NEWS ITEM

Monday, December 20th, 2010

 

Thornton's barrage gives Navy Vets weekend split

By CORY SMITH, SENTINEL-REVIEW

WOODSTOCK -Chase Thornton has looked impressive at times during his rookie season, but the 16-year-old will have a hard time topping his performance from this weekend.

Thornton scored five goals and added two assists during a split with New Hamburg and Simcoe. Five of those points - four goals and an assist -came in Woodstock's 6-2 win Saturday against visiting Simcoe.

Thornton's memorable weekend moved him into second in team scoring with 25 points.

Navy Vets' scoring lead Derek Cowing added a goal and two assists against the Storm, while Kyle Robertson also scored.

Josh Bint and Andy Liboiron replied for Simcoe.

Woodstock goalie Neil Pittock stopped 28 of 30 shots to earn the win.

Friday in New Hamburg, the Navy Vets lost 6-3 to the Firebirds.

"We played well. We played with them the whole game," head coach Jeff Morrison said. "(Goalie Trevor) Neable let in a couple soft goals to give them the momentum they needed. The third period was a shootout because we needed to get back in it.

"It wasn't a 6-3 game."

Thornton scored to give Woodstock a 1-0 lead after the first period. New Hamburg's offence came alive in the middle frame, as Brock Shoemaker scored a pair of goals and Matt Horst added a single tally to put the Firebirds ahead 3-1. Woodstock thought it had a second goal, but it was waved off before the referee saw it in the net.

Instead of trailing by a goal heading into the third, the Navy Vets were forced to take chances and it led to Damien Parent scoring the Firebirds' fourth goal early in the third period.

"We got out of our game trying to catch up," Morrison said.

Travis Horvath and Chad Woodhouse scored power-play goals to pull Woodstock to within a goal with eight minutes left in the third.

The backbreaker came 28 seconds after Woodhouse's goal, when New Hamburg's Mike D'Alosio buried a shorthanded goal make it 5-3. Brandon Yantzi scored with less than six minutes remaining to complete the Firebirds scoring.

"This is the type of experience this young team needs, that battle back," Morrison said. "Maybe next year that turns into a win. The compete level is still there. They're not rolling over and playing dead.

"The way we played tonight is the way we need to play every night."