Flyers season ends after back to back OT losses

By Matt Robinson/Valencia Flyers Junior A Hockey                                                        3/17/2014     1300EST

Six seconds.

For some it’s the time it takes to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in a vehicle, for others the length of a vine they are watching or producing. For the Flyers, it was the amount of time they needed to run off the clock to clinch a spot in the WSHL Pacific Division Finals against Fresno last weekend.

In the scheme of things during a 60 minute hockey game, 6 seconds seems like an insignificant small amount of time. However it only takes a split second to score a goal, something both the Flyers and Ontario Avalanche learned on Sunday afternoon.

The weekend started off with the Flyers winning a close Friday night matchup, 6-5, by holding off the Avalanche in the closing seconds to secure the victory and a 1-0 series lead.

Saturday night was another close affair, this one going to overtime. The Avalanche were able to gain the victory late in the first overtime frame 2-1 after a non-call went against the Flyers and produced a breakaway which Ontario converted to end the game. The Flyers had their chances throughout the game, including point blank chances on the man advantage with under a minute to go in the 3^rd, but just could not seem to convert and show that killer instinct that is needed to close out a series.

The Sunday series finale was nothing short of entertaining as both teams traded jabs throughout, hoping to end the others season earlier than expected.

In what may prove to be his final game in a Flyers uniform, Captain Austin Ehrlich did what he has done for this team so many times, put pucks into the back of the opposition net, giving his club a chance to win. He started the scoring just four minutes into the game by pushing home a rebound to make it 1-0 Valencia.

Ontario would tie the game early in the second, but Ehrlich would net his second of the game and fourth of the playoffs seven minutes into the second to make it 2-1 Flyers. However Ontario would tie the score late in the second to send the game into the third, tied at 2-2.

The Flyers came out red hot in the third, scoring two goals less than five minutes into the period. Luc Whyte got the first one of the period with the Flyers down a man. He stripped a puck and skated 1 on 3 into the Ontario zone, took a shot that slipped past Cepila into the back of the net, making it 3-2.

Aharon Lara would add another Flyers goal a little over three minutes later on a blast from the right circle that the goaltender had minimal chance of stopping, extending the lead to 4-2 with fifteen minutes to play.

Ontario got back within one goal around the ten minute mark, making it interesting once again at 4-3. Both teams continued to skate hard throughout the final 10 minutes of regulation, both with chances to score, but neither team could solve the others goaltender for the time being.

The Flyers clung to the one goal lead until the final 6 seconds of the game. With the net empty in the Ontario end and an end zone faceoff in the Flyers zone with little time remaining, Ontario was able to force a scramble in front of Luke Thompson.

On a loose puck between the hash marks, Ontario was able to recover and get a shot away. It was blocked by Evan Johnson, but took a sideways hop to Thompsons left and landed on the wide open stick of Ontario’s leading scorer Antione Millard. He was able to get a shot away before Thompson was able to react, beating him on the glove side and sending the game to overtime for the second day in a row.

The first overtime did not produce an ending as neither team was able to score. It took 13 minutes of the second OT frame to decide the winner, and it happened in a split second.

The Flyers were unable to clear a puck from their own end, allowing Luke Rendino to pick up a loose puck and walk through the middle of the ice. He took a shot that rang off the right post and bounced back out to Thompson’s left. This time Collin Warner was able to dive for the loose puck and knock it past Thompson, ending the game and the Flyers season in the process.

Six Seconds. That was all that separated the Flyers from a second round matchup in Fresno next weekend. Instead, a second devastating overtime loss and a summer to think about what could have been. Amazing to think how quickly things can change in 6 second.

Matt Robinson is the Play-by-Play Voice of the Valencia Flyers. In addition, Matt also handles the Valencia Flyers Social Media accounts, produces stories and content for valenciaflyers.net and does Play-by-Play for College of the Canyons Ice Hockey.