Newark, Del. — Penalty trouble cost Salesianum (7-5-2) dearly on Monday night (Jan. 20) at the Patriot Ice Center, as the two power-play goals they allowed proved their margin of defeat — 3-1 — to Cardinal O’Hara (8-6-0).
Salesianum registered 15 shots against Lions goalie Primo Baldassare in the first period, but were held scoreless — including through a two-man advantage for 1:19 at the midpoint of the period. They ultimately broke through 25 seconds into the second period, when Pat Kelly finished a two-on-one attack with a 40-foot wrist shot off a cross-ice feed from Frankie Pallante.
The Sals’ lead was negated with 8:44 left in the second, when O’Hara capitalised on an unsportsmanlike contact penalty on Salesianum leading scorer Cam Bergeman. Shane Truax tipped a long-range shot from Nick McKay past Sals goalie Aiden Kikut to even the score, and a net-front tip from Julian Gavin set up by a coast-to-coast advance by Jesse and David Monastra gave O’Hara a 2-1 lead with 4:31 left in the period.
The Lions gained control of the flow of the game and extended their lead to 3-1 with 6:05 left in the third period with their second power play goal of the game. With Pat Kelly ruled off, Nathan Fox posted at the top of the crease and turned a back-door pass from centre Steve Graney past Kikut. Despite removing Kikut in favour of an extra attacker with 2:37 to go, Salesianum failed to register any quality scoring chances with a manpower advantage in the attacking zone.
Baldassare proved excellent in victory for O’Hara, stopping 33 of 34 shots faced to improve to 3-1-0 on thee season. Kikut, who dropped to 7-5-2 in defeat, saved 23 of the 26 shots he faced.
Salesianum will look to bounce back from a two-game losing skid on Tuesday (Jan. 21), when they take on St. Augustine Prep in a non-ICSHL game at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Game time is 12:45 p.m.; coverage from Delaware Hockey Night TV and DHN Radio will begin at 12:40 p.m.
In other Inter-County Scholastic Hockey League action:
St. Mark’s 10, Marple-Newtown 0
The St. Mark’s Spartans ran their winning streak to nine with a 10-0 drubbing of Marple-Newtown at the Havertown (Pa.) Skatium. Nick Lawson led St. Mark’s with four goals — including all three third-period tallies — and one assist, James Morrison added two goals, and Will Ralsten, Nick Butler, Graham Kline and Kelly Stroike scored one apiece.
Sean Swain recorded a one-save shutout in net for St. Mark’s, while his teammates pelted Tigers goalie Matthew Beatty with 37 shots.
