Capital Battle
U-19’s Split in Albany
January 8, 2009
The U-19’s traveled to Albany, New York this past weekend to take on the Capital District Selects. In their return from the two week holiday break the U-19’s dropped Saturday’s opener, but shook off the rust for an impressive win on Sunday to salvage a weekend split.
After a feeling each other out for most of the first period on Saturday each team would find the back of the net twice in the last five minutes of the period. It was CD who would strike first when Tom Phibbs would convert on a shorthanded break with 4:31 remaining in the period. The Hitmen would respond less than 40 seconds later when Scott Steinel buried a power play goal with assists going to Kenny Pilanski and Chris Tamminga. CD would not stay down for long however and Adam Hitchko would once again put the Selects ahead with 1:55 remaining in the opening frame. The U-19’s would continue to attack the CD zone and would even the score with 37 seconds remaining in the period. Defenseman Kei Toeda would jump up on the rush with David Rose and Jimmy Day and slammed home a rebound opportunity.
The second period would see the home team take control as CD would score two power play goals, and thwart the Hitmen attack. Kyle Moore would break the 2-2 tie at the 12 minute mark when he converted on a feed from Dave Schnieder. The Selects would extend their lead at the 4:11 mark when Shamus McKillop put home a Kevin Roy feed.
The U-19’s came out in the third with a little more jump in their step and pulled within a goal when Ali Thomas found the back of the net at 7:01 of the stanza. Thomas who picked up a Jimmy Day rebound was nearly denied by the CD goaltender, but with a good second effort managed to punch the puck home. Despite controlling the play for much of the third the Hitmen could not find the back of the net and they would fall 4-3 in their return to action. Alex Effinger had 20 saves in the losing effort.
Sunday would see a return to form for the U-19’s as they would punish the selects from the drop of the puck. Just 32 seconds into the game David Rose would win an offensive zone draw to Ali Thomas. Thomas quickly touched the puck back to David Conte who promptly found the back of the net to put the Hitmen up 1-0. The Hitmen would strike again at 11:30 of the 1st. While shorthanded Noah Duguay would win a neutral zone faceoff forward to Matt Ruthberg who collected the puck and quickly fired it past the stick of the CD netminder to give the U-19’s a 2-0 lead. The Hitmen would hit a lull in the back half of the period allowing CD to pull even on goals from Ryan Secor and Mike Manna before the close of the period.
The second period saw the Hitmen special teams take control of the game. With Noah Duguay off for a double minor Scott Steinel would collect the first of his 5 points on the afternoon when he would take a Chris Tamminga feed and fire it home to regain the lead for the Hitmen. While on the power play later in the period Steinel would work the puck off the wall and feed Vinny Lopes at the point. Lopes fired a puck that deflected off a CD defender and into the net to stretch the lead to 4-2. Just over two minutes later, once again on the power play, Kenny Pilanski would find the back of the net. The play began and ended with Pilanski as he won a neutral zone faceoff onto the stick of Chris Tamminga. Tamminga would move the puck to Steinel who shortly after gaining the offensive zone feed Pilanski cruising down the slot. Pilanski blasted a one-timer over the glove of the CD goaltender to take a 5-2 lead.
As the third period got underway the U-19’s continued to suffocate the Selects. At 7:05 of the frame the Hitmen power play would strike for the third time on the afternoon as Steinel collected his second goal of the day on a feed from Tamminga. Steinel would return the favor at the 1:59 mark of the period when he would set up Tamminga for his first goal of the new year to give the Hitmen a commanding 7-2 lead. The U-19’s would find themselves guilty of a late mental lapse allowing Kyle Moore to find the back of the net with 1:30 left to play. Matt Braun made 28 saves to pick up his team leading 10th victory of the season.
Notes: Scott Steinel, Chris Tamminga and Jimmy Day all accumulated multi-point games on the weekend…Recent acquisition Michael Duffy played his first two games of the season…The Hitmen play their first home game of the New Year this Sunday at 11:30 against the Tri State Selects of the Empire Junior Hockey League.