Spartans' Effort Not Enough To Oust Dragons

As Coach said before tonight's game against Amity, we are every team's "season". By this, he meant that every time a team plays us, they treat it like their Stanley Cup. In a perfect world, I believe every game should be played as if it were the Stanley Cup. Of course, this world is far from perfect, and we are all human. That is, all of us except Maya Moore and her Lady Huskies, who have found so much success in the past 89 games simply because they play like they are down by 5 points every game. Needless to say, many opposing coaches emphasize to their players that when they play us, it is the biggest game of the year. Amity certainly prepared in this manner, as they came out with a great deal of intensity this past Wednesday evening.

We were not to be outplayed though, and we made sure of that. Nobody wants to lose against a team that just made the Division 1 jump, but it is a lot easier said than done. Pat Lynch got things started in the right direction with a quick back-door goal. Amity however, had a plan of their own. They answered back, capitalizing on a defensive zone meltdown, and just like that it was 1-1.

Onto the second period. Intensity rose and momentum was on our side. C.J. Carignan netted his first of the year to put the home team back on top. We spoke during the break about crashing the net to cause commotion, and Jimmy Burt did just that. Wreaking havoc in front of Amity goaltender Alec Mansfield, Burt tipped a Brandon Dadio snapshot, shortly after Carignan's goal, to leave the Dragons with a 3-1 lead with 5 seconds to play in the second. Many in attendance assumed momentum would remain with the Dragons to end the period, but not if Corey Shea had something to say. I foolishly shot right into the opposing winger's shin pad, the puck bounced directly into Shea's path, and he streaked down the left side of the ice only to put one right through Matt Hoff's five hole with 0:01 seconds left on the clock. A huge roar from Amity, an "It's all your fault" chant towards me, and Amity went back to their dressing room thinking that they still had a chance.

Benches got shorter, shifts got tighter, and we led by a slim one goal margin. With 2 minutes left in the game, we had hemmed Amity so deep in their zone with the 3-2 fore check that they were not able to pull their goalie. Around the one minute mark, however, the Spartan defense was able to clear the puck and add an extra attacker. This man advantage did not last very long due to Carignan's second goal of the night, an empty-netter. The line of MacGregor, N. Amarone, and Carignan matched the P. Amarone-Burt-Lynch tandem's two goals, and Nicky Amarone was so thrilled with line mate Carignan's performance, that he took the time to steal the game puck and hand deliver it to his centerman. 

Though at times our focus strayed, we made it through the hype built around the Amity team and their new schedule. A win is a win, but the timing of this win was key. Without a game until the 5th of January, I can only imagine what it would be like to dwell on a loss for two weeks. But now, with the combined efforts of all involved, we don't have to worry about what would have been. 

On January 5, 2011, Hamden brings in the New Year against North Haven. The game will be played at the remarkable new Quinnipiac sports complex off of Sherman Avenue. Until then, Happy Holidays.

I also would like to wish aggressive winger William Reilly the best of luck, as he tackles a monstrous 105 degree fever. Hang in there Willy.