Grizzlies Boys’ Ice Hockey Takes Rivalry Win Over Hand, Continues Winning Ways
On Jan. 2, the Guilford boys’ ice hockey team traveled to Hand for a rivarly clash. The Grizzlies walked away from the game with a 6-5 win. It was a very competitive contest, with the teams going back and forth on offense.
After giving up two early goals in the first period, Brady Raffone put Guilford on the board with an unassisted goal at the 8:27 mark. At the 3:13 mark of the period, Raffone found the net for his second goal of the game, this time assisted by Shane Considine. Finally, at the :21 mark, Leo Hergan gave the Grizzlies a 3-2 lead on an unassisted score.
In the second period, the scoring alternated between the two teams. Hand’s Kevin Rich evened the score at 3-3 at the 8:25 mark. Shortly after that, Shane Considine answered at the 6:40 mark, with the assist going to Brady Raffone. At the 4:01 mark, Jack Orlando scored for Hand to make it a 4-4 game heading into the locker room.
At the 5:19 mark of the second period, Logan Bertrand scored unassisted to put the Grizzlies back on top. The Tigers weren’t going down without a fight, however, as Ryan Pfaff scored off of an assist from Trip Rizzo at the 2:37 mark. Logan Bertrand knocked in the game-winning goal for Guilford at the :46 mark, with assists being credited to Shane Considine and Will Petrick.
Coach Russo left some words of encouragement for his players after the game.
“It was a nice team win. As usual, it was a spirited game, with both teams rallying throughout the game. We were playing well but fell behind 2-0 in the course of a little over a minute near the 5:30 mark of the first period. Brady got us right back in the game with a goal nine seconds later, and then scored again with the help of Shane two minutes later. Then Leo gets one with 21 seconds left in the period. That really got us back on track.”
Coach Russo also detailed the intensity of the remainder of the contest. “The rest of the game went back and forth,” Russo said. “We would pull ahead and Hand would find a way to tie it. Both teams really played their hearts out. We were really happy to get the go-ahead with 40 seconds left. Everyone in attendance got to see a very exciting hockey game: lead changes, a penalty shot, power plays and a lot of hustle.”
“Both teams showed resilience. I was very happy to see our team keep pushing forward and get a great result. We need to keep working on some things but we will keep getting better with continued effort.”
The Grizzlies then traveled to Lyman Hall on Jan. 4, coming away with a 5-3 victory. Defense was the story of the first period, as neither team scored. In the second period, Leo Hergan got Guilford on the board first with a goal at the 1:58 mark, assisted by Shane Considine.
Lyman Hall then scored three straight goals to give them a 3-1 lead. 2:08 LH Connor Zukowski scored an unassisted goal at the 2:08 mark, followed by his second of the game at 2:17, on an assist from Dylan Shadle. At the 7:25 mark, Alec Brockett scored unassisted. The Grizzlies wouldn’t let the period end like that, however, as Mitchell Ward knocked in a goal from Will Petrick at the 13:13 mark. Guilford headed into the locker room down 3-2.
The third period was nothing short of dominant for the Grizzlies, as they scored three unanswered goals to win the game in comeback fashion, by a score of 5-3. At the 4:13 mark, Nate Ponzio drilled one into the net on a pass from Mitchell Ward and Logan Bertrand. Will Petrick scored unassisted at the 9:58 mark, and Leo Hergan capped it off at the 13:25 mark, with assists being credited to Sean Melvin and Shane Considine.
Coach Russo was very pleased with the way the team handled the challenge they faced, and the way they responded after trailing.
“We were really tested today in many respects,” Coach Russo said. “We faced a hot goalie and we had to come from behind. It was not an easy game by any measure. Leo Hergan had a very steady effect for us, scoring the first and fifth goals and playing a smart game. Will Petrick and Mitchell Ward had a productive game with a goal and assist each. Mitchell’s was a momentum turner as we were down two. Will's go-ahead goal was nothing fancy, just a nice play focusing on a rebound.”
Russo also added, “we doubled them up on shots but Lyman Hall didn't seem to care. They battled and we had to work extra hard and keep some composure. I am very happy our guys worked through today's adversity.”
The Grizzlies finally returned home on Jan. 7, with a battle vs. North Branford. Guilford set the tone early in this one, with three goals scored in the first period.
At the 5:00 mark, Gabe Mongelli knocked in the first score of the game, on assists from from Mitchell Ward and Brady Raffone. At 7:21, Logan Bertrand gave the Grizzlies a 2-0 lead, with Nate Ponzio getting the assist. At the 9:30 mark of the contest, Brady Raffone dropped in a dime, with Will Petrick credited with the assist.
North Branford got on the board first in the second period, with Tyler Connelly finding the net, on an assist from Mike Matteo and Colin Auger, at the 13:16 mark. Will Petrick gave Guilford a 4-1 lead at 13:32, with assists from Brady Raffone and Gabe Mongelli.
The third period saw a lot of action on offense, as Logan Bertrand opened the scoring for Guilford at the 4:08 mark, with Sean Melvin and Leo Hergan recording the assists. The Thunderbirds then found the net for three straight goals. At 7:50, Jake Pederson scored an unassisted goal to make it a 5-2 game. Then shortly after that, Colin Auger knocked the puck in at the 8:25 mark. Jack Maley, on assists from Jake Pederson and Mike Matteo, pulled North Branford within one at the 9:43 mark. Logan Bertrand scored an insurance goal for the Grizzlies at the 14:28 mark, with Shane Considine on the assist. Guilford came out with a 6-4 win.
Coach Russo was proud of the efforts of his team throughout the contest. “We had a good start to the game and played well through the second period,” Coach Russo said. “Offensively, a nice game for Logan with a hat trick, but for others as well. We had three other scorers and assists on each goal. When we move the puck purposefully and quickly we are generating great offense this year. We had a three minute defensive lapse in the third period that really narrowed our lead. It's a 45-minute game. Today shows that we can improve by playing with more attention to detail throughout an entire game.”