After dropping three straight decisions, the Kennett Blue Demons (4-4-0) returned to their winning ways on Monday evening (Dec. 16), using a six-goal third period to outpace the Oxford Hornets (0-11-0), 10-3, at The Pond Ice Arena in Newark, Del.
Justin Kern drew first blood for Oxford at 9:08 in the first period, stealing the puck in the low slot and lofting a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Kennett netminder Morgan Cullen. Hayden Ibarra-Blomgren tied the game for Kennett at 12:39 in the opening frame before a Christo Walker wrister from the mid-slot got past Hornets goalie Tyler Keenan 27 seconds into the middle period to give the Demons their first lead of the game. Five minutes after Xander Wehner responded with a redirect through the five-hole in the sixth minute of the second to tie the game at two with his first of two goals, Thomas Halsted came back with a top-shelf wrist shot from the high slot to put the Demons back in front 3-2 and give them a lead they maintained throughout. Halsted accounted for three additional goals in the third period, while Merritt Connolly, Forrest Gheen-Regouski, and Jacob DellaVecchia also found the back of the net in the closing frame.
In all, Kennett peppered Keenan–who assumed the goaltending duties with the tandem of Brandon Holz and Michael Snowden both scratched–with 47 shots on goal. Cullen turned aside nine of the 12 shots she faced from the Hornets.
Both teams are back in action on Friday, Jan. 5: Kennett seeks revenge against St. Marks, who defeated them 5-1 on Dec. 4, while Oxford squares off against Msgr. Bonner.
