Day 10 of Prospect Showcase: Alpha Rococos vs. Delta Planes - Planes can't quite achieve takeoff
By Jan Parker Peters
For Superprospects

780 words as per site

Having dropped their first game of the showcase versus the Charlie Angels, the Delta Planes were looking to come back out with a statement game. They came close, but finally fell to the Rococos 8-7 and unable to even the score as the game came to a close.

First Period Summary:
The Alpha Rococos opened the scoring 2:30 into the period on a net-front tip-in by Clean Andrek Kostitsyn, assisted by Eric Hudson and Yompy Stearf who directed a point shot into traffic. The Delta Planes' first line then responded 2:41 later with a goal of their own. Aakko Makinen scored his first goal of the tournament at 5:11, assisted by the forecheck combo of Miles Metcalfe and Ryan Hoople. A couple of minutes later, the game was brought to a halt by a hotly contested goal by Antti Antinen that went to video review - the goal was later overturned due to the puck being kicked in by Antinen, whose protests went unheard by the officials.

The video review seemed to swing the momentum to the Planes' side as the first line of Metcalfe, Makinen and Hoople went to work once again, with Metcalfe scoring his first goal of the tournament at 10:16 off a big rebound created by Makinen's shot. Young Finnish sniper Aakko Makinen wasn't to be outdone either as he scored once more at 13:47 off a set play from the point as the puck went backdoor.

However, the Alpha Rococos found their footing and responded shortly thereafter with two goals from countryman Antti Antinen at 14:47 and 16:00 respectively.

An exciting first period with a total of six goals scored, and explosively exciting hockey at both ends.

Second Period Summary:
This period was all Rococos as they came out swinging, directing a total of 11 shots on net. The first goal didn't come until 9:32 of the second, when Kostitsyn beat A Jobin clean from the slot on a slapshot that was screened in front. Antti Antinen had his first hat trick of the tournament as the prolific goal scorer made it 5-3 Rococos just over a minute later at 10:33, and chased the besieged Jobin out of the crease. Zach Attack entered as the replacement goalie for the Planes and was promptly beaten by Jimmy Wagner who faked out the goalie before tucking the puck in gently at 12:37.

The Delta Planes didn't really register a shot on net until the last five minutes of the period, and Salomon Frosty wired home a one-timer pass from Valentin Kalashnikov at 17:24 of the second period, which would be the Planes' only goal of the period, putting them down 4-6.

The Delta Planes had several holes put in their wing by the Rococos, and didn't have much of an answer back

Third Period Summary:
A fired up Delta Planes squad came flying out of the dressing room, creating chances almost immediately and putting John Curtis to the test. A broken play would result in a puck that caromed off Salomon Frosty's skate into the back of the net at 8:44, and a video review later determined the goal to be good with no kicking motion determined to be present. Alpha Rococo's Kostitsyn would respond with a goal to complete his hattrick, and Miles Metcalfe answered back for the Delta Planes with a slick backhand move. Antti Antinen also completed his hattrick at 11:55 of the third period, making it two Rococo players with hattricks in the game and putting the Planes down by two goals.

With the goalie pulled, the Delta Planes scored at 19:30 to bring them back within one, with Wanesly scoring a goal from his knees after being cross-checked to the ice in the crease. However, the last thirty seconds passed without another goal as the Delta Planes directed everything they had on net, only to be denied by Curtis.

Great last-gasp scoring from the Planes but ultimately failing to even the game.

Final Thoughts:
This was a high-scoring, fast paced game with slick goals from either side, but the Planes defense failed to shut down the high-scoring Rococo squad and gave up too many goals for their players to claw back. A valiant effort for the Delta Planes that eventually came up on short on the runway.

Final Score:
Rococos 8 - Planes 7