas was held off the scoreboard. Gaylord's offense looked stagnant at times and despite a few chances, the Blue Devils were also held scoreless to finish a 0-0 first period.
The second period is when the offense sprung to life. Gaylord has an offense that can score in a variety of ways and once it gets going it is tough to stop. That is especially true when the defense is playing as they did in their first game or on Wednesday. Their aggression shined through as the Blue Devils were able to find the back of the net six times in the second.
The scoring got started by Ty Pichan in the first few minutes of the period. Pichan's third goal on the season was unassisted and got Gaylord going. Tawas quickly bounced back as they scored an equalizer seven minutes into the period, but then the offensive onslaught began for Gaylord.
The Blue Devils went on to score five more goals in the period that came one after another by a variety of players. Gage Looker would get the answer to the Tawas goal with his second goal of the season just 50 seconds after the Tawas score. Then just 25 seconds later it was Bryton Thaxton who extended the Gaylord lead finding the net for the first time this season.
After their third goal is when the Blue Devils' star combination of Isaac Hopp and Ian Busch got going. Hopp found his fifth goal of the season with a perfect setup pass from Busch to give Gaylord a 4-1 lead. Shortly following that goal Hopp and Busch assisted Colton Hurst's second goal of the season and the lead grew to 5-1.
"I think they are clicking right now because of their creativity," associate head coach Taylor Carey said about Hopp and Busch. "They have a high hockey IQ and skills you can't necessarily teach."
One Blue Devil that made a huge impact tonight was Aidan Carr who capped off the scoring in the second period with a goal a few minutes before the end of the period assisted by Looker. Carr's play throughout the period was extremely impactful and he was one of the driving forces to the 6-1 lead heading into the final period.
Gaylord carried the momentum they created into the third period as Hopp scored his second goal of the night and sixth of the season. The goal was once again assisted by Looker and Busch just 11 seconds into the period. Carr would then add his second goal of the game followed by another quick goal from Thaxton.
With an eight goal lead in the third period, the game was declared a victory via the mercy rule to give Gaylord their second win of the season. Hopp, Carr, and Thaxton each recorded two goals to carry the Gaylord offense to their best performance this season.
"We had a little bit of a slow start but the kids stuck to their guns," Carey said. "Their perseverance paid off eventually. We are moving in the right direction as a team. Overall I'm very happy with all three lines tonight."
Possibly an even bigger storyline was the way the defense bounced back. Gaylord goalie, Owen Corbin, made 13 saves on 14 shots by Tawas and the defensemen in front of him did a great job of limiting the chances. The defense looked like the same defense that shut out Cheboygan in their opening game and it was just what the Blue Devils needed.
"A lot of people are looking for instant gratification," Carey said about the team's defensive struggles. "It doesn't work that way and our whole team is going to take a lot of development. It takes time and patience and there are going to be growing pains. We have a positive outlook and this was a great win."
Gaylord continues their season with two weekend games against Alpena on Friday and Saturday with the first being played at home and the second on the road. Gaylord is now 2-2 on the season and have scored 23 goals in just four games this year.
Contact Sports Editor Andrew Fish at asfish@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter, @andrewfish_.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Three Blue Devils notch multi-goal performances in 9-1 win over Tawas
