Lincs split back-to-back; Kalp, Elzinga take starring roles
- Spencer Seymour
- Oct 29
- 5 min read
By Spencer Seymour
Sometimes, the story writes itself.
On Oct. 24, with the St. Marys Lincolns wearing special pink jerseys as part of their annual Pink in the Rink night in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Owen Kalp, who has a very personal connection to the affliction through his mother, was the star of the show.
Kalp, known for his excellent shutdown game, put up a six-point game that included a hat-trick, an outburst that had the entire team over the moon.
“Kalper Makar,” captain Chase MacQueen-Spence called Kalp after the game, referring to the Colorado Avalanche star defender Cale Makar.
“Owen Kalp is him,” added Lincoln Moore.
“I have no idea (what he ate for breakfast that day),” said a blown-away Jacob Montesi, Kalp’s defence partner, “but I’m definitely going to his place for some tomorrow.”
After the game, wearing a bright pink suit, even Kalp was stunned by the game he’d just had.
“I’m speechless,” Kalp said with an ear-to-ear grin. “I think this being Pink in the Rink played a big part in my game tonight. It was for my mom, for sure. I told myself when I woke up that I’d have a good game for her and just try not to think too much and just play. I’m glad it worked.”
Kalp described what having the game of his life on a night that was so personal to him meant.
“It means everything to me,” Kalp told the Independent. “I’m just super thankful. This affects a lot of people in different ways, and this night means a lot to many people, so it’s awesome that the Lincolns can show the support.”
Kalp’s stellar night, according to head coach Jeff Bradley, resonated with everyone in the organization.
“I’m thrilled for Owen (Kalp) to have that kind of night because it really couldn’t have happened to a better kid,” said Bradley. “Sometimes, it seems too good to be just a coincidence. Owen means a lot to our team, and we know that night means a lot to him and his family. He’s proud to play in that game and represent his mom, and a lot of players on our team are playing for his mom as well.”
There was no indication of the eventual lopsided result in the first period, a scoreless frame in which neither team played well. Just 27 seconds into the middle stanza, Jake Ritson broke the ice for Strathroy, and just under four minutes later, former Lincoln Zander Kechego made it 2-0 for the Rockets.
Cue the Rockets’ parade to the penalty box; enter Kalp for his first of the night on the powerplay.
The Rockets gave the Lincolns three more powerplays in the period, with David Heath and Ryan Hodkinson scoring on two.
Bradley praised Heath, who had a breakout night with four assists along with his goal.
“It’s always an adjustment for young players coming into a league where you’re playing against kids who are two, three, four years older than you. It’s been a bit of an adjustment for David, but he’s a real hockey player, and he’s looking to get better all the time. For him to get rewarded the way he did, it speaks to his hard work.”
Kalp added his second goal later in the second, before a penalty-filled third resulted in the Lincs scoring six to take a 10-2 win. Two goals by Blake Elzinga helped the Walkerton native put up a six-point game.
“We are a better team when Blake (Elzinga) is playing well,” Bradley said. “Sometimes you just need a night like that to get on a roll, and that’s what we’re hoping to see out of Blake moving forward. I think six points a night is a little unrealistic, but confidence can be built off of nights like that, and we’re hoping it does that for Blake.”
MacQueen-Spence also scored twice in the third, including a highlight reel goal in which he deked Rockets’ netminder Mason Costa out of the crease and had Strathroy defenders sprawled on the ice, all while the Lincolns’ captain easily slid the puck into an open net.
MacQueen-Spence recounted his incredible move to pot his first of two goals in the final 20 minutes.
“I probably shouldn’t have been out there since we were short-handed, but (Owen) Voortman found me in the slot there, I screamed pretty loud, and he made a nice little sauce pass. I looked up and the goalie was coming out, playing me pretty high, so I held onto it a little long, went backhand to forehand, and then ended up having a tap-in.”
Nats squeak out opportunistic 3-2 win over Lincs
Despite a better all-around performance 24 hours later, the Lincolns couldn’t generate enough offence to keep their winning streak alive as the London Nationals held on for a 3-2 victory.
“Honestly, I felt better about that game than I did on Friday,” Bradley said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t capitalize on enough of our opportunities, but we out-chanced them, we outshot them and I thought we outplayed them. We had a couple of big mistakes and London was able to capitalize, but for the most part, we took care of the puck, our physicality was awesome and we had more chances by far.”
The teams traded goals in the opening period, heading into the first intermission tied at two apiece. Alexandre Campeau opened the scoring for the Nationals, with Elzinga countering for the Lincolns less than a minute and a half later. Just 24 seconds after, however, Aiden McDonald put London back ahead by one. With under two minutes left in the period, Hodkinson ripped a shot past Nationals’ goalie Dante Bertolin to tie it up.
A second-period goal by Eddie Hickson held up as the game-winner, with the Lincolns unable to bury on their one and only chance with the powerplay.
Elzinga delivered an even stronger showing than in his six-point effort the night before, and along with the hyper-tenacious Declan Ready, was one of the Lincolns’ best players against the Nationals.
“Blake (Elzinga) and Declan (Ready) were really good for us. Those two specifically brought a really important element to our game. Their work ethic was great. They were winning battles. They were just relentless in the offensive zone. They didn’t do anything difficult, he didn’t turn pucks over and he used his body and his speed, and was a real problem for London.”
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