Icemen erupt for 18 goals in two games
By Jay Turner
After another cancellation last Wednesday — its third already this season — the CHS boys’ ice hockey team decided to take its frustrations out on Foxboro, pounding the Warriors into submission with a season-high 11 goals en route to an 11-0 victory at Metropolis on Saturday.
It was the first double-digit goal scoring effort of the season for the Bulldogs, and it came despite a scoreless first period in which the players were slow to get going, according to head coach Brian Shuman.
“We were completely flat,” Shuman said. “Foxboro had a few scoring chances and we just didn’t play well overall in the first period.”
But the Bulldogs sure made up for it in the second period, exploding for seven goals, including four in a span of just two and a half minutes after a Foxboro player was tagged with a four-minute major for hitting from behind.
Team scoring leader Nick O’Connor led the way with a hat trick and linemate JC Marcone scored two — all in the second period. Mike Denehy added a goal and two assists, and Matt Lennon chipped in with an unassisted goal. Assists were also registered by senior captain Mike Oldenburg, who had two, as well as Matt Malloy, Pat Ward, and Kurt Leavitt.
“We came on pretty quickly,” said Shuman of his team’s play in the second period. “It just kind of shows you how explosive we can be when we’re playing well.”
With the game comfortably in hand, Shuman turned to his third and fourth lines to play out the final period, and they responded with four more goals — one apiece from TJ Duggan, Brian Brooks, Justin Rudy, and Justin Saccone. Saccone also had an assist in the period, as did Lennon and Alex Atocha. Junior goaltender Kyle Baker got the start in net and played the whole game, earning his first shutout.
Not content with just one blowout victory, however, the Bulldogs decided to make it two in a row with a 7-0 thrashing of Attleboro in a makeup game on Monday — one of two makeup games that Canton is scheduled to play this week.
This time it was on the road, and instead of O’Connor it was senior forward Greg McElroy finishing with a hat trick — the first, second, and third goals of McElroy’s varsity career.
In fact, Shuman said McElroy’s line, which includes Brooks and Kevin McNeil, played their best hockey of the year and carried the team to a win.
O’Connor wasn’t too shabby either, scoring his 13th and 14th goals of the season, while Ward added a goal and an assist and Leavitt had two assists.
Meanwhile, another senior, defenseman Bryan Gorham, also had his first varsity goal, while Duggan, Denehy, and senior captain Greg Boyd all added assists.
Besides the Attleboro game, the Bulldogs had three other games this week, including a makeup game tonight in Foxboro and a pair of tough nonleague games against Lincoln-Sudbury and Hanover.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=1236
Posted by Jay Turner
on Feb 10 2011. Filed under High School, Sports.
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