 |
|
 |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Genny
Cruises To Victory Over Black Knights
The West Genesee Wildcats finished their 2003 regular
season schedule at home with a 16-1 record that culminated
with an 11- 8 come from behind victory over the Henninger
Black Knights. Prior to the start of the game seniors
Mike Malfitano, Jed Bebee, Kevin Henningan, Cheney Raymond,
Pat McCormack, co-captain Drew Dabrowski, Keil Moore,
Michael Paul Solamon, Andrew Sugar, Bill Gleason, Casey
Rotella, Chris Bulawa and co-captains Brian Calabrese
and Matt Cassalia where all honored with one last trip
through the line at West Genesee High school field.
Genny came out firing but had nothing to show for their
efforts as McCormack and Cassalia both had their shots
bounce of the left goal post. Henninger's Andrew Carducci
took advantage of the near misses giving the Black Knights
a 1-0 lead at 9:28 putting a bounce shot high over Rotella.
Then Knights increased their lead to 2-0 at 7:45 Michael
McDonald netted the first of his five goals with a turn
around left handed shot. Genny threatened on their next
possession when Cassalia won the draw headed towards the
Henninger net but fired high over the crossbar. Cassalia's
near miss was followed by Gleason who put one over the
net and junior middie Jake Moulton who fired wide. Moore
finally found the range for the Cats just before the end
of the first quarter with a goal at 1:10 cutting to the
crease taking a pass from Bebee and cutting the Black
Knight lead to 2-1.
Henninger began the second quarter with an early threat
but Rotella turned away a spinning shot by Carducci to
keep the Cats within striking distance. Genny then took
advantage of a looseball pushing call at 10:30 by turning
it into a Cassalia goal just five seconds later to knot
the game at 2-2. Twenty one seconds later it was junior
attackman Andrew Hanover who beat his man to the pipe
while getting hauled down but still had the presence of
mind to put the ball home for Genny's first lead of the
game 3-2. Hanover added a second straight goal with a
pretty left to right handed move at 6:38 to increase the
lead to 4-2. The Knight's McDonald cut the lead to 4-3
as he zipped an off stick hip high shot past Rotella with
just 1:10 left in the half.
Raymond gave the Cats one last chance with 57 seconds
to go when he gathered up a loose ball out of a scum charged
to the Henninger goal but had his shot turned aside to
end the half.
The third quarter began with a patented Genny run that
include five straight goals to break the game At
11:06 Cassalia netted his second right in front with an
assist to Dabrowski to nudge the Genny advantage to 5-2.
Gleason followed at 8:43 beating his man to the cage and
getting an assist from Moore to make it 6-3.
McCormack follwed with an unassisted left hander to increase
the Cat's advantage to 7-2 at the 7:20 mark. Off the ensuing
face-off Cassalia took the draw hit Dabrowski who found
Bebee who in turn gave it to Hanover who netted a hat
trick at 7:13 just seven seconds after their last goal
and lead an 8-3. The Cats followed with another classic
at 5:22 with a Dabrowski to Hanover to Bebee who put the
shot in with his trademark nonchalance giving Genny a
9-3 bulge. Henninger finally stemmed the tide with a goal
at 5:04 being victimized again by McDonald as his right
hander found rope behind Rotella to cut the lead to 9-4.
Junior middie Alex Bily looked to add another goal before
the end of the quarter when he took a pass from behind
from Dabrowski but was snuffed on the crease. Henninger
converted the save into a successful clear and headed
towards Rotella and looked as if they'd get an easy shot
on goal but a last second check by Calabrese sent the
Black Knight shot wide.
The Cats weren't so fortunate on Henniger next chance
when Mike Nash found the range with just 32 seconds left
to cut the lead to 9-5.
Bebeed the scoring in the fourth when he fielded
a rebound courtesy of a wicked Hanover shot that caught
the Henninger goalie square in the face mask, then deeked
an on rushing defender and faked the goalie with several
stick fakes to make it 10-5 at 11:04. McCormack's second
of the game at 10:36 left made the score 11-5 and Genny
seemed to have the game in hand. But the Black Knights
refused to be put to rest as Jeff Rommel cut the lead
to 11-6 with 8:42 to go in the game.
Genny's next two possessions were as sloppy as they were
lackadaisical as they turned the ball over two straight
trips down the field. Henninger took advantage of Genny's
late game lapse when McDonald swam through three different
Genny defenders and fired a long shot that skipped past
Rotella to cut the lead to 11-7.
What was an almost assured victory then became a tainted
win as the Cats continued to let off the gas allowing
Henninger in the door one last time to make the final
score 11-8. |
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
final |
| West Genesse |
1 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
11 |
| Henninger |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
8 |
| Hanover 3-1,Bebee 2-2, Cassalia 2-1,
McCormack 2-0, Moore 1-1,Gleason 1-0, Dabrowski
0-3 Saves: Rotella 7 |
| Click on an image
below to view a game highlight Quicktime movie |
|
 |
|
|
| Bily to Dabrowski to Bebee to Hanover
to... |
Cassalia eludes 5 Black Knights. |
Gleason blasts one in from outside. |
|
|
|
| Hanover takes a beating but gets the
payback. |
McCormack from Dabrowski. |
Look what Beebee found. |
|
|
|
| |
 |
| |
