Saturday morning, the Ventura Mariners Bantam Killer Bees played their second game of the tournament. Their opponent
for this match was the Beach City Lightning, a team with no less than twenty players on their roster. However, it's not about
quantity, it's quality that matters. The Lightning quickly established a beach head in the penalty box and the Mariners made
them pay. Speedster Tyler Forest ripped a shot from the high slot that the goalie never saw. The Mariners had their first
lead of the tournament.
The boys didn't let up. The offense attacked ferociously and the defense
clamped down. The dominant play began to frustrate the Lightning as they resorted to a series of cheap shots. The Mariners
never took the bait and stayed focused. Mid-way through the second, TJ Samuel crashed the net and found a meaty rebound that
he buried to give his team a 2-0 lead. The game was close only on the scoreboard. The Mariners were carrying the play completely.
Early in the third period Conor Gleason scored from behind the goal-line when he banked one in off of the Lightning goalie.
As
time wound down, the only thing left to prove was the shut out. Gianluca Allen made big saves all game long. He couldn't get
comfortable though, because he faced a furious push at the end. He was seeing the puck all the way and the defense in front
of him was too strong. The Lightning couldn't get one passed him. The Mariners earned their first win 3-0.
