Despite being assessed 16 minutes worth of penalties and conceding three power-play goals, the Delaware Military Academy Seahawks (5-0-0) proved victorious, 5-4, in a physical, hard-fought game over the Owen J. Roberts Wildcats (6-4-0) on Friday (Dec. 22) at The Pond Ice Arena in Newark, Del.
DMA defenceman Braedon Dougherty opened the scoring 1:51 into the game, beating Max Hunt and the Wildcats’ penalty-killing unit from the inside edge of the right circle on a pass from Markus Cook. Dougherty and Cook teamed up for the game-winning goal as well, with the freshman blueliner netting another power-play goal–this time a wrist shot from the top of the right circle–at 5:23 in the third period to complete a hat trick.
Cook had a hand in all three first-period goals for the Seahawks, assisting Aidan Danese’s power-play goal from the right dot at 12:08 before connecting himself for his 15th of the season with a minute to go. Cook’s tally gave the Seahawks a two-goal lead at the conclusion of the first period, as Sam Diehl put the Wildcats on the board with a right-side redirect at 13:51–the lone even-strength goal for the Owen J. Roberts side.
Roberts dominated the first half of the second period, beating senior netminder Julia Emerich with a trio of power-play goals. Dylan Gratton cut the Seahawks’ lead, while leading scorer Kevin Hatten increased his seasonal goal total to a dozen and tied the game at three goals apiece with a top-shelf glove-side goal from the left dot at 3:01. The Wildcats’ power play unit remained red-hot through the middle frame, taking advantage of a Justin McGee interference minor which met no approval from the Seahawks faithful by way of a Gratton wrist shot from the high slot at 8:13 and giving Roberts their only lead of the game.
After allowing three unanswered goals, all while shorthanded, DMA rebounded in the last minute of the second period. Dougherty netted his second of the game from a Max Ruggerio assist before notching the aforementioned game-winner in the sixth minute of the third period.
Emerich turned aside 28 shots in victory for DMA, and survived a late barrage from the Wildcats through the final minute, when Hunt was pulled in favour of an extra attacker. Hunt registered 38 saves for Roberts in defeat.
