Last month, LaSalle opened its hockey season with a two-game road trip to Beekmantown and Plattsburgh, representing Section 7. The Cadets lost both games, but had a home rematch lined up vs. Beekmantown, set for today.
The change in the calendar year to 2016 has not bode well for LaSalle. It has been three weeks since they last won a game, going 0-4-1 since then, entering today's matinee at Hudson Valley Community College. The Joseph McDonough Sports Complex, which houses Robert Conway Ice Arena, also hosted an indoor track meet in the basketball gym next door, hence a lot more school buses than usual on game day.
The Cadets are playing this week without head coach Tim Flanigan, serving a two-game suspension, reportedly for abusive language in a loss last week at Burnt Hills. While the defense was stout in a 2-1 overtime loss to Shenendehowa on Wednesday night, it dissolved and disappeared in the course of today's game. Offensively, LaSalle couldn't solve the Eagles' complex defense and get close enough to goaltender Cole Harvey to mount any real threats.
Beekmantown drew first blood in the opening period on a goal by Christian Wawrzynski, and never trailed. Matt Maggy, Brendan Davison, and Brant Marion also scored for the Eagles. LaSalle made it interesting in the second period with a goal by senior tri-captain Brendan Haverty, but didn't light the lamp again until senior tri-captain Logan DiScanio scored with barely a second left in the game. What hurt the Cadets, more than anything, were an avalanche of penalties, as the referees called the game as tight and close as possible. Cadets players met with one of the officials at the end of the second period, trying to make a case to, well, even things out, since it seemed as though, in their minds, the referees might've missed a few too many calls that could've gone against Beekmantown. As it was, the 4-2 loss extends the current winless string to six games (0-5-1).
Unofficially, this was the start of "revenge week" for the Cadets, who have return matches at home next week vs. Christian Brothers Academy (Wednesday) and Burnt Hills (Friday), before wrapping up the current five game homestand vs. Niskayuna-Schenectady on January 29. Momentum is key over the next two weeks, because following a road rematch vs. Bethlehem (February 3), the Cadets close the home schedule with Saratoga, the runaway leader in the Capital District High School Hockey League, and a rematch with Tri-Falls before finishing the season on the road at Queensbury.
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