EAST ALTON – It doesn't take a whole lot for a hockey game to turn on. Sometimes it's a bounce of the puck, sometimes it's a break that goes one way or the other.
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In the case of Alton's hockey team, it was a pair of power-play goals – one in the second period, one in the third – that helped O'Fallon take a 2-1 win over the Redbirds in a Mississippi Valley Club Hockey Association game at East Alton Ice Arena Monday night.
Despite that, however, Redbird coach Abram Henson was very proud of the effort his team turned in. “It was a good game,” Henson said. “It was a hard-fought game with two real good teams; it could have gone either way. Tonight, it just turned out for them.”
It wasn't just one thing or another that did stand out for the Redbirds, Henson thought; it was the entire team. “I can't tell you one player that did or didn't stand out tonight,” Henson said. “We've got 12 guys; we had one out with concussion tonight. In a (42-minute game), to have 12 players, two lines, a couple of extra guys, they just worked all night.
“Even with the loss, this was our best game tonight. It was just one of those (games) that could have gone either way. One bounce this way, once bounce the other way.”
It took a bit for the Redbirds to find the back of the net against the Panthers; their only goal came with 8:25 left in the second period when Zack Hunter got a rebound that came off Panther goalie Kristen Smith when Brandon Lang fired a shot and slid it past Smith to put the Redbirds ahead.
The Panthers responded with 2:44 left in the period when, with Jake Bohn off for tripping, Cooper Barnhill skated into the Alton zone and hit Hayden Ourada with a pass; Ourada then got the puck past Caleb Currie to tie the game 1-1 heading into the third period.
What proved to be the winning goal came also on a power play; Bohn was again off for tripping when Ourada skated in and found Cooper Barnhill with a feed; Barnhill then beat Currie to put the Panthers ahead with 10:45 left in the third. The Redbirds responded with several flurries on Smith, but she was equal to the task, while Currie turned back several Panther chances himself. Currie came off in the final minute for the Redbirds for a sixth attacker, but O'Fallon's defense wouldn't allow Alton a clear chance at goal as the clock wound down.
The Panthers outshot the Redbirds 36-16; Smith had 15 saves for O'Fallon, while Currie had 34 saves for Alton.
The Redbirds take on Collinsville at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday at East Alton before taking a holiday break.
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