Kenston vs. Olmsted Falls hockey: Bombers adapt, record wild 6-5 overtime win
Dec. 4—The players' collective "Yeah!" that followed Coach Tom Moores' list of facts he liked after Kenston's performance Dec. 3 against visiting Olmsted Falls at The Pond grew more audible by the item.
It's probably reasonable to surmise, though, the sound was slightly different following the first period, because that was not ideal for the Bombers.
Alterations were made, grit was shown — and Troy Krahe sent the home faithful out of the rink pleased.
Krahe's goal in overtime culminated a wild 6-5 win for Kenston in a Greater Cleveland High School Hockey League intradivision clash.
For the Bombers (3-2) out of the White East, prospects were looking bleak following a lopsided loss the night prior at Kent State to Anthony Wayne and facing a 4-2 deficit after one against the Bulldogs, representing the GCHSHL Red.
Then a young hockey club showed some mettle.
"Yeah, we didn't really know what we were up against," Moores said of Olmsted Falls. "They're a division up from us, and we expected them to come out strong. And they did. Really, we were not ready positionally for what they were bringing us. We made adjustments — we got through that period thankfully. We made adjustments in between, and it paid off for the rest of the game."
Olmsted Falls got a goal from its standout senior forward and captain Cole Sigan with 2 minutes, 43 seconds left in the third, after Kenston had scored three unanswered, to tie the game at 5 and force overtime.
Then, at 3:21, Krahe skated into the zone, deked to the backhand for a tapper at the left bar and made all that effort on the proverbial comeback trail worthwhile.
#NHhockey Troy Krahe with the game winner at 3:21
Kenston wins 6-5 in OT pic.twitter.com/5WwYdysag0
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) December 4, 2022
"We kept our passing good," Krahe said, sporting the Bombers' victory chain a la what the Cavaliers are doing these days with their gold logo chain after wins. "It was what helped us win the game, finding the man with the cross-ice pass and just shooting the puck.
"We were just watching them, seeing what they did. We were getting caught a little off-guard because they kept putting people right on the back post. We just had to adjust to that and keep our defense closer to their man, stick to the points. And once we did, we shut them down and generated more offense."
Freshman JC Pustai had pulled Kenston within 3-2 at the 12:44 mark of the opening period with a well-placed snapper on the power play after a tripping penalty.
#NHhockey Kenston within 3-2
JC Pustai at 12:44 on PP pic.twitter.com/xvC7XBX9Ab
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) December 4, 2022
But Sigan struck for a wrister with 43 seconds left before intermission to make it a 4-2 game.
Gavin Rowell lit the lamp twice in the final 3:55 of the second to tie the game at 4, one on the man advantage and the other on a walker from the left side into a banger at the crease with 15 seconds left in the period.
#NHhockey Kenston forward Gavin Rowell discusses a 6-5 OT win over Olmsted Falls
Rowell had a big 2nd period including a nice breakaway banger at the left bar to knot it at 4 (I don't blame him for it being a bit fuzzy — it was a long night for all of us ) pic.twitter.com/GFNm0dJPJG
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) December 4, 2022
Krahe briefly gave Kenston a 5-4 advantage at 3:19 of the third, pouncing on a bouncer off the back boards for an easy stick tap.
Then, the skilled junior forward had the final say in OT, as the Bombers took down an upper-division foe.
"That's huge," Krahe said of toppling a Red program. "It's a confidence boost for the rest of the season, and we need to keep it rolling."
