After scoring twenty seconds into the game, St. Joe’s never looked back and cruised to a victory.
The St. Joe’s Collegiate Marauders defeated the Shenendehowa Plainsmen on Saturday afternoon at Weibel Avenue Ice Rink by a final score of 4-0 in part of the 2016 Don Kauth Memorial Tournament.
After taking a dominant 8-2 win over Saratoga less than 24 hours before, St. Joe’s was looking to carry that momentum into their second and final game of the tournament. They did that, getting on the board while fans were still finding their seats, courtesy of a tally by Mark Gilbert just twenty seconds in.
“We just really were focusing on having a great start,” St. Joe’s head coach Richard Crozier said. “I throw them out there right away. By themselves, no guy out there to rotate, but hey, if you guys want it, you go get it.”
Their defense was dominant throughout the whole first period, allowing only two shots by the Plainsmen during the first frame. Additionally, they didn’t make goaltender Benjamin Weppner do any work until seven and a half minutes into the game, when Shenendehowa took their first shot on goal of the afternoon. This made it very difficult for the Plainsmen to produce any offense.
“Today was a valuable day for our team. Even though the scoreboard doesn’t show it, our kids played really hard. They have a lot to be proud of,” Shenendehowa head coach Juan De La Rocha said.
The Marauders would score again at 10:36 of the first period, this time from Seth Glanowski. They went back to the dressing rooms at the end of the first with a 2-0 score.
The defense of St. Joe’s held up for the remainder of the contest, with Shenendehowa managing only five shots in the second period, and finishing with ten for the entire game.
Early in the second, it seemed as if Shenendehowa had some momentum going, as a penalty shot was saved by goaltender Jared Vandeloo. This would not generate anything for the offense, as St. Joe’s would tack on another goal at 11:54 in the second on a goal from James Grable, which made it 3-0, putting the game out of reach.
“One of the things that we’re trying to focus on and preach is playing a full forty-five minutes,” Crozier said.
Going into the third period, St. Joe’s needed to score to have a chance to clinch a tournament championship. They waited until 1:21 left in the period to do this, with Jeremy Ienco scoring to make it 4-0 Marauders.
“Normally, I’d be talking to the team about, in the third, just securing the victory, playing strong defense, smart and simple hockey,” Crozier added.
The Marauders would eventually go on to clinch a tournament win following a scoreless second period between Saratoga and defending state champion Mamaroneck.
St. Joe’s would finish the game with 38 shots on goal, making it difficult for Shen’s defense to keep up.
With the victory, St. Joe’s improves to 3-0-1 to begin the season.
Shenendehowa continues their slow start, falling to 1-4 on the season, with their only victory being over Niskayuna/Schenectady. They will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on La Salle at Hudson Valley Community College. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:15 PM.
STATS:
St. Joe’s:
Luke Pierce: 2 assists
Mark Gilbert: 1 goal
Seth Glanowski: 1 goal
James Grable: 1 goal
Jeremy Ienco: 1 goal
Jordan Weigand: 1 assist
Niko Pavicich: 1 assist
Shenendehowa:
No scoring
GOALTENDING:
St. Joe’s (Benjamin Weppner): 10/10, 100% saved
Shenendehowa (Jared Vandeloo): 34/38, 89% saved
