Written by Duane Harlick:

The Royal Oak Ravens Varsity Hockey Club came out with another solid performance, defeating the Crestwood Chargers 4 – 2 on Wednesday night at Lindell arena.

The Ravens came out hungry in the first period, scoring on the opening shift of the game, and then taking an 2-0 lead shortly afterward. The Chargers seemed to settle in after giving up the early lead and, determined to make a game of it, eventually broke in on a 2 on 0 for their first goal.

The Ravens seemed to soften a bit in the second period, but exploded in the third with a relentless attack. Both teams traded goals leaving the Ravens clinging to a 3-2 lead late in the game. Again, the Ravens turned up their team defense and shut down any hope Crestwood might have had of escaping with a tie. With time running out and the Crestwood goaltender on the bench, the Ravens slammed the lid by scoring into the empty net for the 4-2 victory.

After the game, Coach Ward commented, “We came out ready to play with Crestwood and I believe we executed the plan very well. I felt that in the 2nd period we sat back to much and needed a spark. We found that spark in the 3rd with excellent defense. Overall it was a good game on both sides of the puck.”

The coach also gave high marks to talented senior forward Evan Fall for his impressive performance.  “Evan had a tremendous game with a hat trick but more importantly he was even better in the defensive zone.”

The Ravens next contest is Friday, December 14, against longtime rival Berkley Bears. Game time is 7:00pm at Berkley Ice Arena, 2300 Robina Avenue in Berkley. For more information, go to www.royaloakravens.com or follow the Ravens on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/royaloakhighschoolvarsityhockeyteam.