Hockey
A misstep and a short-handed win for hockey 'Cats during December
By Essie Powers
YORK - The YHS hockey team went 1-1 over the winter break, taking an 8-3 beating from the Biddeford Tigers on Dec. 23 at the Biddeford Arena, but playing for a short-handed 3-1 win over Leavitt on Dec. 27 in Auburn.A spirited and enthusiastic holiday crowd gathered on Saturday for the Wildcats-Tigers game, but only half the fans left happy. Biddeford put up a strong 3-1 lead after the first period and never lost control of the game. Senior Dan Graziano scored York's only goal in the first, burying a long rebound from Matt Carey's hard shot from the right wing.
The 'Cats had three power-play opportunities in the second, but were unable to convert on any of them. Forward Devin Zucker broke through the neutral zone twice on breakaways but hit the post. Jake Posternak had a chance from the left side, and Graziano, Carey and Ryan Clauson had some chances in close, but they could not get the puck to fall. Biddeford added two more and took a 5-1 lead into the third.
York came out with a spark and scored in the first minute when defenseman Chris Meehean sailed in a fast shot from the slot. Tiger goalie Tony Dube's quick stick was able to deflect it, but only to the tape of Kal Decato, who tapped it into the corner. The goal gave the 'Cats a lift and they played the Tigers straight up in the middle minutes, denying them four power play chances.
With five minutes to go, Kyle Banfield turned the puck at the blue line; Meehean carried it into the zone and sent a cross ice pass to defenseman Dan Powers, who hit from the right corner. It looked as though the 'Cats were mounting a late surge, but penalties in last two minutes gave Biddeford another two points and the 8-3 win.
York 3 - Leavitt 1
The frigid air of the Ingersoll Arena in Auburn has a history of being good to the Wildcats. Wednesday night, Dec. 27, they put another 3-1 win over Leavitt into the books, and went home with boxes of steaming French fries from the storied snack shack at Petingill Park.
The Wildcats took the ice already shorthanded, missing three forwards from their lineup. Playing without Andy Ohlson, Jake Posternak and Kevin Maran, York reassembled their lines and took advantage of their depth. Freshmen Tim Murdough, Paddy Murphy and David Figlioli skated as a forward line and Max Leeman played with the defense.
Junior Andrew Loane, in net for the Wildcats, saw Leavitt forward Stephen Rouillard slip through the middle in the first 17 seconds of the game and give his team a 1-0 lead, but Loane turned away all comers after that.
Loane had 16 saves on the night, and York's defensive lines of Meehean, Powers, Nick Richard, Matt Haight and Leeman put the Hornets through 44 minutes of scoreless hockey. Meehean and Powers poked away shots, Richard stole the puck while the Cats were shorthanded, Haight broke up a third-period drive and Leeman twice kept the puck inside the zone, including late in third period when four of the five Wildcats on the ice were freshman
"Our lines were jumbled up tonight," said senior Meehean. "We're missing some guys, but we had a chance to practice with the new lines and we adjusted right away. Everybody is working hard. When we're back to full strength we'll be even better."
Some quick work from Zucker in the corner set up Banfield, whose goal from the middle tied the game just three minutes into the first period. Zucker added a beautiful shot of his own in the second, getting a perfect pass from Clauson. The power combo of Carey and Graziano made it 3-1 York, and that would do it.
Neither team scored in the third, but they played a close, though slightly sloppy, game. Good fore-checking from both sides kept things even and sent some unattended coffee cups flying off the outside of the boards.
York took its 4-1 record into an important rematch against Cape Elizabeth last week at the Portland Ice Center.
