Hockey
Hockey 'Cats pounce on Capers 4-3 in overtime
By Essie Powers
YORK - Whenever two old rivals face off against each other they bring their A game, no matter what.That's what happened last Saturday night, Feb. 10, when York beat Cape Elizabeth 4 to 3 in overtime. And when senior captain Kyle Banfield wristed in the winning shot from the high slot in OT, he knocked out a record the 'Cats are happy to be rid of. For the first time in over 10 years, the Wildcat hockey team beat Cape Elizabeth two times in a single season. York goalie Andrew Loane can put that on his locker.
"We had been preparing all week," said Banfield. "Coach Powers kept telling us that this team, this year, we had the chance to make history. During the game I could see everyone stepping up. The defense was huge. Paddy, Figgs and Tim Murdough were all working. We knew we were the best team on the ice, and we were determined to pull it out."
Sean Eubanks put Cape on the board first, but York answered right way when Paddy Murphy moved the puck to the point and Dan Powers blasted it past Lincoln Jordan in the Capers net.
Behind again in the second period, York tied it at two when David Figlioli took a breakout pass from Powers and Murphy, dazed his defenders, sped into the offensive zone all alone and buried a back-hander.
Just 40 seconds later, the 'Cats took their first lead of the game. Kal Decato and Nick Richard, sweeping the points at a feverish pitch, moved the puck out to Matt Carey on the wing. Carey slipped it back to Richard who flashed to the middle and his goal made it 3-2, York.
Still missing two key players from their lineup, the 'Cats came into the third with a storehouse of adrenaline. But Cape Elizabeth was far from finished. The Capers, still trying to lock down a chance to appear in the Class B playoffs, turned to veteran player and defending champ Andrew Gibson. His second goal of the night tied the game at 3.
At the end of regulation, York center Kevin Maran unleashed a shot from just below the red line that got past Eubanks but hit the post, so these longtime rivals put another eight minutes on the clock.
York played four minutes of the OT shorthanded and had to rely on the strength and determination of their penalty kill lines. Andy Ohlson, Dan Graziano, Jake Posternak, Devin Zucker, Maran and Banfield kept the line changes fast and heated and showed no signs of fading.
"As soon as we hit the overtime, we knew it was our game," said Banfield. "There was no stopping us."
With only 10 seconds between a win and a tie, Banfield skated through the neutral zone and took his shot.
"I got it off, and then I saw it in the back of the net," he said. "And then the whole team was on the ice."
The Wildcats are scheduled to host Gorham today, Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the Biddeford Arena.
