McQ Over RFA

The McQ Knights brought their recent on the road success home to Genesee Valley Rink to win a 7 to 2 decision over Rome Free Academy Black Knights on January 3. The early going found the McQuaid putting offensive pressure on RFA. By mid-period, the Black Knights found their legs and were running a trap that hampered the MCQ breakout. Each team successfully handled penalty killing situations, with the period ending in a scoreless tie.

The Knights solved RFA's trapping defense in the second period, which led to two McQuaid scores. The first, at 2:17, resulted from a pass from senior Sean Knightly to senior defenseman Nick Lisena, who skated in from the point and shot just inside the top of the circle on goalie Derek Pfeiffer's stick side. The slap shot glanced off an RFA defenseman's leg and into the net. McQuaid scored again at 3:54, when junior forward James Sturnick took at pass from sophomore Alex Pochodylo to beat Pfeiffer on a wrap around.

With those two early second period goals, the Knights grew more confident. But careless play resulted in the first of RFA's second period goals. At 7:37, RFA's Trevor Brockway was called for cross checking. Some 16 seconds into the penalty kill, an RFA dump into McQuaid's end was picked up by junior forward Woody Hudson. Wheeling up the boards on the right wing, Hudson tried to through a blind pass back to line mate Brent Sanderson, who was cutting in from the left boards. The pass was intercepted by Matt Dematteo, who fired a high slap shot which beat freshman goalie Brian Burns on his glove side.

The short handed goal charged up the Black Knights, who had been reeling from the McQuaid onslaught. The RFA momentum continued and resulted in a second goal at 10:37. During a scramble in front of the net, Burns made an initial stop, which rebounded back to RFA, the second shot hit the post and deflected off Burns and into the net. The second period ended in a two all draw.

Success in the third period started early for McQuaid, when at 1:30, senior forward Sean Knightly scored on an assist from junior forward Alex Pautler. Although that was all the scoring the Knights would need, McQuaid score four more for good measure. At 4:21, James Sturnick scored, with assists to Pochodylo and senior forward Adam Reask. At 6:53, junior forward Woody Hudson took a cross ice pass from sophomore defenseman Ryan Sheridan, went around the defense on the left wing, cut across the goal mouth and tucked the puck around the goalie leg pad before sprawling into the boards.

Adam Reask added a power play goal of his own at 11:19, with assists to Sturnick and junior defenseman Ben Napoli. Senior forward Pat Gerrie rounded out the scoring at 13:44, when he skated around the defense on the left wink and took a snap which beat the RFA goalkeeper top shelf on the near side.

McQuaid outshot RFA 39 to 10.