Halla Edges High1 in Goalies’ Duel

After a couple of series with China Dragon, which saw the Dragon actually get a point by taking High1 to over time last Wednesday night, Anyang Halla and High1 faced off for a more evenly matched game.

According to the game sheet, there were 2,255 spectators. It is unclear how this number was arrived at, but it certainly wasn't from the amount of people sitting in the stands. There was certainly a large crowd there, larger than usually turns out for High1 home games, but if we took each person and assumed they had two smaller people under their coats they might have arrived at a figure resembling what appears on the game sheet.

This game was the first real test for all the fresh faces from Anyang Halla, and they didn't really disappoint. Woo-Je Sung especially showed promise with smart, determined play.

Halla came out roaring in the first period. Out-shooting High1 21 to 5. It was only by the consistent and focused play of Mitsuaki Inoue that High1 escaped the period with it tied at 0.

The second period saw High1 get on the board first with a deflected shot scored by Hyeok Kim. As a High1 player provided a screen a shot from near the point floated in and fooled Halla netminder Hyun-seung Eum. The second period saw both teams take a penalty, but it was Halla who converted when Sang-wook Kim scored eight minutes in. The second was closer with Halla out-shooting High1 16-12.

Halla attacks around a sliding defender in the second period

In the third, the game got chippy and messy, and the refereeing even more so. Several coincidental minors were handed out in the period, most of which were questionable at best. Six minutes in a couple of players who looked like they might be gearing for a fight received coincidental slashing minors. At 54 minutes Halla received a power play as Ishioka went off for tripping, but they were unable to score. Shortly after the power play ended though, Derlago found the back of the net and put Halla up 2-1. In protesting the goal the captain, Eun-joon Kim received a 10 minute unsportsmanlike penalty as he went above and beyond in his protestations. As is typical in a Halla and High1 match-up as the game drew to a close it got physical. Three sets of coincidental minors were handed out in the last few minutes of the game including slashing penalties to Derlago and Hyeok Kim of High1 at the end of the game as they started at each other. These coincidental minors were highly questionable. For example, the second involved Bryan Young of High1 attempting to lift/hurl Brock Radunske of Halla over the boards near the High1 bench. Both were given holding penalties, but it was obvious to all but the referee on the ice that Radunske was doing little more than holding onto Young to prevent himself from being dumped over the boards on his head. As Halla lined up to shake hands, nearly every player for High1 skated off the ice without shaking hands. Around half a dozen remained on the ice to shake hands. This is not the first time they've done this as a team as they did the same in a game in Chuncheon in a previous season when they lost a close, passionate game to Halla. High1 later indicated that the second goal in the third period involved goaltender interference on the part of Halla, and that the referee let Halla get away with too much. In tough close rivalries like this many of the players took it personally and that is why they left the ice at the end of the game. High1 indicated they were going to push the League to improve referee training to ensure fair games.

The fans reacted at the end of the game with boos as High1 left the ice. High1 later stated that the fans were booing the referee for what they felt was a poorly called game. It is unfortunate that this kind of situation has to occur in top leagues like this and no doubt left a sour taste in the mouths of both teams.

 

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