Friday, January 6, 2017

High School Fridays: Shaker-Colonie @ LaSalle (hockey), 1/6/17

It has been 10 days since LaSalle Institute had won the annual Mohawks tournament at Union College. The one burning question heading into tonight's home game vs. Shaker-Colonie was whether or not the Cadets could sustain the momentum, having spent those 10 days holding practices every day.

About 1/3 of the way through the first period, we got our answer, as Kevin Mainello lit the lamp to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. In the second period, Mainello took a pass from Logan DiScanio and one-timed it into the net to increase the lead to 2-0. The Jets answered as Joe Molloy stuffed one past Casey Boone to cut the lead in half at 2-1. However, Mainello completed the hat trick just a few minutes later, and LaSalle led, 3-1, after 2 periods.

In the final frame, Molloy one-timed a shot past Boone to bring the guests within one again at 3-2. However, with about five minutes and change left in regulation, DiScanio took a feed from Mainello and jammed home a power play insurance goal, making the final score 4-2, as LaSalle remains undefeated, running their current winning streak to eight in a row.

The Cadets now have a full week of practice before their next game, right back at home at Hudson Valley Community College on Friday the 13th vs. Niskayuna-Schenectady, with the return match on the road 15 days later. In between, LaSalle will be at Shenendehowa (1/18), at home against Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa (1/21), and at Saratoga (1/27). In a normal year, it'd be a killer gauntlet, and as it is, it will be a litmus test for the Cadets to prove they've come all the way back after two lean seasons in a row.
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Turning to the hardwoods, Troy High's women's basketball team began the week in first place in the Suburban Council's blue division. They end it one game out of first, having now dropped three of their last four after a 60-59 heartbreaker at Saratoga tonight. The Lady Horses were without one of their leading scorers in Shallie Frierson, but it was still a two-woman show on offense, as Alaina Holmes & Sabrina Wolfe combined for more than half of the scoring for Troy. Holmes had missed the last two games. Troy led by 15 going into the final frame, but were outscored, 23-7, as Saratoga came storming back to escape with the win. Troy had lost to Albany earlier in the week to fall into a tie for first at the time. The Lady Falcons now lead by a game after running their winning streak to six in a row by beating Niskayuna.

Meanwhile, the Troy boys aren't faring much better. In fact, after finishing last in their own tournament last week, the last thing they wanted was to start 2017 with another loss. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened, as their losing streak is now at 3 after dropping a 74-67 decision to Saratoga. Senior guard Ryan Carmello missed his 3rd straight game with an ankle injury, and his absence has had a damaging effect on the Flying Horses, who visit Niskayuna on Tuesday before returning home next Friday to play Bethlehem. The reverse holds true, of course, for the girls (home vs. Niskayuna, on the road at Bethlehem).

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