Landon Hockey wins in O/T shootout over DeMatha

The game was a battle for 48 minutes at the Laurel Ice Gardens between the #2 seeded Bears and the #3 Stags. An analysis of the visitors’ statistics should have foretold the script of the game—the visitors scored 2 goals in the last period to tie the match. During the regular season the WCAC athletic powerhouse scored 57% of its tallies in this last segment (21/37 in 9 games). Even Topper Shutt L’77 could not forecast the O/T or the shootout, because DM has neither in its ’21-’22 past. The good news is that the Bears, who have been through a S/O, won this time.

The Stags came out buzzing in the first period, controlling the puck and peppering Leo Quattrone with 8 shots, all of which the senior goalie saved to keep his brother Bears in this important game.

After this barrage, the Bears buried 1 of their 11 SOGs– @ 11:27  Mike Hardie fed Ethan Goldman  for Landon’s 1^st goal while the Stags were a skater short due to a penalty.

END OF 1^ST PERIOD BEARS 1 STAGS 0

Coach Sears’ team probably leads the IAC and MAPHL in Shots on Goalie, a non-existent stat, but one signaling skaters hitting the netminder instead of the net—NOT SO PERIOD 2. The Bears beat the Stag G twice on 5 shots. Kevin Fou got  the team’s 2^nd goal@ 14:47 with an apple to Reid Pehrkon even strength.

DeMatha was awarded its 1^st goal after the referees found a White-sweatered having committed a sin—and at  12:14, DM scored its 1^st goal.

Landon responded with its 3^rd goal when Kevin fed Owen Calderone @ 2:46.

Leo stopped 10 of 11 shots.

END OF 2^ND PERIOD BEARS 3 STAGS 1

In minutes 30:01 to 45:01 Landon was able to fire 12 SOGs. Multiple times several Bears were situated on the edge of the Stag crease. Not to cast aspersions on the Stags, but their goalie seemed to have an instinctive reaction to the proximity to his blue ice—an apparently uncontrolled twitch of one or the other leg cause the net to dislodge from its moorings.

On the other hand, the visitors scored twice both on PPs.

END OF REGULATION BEARS 3 STAGS 3

O/T was another draw; fortunately, Leo stopped all 5 SOGs.

Having been through a shootout recently, Landon was ready. The Stags successfully converted its first try. Then, Owen Calderone beat the DM goalie on a nice sequence of moves. The next two innings were without goals—Leo was tough  stuffing the Trinitarian school’s skaters top 3 goal scorers. The game was over when Arthur Smink deked out the visitors’ netminder.

Bears WIN MEANS TRIP BACK ON MARCH 4 @ 7PM @ LAUREL FOR THE GOLD

Seated next to a DM hockey coach once, I asked him about this “coincidence” and he replied we coach to win.