The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Chagrin Falls drops Baron Cup semi
Special teams have not been kind to Chagrin Falls all winter.
Feb. 11 in a Baron Cup III semifinal against Kent Roosevelt, from a Tigers’ perspective, they were downright sinister.
Chagrin held a 1-0 lead deep into the second period on a Henry Westendorf tally.
But Kent got goals from Alex Simms and Mike Haney, the latter in the third period the eventual game-winner as the Rough Riders down the Tigers, 2-1, at Brooklyn.
Kent will take on Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, a 6-1 winner over Canfield in the early semi, in the Baron Cup III final at 11 a.m. Feb. 12.
Chagrin (14-7) took a penalty seven seconds after Haney’s goal, killed that off and had itself on a 5-on-3 with 2:07 left.
It wasn’t to be on this afternoon.
“We played, I think, a decent game,” Tigers coach Craig Hoberman said. “I think 75% of the game, we were toe-to-toe. Obviously, first period being 0-0, that was just a tight game and teams feeling each other out. Second period, we ended up coming out tied. That was a plus for us. Third period, we just let it get away from ourselves.
“Little tight, and then we went down the penalty path.”
Westendorf gave Chagrin a 1-0 advantage at 1:32 of the second with a tight wrister shortside, his 32nd goal of the season.
But Simms had a response with a bar rattler at 13:13 to tie it at 1-1.
In the third, Haney put home a banger on the crease after an initial shot in by Teddy Maccarone at 6:32.
The Tigers were assessed a roughing penalty seven seconds later.
Chagrin went on a 5-on-3 for 59 seconds late after a pair of interference calls. But no equalizer was generated.
Henry Cimperman had a deep look turned away with 66 seconds remaining, and Zech Armstrong had a decent look on the crease in the waning seconds.