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Impact Players: Thompson, Olivieri, McAnanama April 26, 2025 | ||
Posted by: Bob Howard Credit: Binghamton Hockey.net | ||
April 26, 2025 - by Taylor Welch - BinghamtonHockey.net Last night we saw the Black Bears do what they have done most of the season, and that is dominate the game. Unlike the game in Port Huron Friday night, the Black Bears did not allow the Prowlers to control the game. Friday night would see the Prowlers play the Black Bears game better than them, so last night the Black Bears played the Prowlers game and brought the physicality and never let up. The first big hit of the game would come not long into the first period, where Austin Thompson would take down Braidan Simmons-Fischer, who is by far the biggest guy on the ice. Thompson never let up last night, and even after whistles, he was making sure to knock guys like Matt Graham just to get in their heads. Thompson created many scoring opportunities, even taking shots right off the draw of faceoffs. In the third period, the Black Bears would go on a penalty kill for 5:23 for a tripping call against Don Olivieri, and just over a minute later, Timothy Organ would fan on a shot, leaving the puck right in front of Austin Thompson, who would see Chris Mott skating ahead in the neutral zone. Thompson would make a beautiful pass, allowing Mott to skate down and score short-handed. As Bobby Howard mentions in his game day thread, Thompson has the most shorthanded assists of anyone on the team. Thompson has proved to be a powerhouse this season; whether it's screening the goalie or playing from the blue line, his on-ice presence doesn't go unnoticed. Speaking of bringing the physicality one of the players who started the pushing and shoving right at the first face-off of the game was Don Olivieri. The veteran player was able to use his skill set from years in the SPHL and ECHL to know when and how to throw good hits. He is also, in my opinion, a brick wall to try to hit. He plants himself and takes it, and chances are the guy throwing the hit is going to end up on the ice instead of him. Olivieri has a very interesting way of poking the opposing team to get them worked up and frustrated all while he smiles and laughs it off. He is arguably the best player to go into the penalty box; the crowd loves it, Coach has a smile from ear to ear, and well, Olivieri gets to sit and eat a Twizzler. Although he did not have a goal last night, I always say I would hate to be the goalie that has to stop his slapshot because I'm sure that even if it isn't a goal, it's enough to throw the net minder off his game a little because Olivieri could shoot from anywhere on the ice and be on target to the net. Though I just mentioned he did not have a goal last night (although the fans sitting behind the net would all say he had a goal towards the end of the first), he did have assists on 3 of the 4 goals, earning himself the first star of the game. His first assist, Olivieri was thinking about a one-timer but instead saw Gavin Yates wide open next to the net and sent it down low for an easy scoring opportunity that Yates capitalized on. When the game is important and matters, you need someone who has the skill set that Olivieri does. They often say a goalie is only as good as the 5 players in front of him, but Connor McAnanama is a force to be reckoned with. Managing several shutouts in the regular season and earning 2 shutouts so far in the playoffs, he, in my book, deserves goalie of the year. He earned goalie of the month for both March and April and has continued to be a star since the beginning of the season. McAnanama through the regular season didn't come out of the crease often to play the puck, but that's one change he has made in the playoffs, especially against the Port Huron Prowlers. McAnanama reads the play on the ice well enough to know when to come out of the crease to play the puck and when to just settle it down and let the team reset to take it up ice. This was a crucial part of his gameplay against the Prowlers, who were looking for breakaway chances and just a chance to control the puck in front of the netminder. This would prove just another way to take the Prowlers out of the game. As always, McAnanama had a stellar performance, stopping all 17 shots on goal and forcing this series into a winner-takes-all.
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