Friday, January 5, 2018

High School Fridays: Saratoga @ LaSalle (hockey), 1/5/18

The skating Cadets of LaSalle Institute have had nine days to prepare for the resumption of league play after a heartbreaking overtime loss in the finals of last week's Mohawks tournament at Union College. Perennial league power Saratoga provided the opposition as LaSalle opened a three game homestand at Robert Conway Arena tonight. While it may have felt like "Ice Station Zebra" outside, the intensity level of the two teams heated up the crowd, which grew bigger as the night progressed.

Defense and outstanding goaltending were the hallmarks of this game. After LaSalle's Casey Boone and Saratoga's Brad Hipsley thwarted every shot headed their way in the first period, LaSalle's Ryan Murray broke the ice with a couple of minutes left in the second period. Murray went top shelf, banking a shot off the corner of the net to beat Hipsley for a power play goal, and the hosts led, 1-0, entering the second intermission.

Saratoga's Matt Shamberger tied the game with a one-timer past Boone in the third period. Just as the teams were about to go into overtime, LaSalle's Sebastian Geiger was sent off to the penalty box for elbowing. LaSalle began each of the last three periods a man short, but Saratoga ended up 0-4 on the power play. Just thirty-two seconds into the extra session, Thomas Ryan, LaSalle's leading scorer, sent everyone home happy as he beat Hipsley with the game winner, a short-handed tally off a pass from Murray, to give LaSalle a 2-1 win.

Next up for LaSalle is "Guilderville" (Guilderland-Mohonasen-Scotia-Glenville) Tuesday night, and the homestand concludes on January 13 vs. Niskayuna-Schenectady. The return match with Saratoga will be on February 2 at Saratoga.

Also, the home match vs. Queensbury, postponed two weeks ago, has been rescheduled as the home finale for LaSalle on February 13, though Senior Night will still be February 10 vs. Adirondack.
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Other high school news: It's one thing that Troy High would have trouble beating elite Suburban Council teams like Shenendehowa, or, in the women's case, Shaker. However, Bethlehem has proven to be just as much a monkey on the collective backs of Troy's basketball teams.

Tonight, the boys dropped a 57-56 road verdict at Bethlehem. Jay-Quon Moore had a season-best 17 points to lead Troy. Meanwhile, at Zotto Memorial Gym, the Troy women were blown out of the gym by the Lady Eagles, 66-33. Freshman Alaina Holmes led Troy with 14 points. No one else reached double figures. The Troy women are 0-5 vs. Bethlehem dating back to the 2014-15 season, when Troy was an independent. Coach Paul Bearup's club will close their four-game homestand with a non-league tilt vs. Lansingburgh on Monday night before hitting the road to play Guilderland on Tuesday.

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