Irish get clipped by Bluebirds but beat the Ironmen for a split weekend

On Oct. 18, the Stratford Irish travelled to Tilbury for a match against the Bluebirds as they looked to extend their undefeated start to the National Premier Hockey League (NPHL) season.

In the first period, after Tilbury got on the board at the 4:49 mark, goals from Matthew Montgomery and Thomas Hernandez less than one minute apart gave the Irish a 2-1 lead. Tilbury responded with 4:17 left in the opening frame, but a goal from Cole Thiessen put the Irish ahead 3-2 through twenty minutes.

Both teams exchanged goals in the second period, but the goal from team captain Zach Magwood gave the Irish a 5-4 lead going into the third period. Tilbury eventually pulled ahead late in the third to beat Stratford 7-6 in a game that featured seven lead changes and 133 shots on goal in total between the two.

The next night at Ohsweken, the Irish faced the Ironmen at the Six Nations Cultural and Recreation Centre. Stratford torched the Ironmen with four power-play goals en route to a 6-5 win. 

Six Nations jumped to a 2-0 lead midway through the first period before Ryan Migliaccio and Anthony Starvou responded for Stratford to even the score at two apiece through twenty minutes.

Brady Hunter gave the Irish their first lead of the game early in the second period before the Ironmen tied the game at three in the midway stage of the period. Mathieu Henderson put the Irish ahead for good with over five minutes left in the period, and Thomas Maia added cushion for the visitors heading into the third period with the score of 5-3.

Six Nations responded 54 seconds into the third period to cut the deficit to a goal. Still, Hunter's second of the game at the 8:18 mark of the period was the eventual game-winner as the Irish withstand a late Ironmen charge to improve to 3-1. 

Henderson and Maia led the Irish with three points each, while Marek Pavlas made 46 saves and earned top star honours in the win. 

The Irish travel to Strathroy to face the Jets on Oct. 24 and then return home to the William Allman Memorial Arena to face the Alvinston Killer Bees on Oct. 25.