Shen Edges
McQuaid 3-2
Despite controlling play for most of the game, the McQuaid Jesuit Knights fell to the Shenendehowa Plainsmen 3-2 on December 4, at Genesee Valley Rink. The Knights gained control of the puck from the opening face off with a dump into the corner. Senior defenseman Andy Lane received an early penalty for interference, when he attempted to prevent the puck from leaving the Plainsmen's defensive end. The Knights' penalty killing units easily handled the ensuing power play. The next few minutes consisted of play in Shen's end with the occasional break out by the Plainsmen. What shots were put on Sophomore goalie Brian Burns, were routinely turned away.
At 11:01, the Knights' green line took advantage of extended play in their offensive zone to come up with the first score. Junior forward Alex Pochodylo scored on a low weak side shot to give McQ the lead. Senior defenseman David Hasely was credited with the assist.
Although the Knights continued their attack, the tables were turned on them at 13:03, when the Plainsmen threw a harmless pass up the middle from the top of their defensive zone. Burns misplayed the puck, when he executed a pad save that deflected the puck into the goal.
Despite the setback, the Knights continued to press the play in the Shen end of the ice. At 13:19, junior defenseman Ryan Sheridan was called for elbowing. The aggressive penalty kill employed by the Knights succeeded in limiting Shen's attempts on goal. At 14:10, the aggressive style paid off when junior Tim O'Brien notched his first goal of the season when he crashed the Plainsmen's net and scored, taking himself the puck and goalie past the goal line. Junior Grady Melville earned an assist on the play.
The middle period opened with the Knights once again controlling play. However, a blue line slap shot on the Plainsmen's rush into their offensive end deflected off Brian Burn's glove and into the net. The balance of the period saw the teams exchange penalties and scoring chances with play still favoring the Knights.
The final stanza once again favored the Knights. Of note was a breakaway effort by sophomore Nick Petrella on which the Shen's goaltender made an elegant sliding pad save to parry Petrella's backhand. At 10:54, a two on one rush by the Plainsmen resulted in the wining goal. After Burns made the initial save momentum carried him and the other players away from the goal. The puck sat on the goal line against the post. After several swipes at the puck by both teams, Shen's Adam Beairsto finally pushed the puck into the net.
The Knights had plenty of fight left in them and literally camped in front of the Shen goal as pucks were lobbed in from the point. One shot harmlessly went by the open weak side. With under two minutes left, Knights almost produced the tying score on a scrum in front of the net, where the puck seemed to defy the laws of physics and sat at the goal line until the goalie covered up.
Goalie Brian Burns made 24 saves, while the Knights leveled 29 shots at the Shenendehowa goal.
McQ Overpowers Lasalle 8-1
A combination of strong forechecking, a power play that was firing on all cylinders and strong goaltending, catapulted the McQ Knights over the LaSalle Institute Cadets 8-1 on December 5, at the Genesee Valley Sports Complex.
McQuaid started strong, dumping the puck into the Cadets' end and taking aim at the LaSalle goal, however the Cadets' goaltender, Ryan Franceschi, was up to the task and kept the Knights off the scoreboard.
Despite the intense pressure, the Cadets managed a breakaway attempt, which junior goalie Josh Bauer stopped by making a blocking chest save from a butterfly position.
The stalwart Cadet defense finally broke at 13:24, when junior forward Matt Kick scored off a pass from line mate Anthony Petrella to give the Knights the advantage. A minute later senior forward Bino Dangelo scored a power play goal to mark his first goal of the season. Chris Gerrie and Nick Petrella received assists.
The second period saw a steady reign of six goals from the Knights. Senior forward Matt Knightly scored first at 1:19. He was followed at 2:47 by Anthony Petrella who fired a high wrister as he cut through the slot. Assists went to brother Nick and defenseman Andy Lane.
Junior defenseman Ethan Matteson followed at 8:16 with a wrist shot that clanged off the crossbar. The Petrella brothers were credited with assists on that power play goal. Junior forward Robbie Lockamyeir chipped in his own power play goal at 9:45 on assists from Bino Dangelo and Chris Gerrie.
Matt Kick ended the second period scoring at 13:51, when he put in his second goal of the afternoon with assists from the Petrella brothers.
The redline figured one more time on the eighth goal, when Anthony Petrella nd Matt Kick earned assists on Ethan Matteson's second goal. This one a low slap shot from the point which beat the goalie through the five hole.
The Cadets only tally came at 11:03 of the third period, while the teams were skating four on four. Mitch Wacholder picked up the puck in the high slot and deked his way past two defenders before slinging the puck past Bauer high to the trapper side.
The Knights were credited with 49 shots, while the Cadets mustered 23 at Josh Bauer. The victory marked Bauer's first start on varsity.
