Well-timed break aids Mars' 6-5 win
VALENCIA — His team's game against Deer Lakes turned out to be a little too close for comfort for Mars hockey coach Steve Meyers.
He watched the Planets carry a 5-2 lead into the third period Monday at the Ice Connection, only to have the Lancers score three goals in a span of six and a half minutes to tie the score.
Mars (3-1) was put on its heels, but received a reprieve when Deer Lakes defenseman Alex Sallade, attempting to clear the puck, sent a shot into the legs of his own goalkeeper and into his own net. The goal came with just 1:43 left in the game and proved to be the final score in a 6-5 Planet victory.
“It's unfortunate,” said Deer Lakes coach Todd Luniewski. “Our boys played hard. The last goal, it was just a mistake and everybody makes mistakes. We made a lot of those tonight.”
In the evening's first game, Peters Township defeated Butler 2-1.
Mars' Trevor Tisdale was credited with the final goal. The sequence spoiled the Lancers' three-goal burst, which came on scores from Mitchell Rupprecht (2) and Zach Luniewski.
When asked what was going through his mind during the opponents' scoring spree, Meyers replied, “A lot of bad things. We gave up that first goal in the third period and things kind of snowballed on us. We were fortunate to get a lucky bounce there at the end.”
The Planets had the Lancers (2-3) on the ropes for the majority of the first two periods.
After Rupprecht's goal — his first of four on the night — just 26 seconds into the game, Mars responded with a pair of first-period goals from Johnathan Kowalkowski and another from Tisdale for a 3-1 lead.
Beau Heakins and Nick Makozy added scores for Mars in the second period against Lancer goalie Jonathan Lang, who ended the game with 19 saves.
“We are very deep offensively,” said Meyers. “Our top two lines are very strong.”
But Rupprecht also scored in the second period, which ended with Mars' three-goal edge.
The Planets had no problem killing penalties, including a 5-on-3 disadvantage for a minute and 40 seconds of the second period. Four of Deer Lakes' goals were scored during even strength and the other, Rupprecht's tally with 12:22 left in the second period, came with the Planets on a power play.“Deer Lakes has some really good forwards,” said Meyers. “When we were shorthanded, we played with more discipline. On even strength, our defense jumped right into what they (Lancers) wanted us to do. We had a lot of turnovers and bad passes.”Makozy (2), Tisdale and Alex Wnorowski were credited with assists for the Planets.Mars goalie Tyler Spreng made 21 saves in the win.Peters Township 2, Butler 1Looks can be deceiving.The Golden Tornado were on the short end of it Monday night.Trailing Peters Township 2-1 with under 20 seconds to go, Butler defenseman Jonathan Fair sent a slap shot from just inside the blue line toward the Indians' net. The puck was deflected by a teammate and dropped just behind Peters Township goalie, Brian Baker.The Tornado celebration was soon doused, however, when Butler was whistled for high-sticking. With just 15.8 seconds left on the clock, the Indians were able to escape the Ice Connection with a narrow victory.“I asked the referee what was the number of the player who had the high stick,” said Golden Tornado coach Mike Guentner. “He had no idea.“There was a scramble in front of the net and I think he called what he saw without thinking about it,” added Guentner.Even Indians' coach Rick Tingle admitted the goal should have counted.“I'm not sure why it wasn't,” he said. “We could be playing overtime right now.”It didn't take Peters Township (5-1) long to take the lead. Forward Matt Amelio took a pass from Josef Kittelberger and scored on a breakaway just 28 seconds into the first period.The score came against Butler goalie Logan Rothbauer, who would then make 16 straight saves before surrendering an unassisted goal to Adam Alavi with 6:43 left in the game. The score broke a 1-1 tie and proved to be the game-winner.Rothbauer totaled 19 saves in the game.“He was excellent tonight,” Guentner said of his goalie. “He played well enough for us to win.”The Tornado (3-2) managed 28 shots to the Indians' 21. Included in Butler's barrage was Joe DiMartino's score off a pass from Connor Scott with 11:10 remaining in the second period.“We outshot them tonight,” said Guentner. “It's one of those battles within a game that you like to win, though we only came out of it with one goal.”“Butler is a really good team,” said Tingle. “People were saying that before the season and it is definitely the case now. This game could have gone either way tonight.”Baker stopped 27 shots for the Indians.
