Week of November 16, (Game 1) – Don’t look now but here comes the White Lightning team, back from obscurity, climbing out of the cellar and currently sitting tied for third place. The second hottest team in the Over-30 league had a tough battle this past week but managed to hold on to a 5 – 3 victory over the Shooting Stars. Leading the way in a breakout performance was captain Scott Young who now needs only 1 more point to defeat that Pink Stick Bag challenge.
In the first period, before the fans could settle in to their seats and Tony Medeiros could comment on Sergio Costa’s lack of hockey skills, who else but the Shooting Stars Sergio scored the game’s first goal only 21 seconds in as he took a cross rink pass from John Mastrocola and beat the goalie from the high right wing. Five minutes later, Pat Pirone was sent in on a breakaway by Dave Curcio and scored to tie this game up for White Lightning. Two and a half minutes later, Dave Curcio took matters into his own hands and scored an unassisted goal putting his White Lightning team ahead.
In the second period, playing in his first shift of the game after arriving late, captain Scott Young scored his own unassisted goal only 28 seconds into the period to give White Lightning a three goal lead. Before this game could get out of hand, the Shooting Stars Mark Stickney made sure that did not happen, only 22 seconds later, as he was set up in front by John Desmond.
In the third period, White Lightning’s Tony Bono scored his first goal of the season, two minutes in, as he was set up out front by Scott Young and Mike Caso. With just under three minutes to play, Mark Stickney scored a highlight reel goal from the high slot as he faked the forehand shot, pulled it to his backhand and then took something off his shot to fool the goalie to make this a one goal game again. It remained that way until Scott Young got the ball with five seconds to play and deliberately scored into the open net with one second left. A “punk move” by Scott like Jim Barber did a few weeks ago? Absolutely not!
Week of November 16, (Game 2) – Just like the opening game of the season when they initially played each other, the game between Blame the Girl and Cuckoo’s Nest was no contest and over very early. Blame the Girl rushed out to a quick lead, scoring three goals on their first three shots to soundly crush Cuckoo’s Nest in a rout, 6 – 1.
How bad was the first period for Cuckoo’s Nest? Blame the Girl threw nine shots on net and four of them went in, including their first three shots. It was ugly. How ugly you ask? Mike Naczas scored his first goal of the season only two and a half minutes in when his slap shot from inside his own defensive zone was saved by the goalie, only to pop straight up, and drop behind the goalie and slowly roll into the net (before the goalie could find it). Next, Carlos Machado whipped a shot off the wing only one minute later. Just over a minute after that goal, Tony Medeiros, set up by Dominic Defrancsico, scored from the slot on a power move to increase Blame the Girl’s lead to three goals. Capping off the scoring onslaught in the first period was Dominic, set up by Naz, a few minutes later. Four unanswered goals by Blame the Girl! The rout was on.
Even though Cuckoo’s Nest competed, played much better in the second period and generated some quality scoring chances, the momentum did not last as the frustration settled in. First, they lost one of their defensemen for the game due to multiple penalties for arguing calls with the referee. Secondly, all their hard work trying to get back into this game was for naught as their goalie let in another goal by Dominic (again set up by Naz) on the ensuing power play. Halfway through the period, Cuckoo’s Nest finally got on the board as Rick Cassano unleased a rocket from the right wing that beat the goalie, as he was set up by Joe Shannon and Matty Iannello.
In the third period, Dominic completed his hat trick with an unassisted breakaway goal to account for the final score. Like we said before, this game was ugly. For Blame the Girl, they remain undefeated after nine straight games!!
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