Wildcats drub Gulls in much-anticipated rematch
Feb. 7, 2005
What is it about the University of New Hampshire that transforms hockey games into Twilight Zone episodes for the Endicott Gulls? The first time the teams met this season, Endicott's bus trip was delayed for more than an hour, and the Gulls were left sputtering against a high-octane UNH squad, losing 5-2. This past Saturday (Feb. 5), skate problems and missing pucks delayed the start of the rematch at Endicott's home rink at the Pingree School in Hamilton. However, after a close opening 25 minutes, the Wildcats put their game into overdrive and smoked the penalty-prone Gulls before cruising to a 9-2 win.
It was clear from the drop of the puck that the Gulls would have their hands full with UNH, as the fast and disciplined Wildcats out-hustled Endicott and peppered sophomore goalie Dan Rudy, eventually finishing the first period with 20 shots on net. While the Endicott power play would misfire most of the night, the Wildcats were remarkably efficient with the extra attacker, ringing up seven goals with the man advantage. However, Rudy made it a game through the first 20- minutes, with several sparkling stops from close range. UNH finally got on the board at the 11-minute mark, with Endicott a man down for having too many men on the ice. Eric Cazanello got the puck at the right point, strode into the high slot and took a wrist shot that broke through Rudy for a 1-0 UNH lead. Rudy shook off that goal to make three more superb stops before the Wildcats got another power-play tally with less than 2½ minutes left in the period. Jeff Kneebone took a nice cross-ice pass from Mark Rando, walked in from the left face-off dot and fired a snap shot that beat Rudy 5-hole. Meanwhile, UNH goalie Nick Simon was rarely tested, seeing only three shots.
The second period started a better note for the Gulls. Less than three minutes into the middle stanza, freshman Joel Orlando grabbed the puck just inside the UNH blueline, outraced the Wildcat defense, shifted to his backhand and flicked the biscuit past Simon's blocker to cut the UNH lead in half. Assistant captain Derek Gagnon got the assist. Less than a minute later, however, UNH reclaimed their two-goal margin, With Mike Kasberg getting the eventual game-winner. Kasberg collected a perfect pass from Isaac Lacey, broke down the left boards, and fired a perfect shot that beat Rudy clean on the glove side. The Gulls, finally finding their legs, battled the Wildcats evenly over the next eight minutes, and were finally rewarded at just past the 11-minute mark. Taking advantage of a 5-on-3 power play, freshman Jeff Lallier slid the puck from the right point to defensive partner Mike Ripley at the top of the left face-off circle. Ripley unleashed a hard, low shot that deflected off Simon's stick and behind him to get the gulls within one. Unfortunately, the wheels soon came off the Endicott bandwagon, as the cumulative penalties took their toll and the Wildcats pounced for three goals in a 90-second span. Rudy made a scintillating glove stop on a UNH point blast, but off the ensuing face-off Wildcat Ryan Lanoue cut across the crease and roofed a pretty backhander over the sprawling Endicott keeper for another power play goal. A minute later, with the teams playing 4-on-4, Rando ripped a slap shot from the top of the left face-off circle that clipped the left post and behind Rudy for a 5-2 Wildcat lead. The Gulls narrowly escaped another UNH goal when the net dislodged, nullifying a Wildcat score, but Kasberg got it back 11 seconds later. With Endicott down 5-on-3, Kasberg walked out of the left corner and snuck the puck underneath Rudy for his second goal of the night and a commanding 6-2 UNH margin.
The four-goal lead stood until the 12-minute mark of the final stanza, when UNH cranked its power play into overdrive. Oakley Clark finished off a textbook tick-tack-toe passing play when, left unguarded at the top of the crease, he redirected the puck past a stranded Rudy. With less than four minutes to go, Kneebone capped another beautiful bang-bang sequence, getting the puck alone at the left hash mark and snapping a laser over Rudy's left shoulder. UNH's Dane Nielson finished the scoring with a tough, determined shorthanded goal with 90 seconds left in the game. Nielson fought through two Endicott defenders before flicking the puck between Rudy's arm and body for the final 9-2 tally.
The Gulls hope to regroup quickly, since their next league game is Friday, Feb. 11, on the road against another league powerhouse, Bryant College, in Rhode Island. The next home game for Endicott comes on Saturday, Feb. 12, against Bridgewater State College at the Pingree School in Hamilton. Game time is 7 p.m.