BLAKE EARNS SECOND CONSECUTIVE SHUT OUT
ALBANY, N.Y >> Brad Blake did not let the new year slow him down as he picked right back up where he left off at the end of 2018. With a shut out.
“He was focused the entire game and you could see it in that first period I think they had 13 shots on goal,” said Saratoga Head Coach Dave Torres. “That’s his second consecutive shut out, which is hard to do at any level. We needed him to step up and he’s been stepping up and I am really proud of him.”
Blake and the Saratoga Blue Streaks shut out the Christian Brothers Academy Brothers 3- 0 Friday. Blake finished with 28 saves, including some key ones down the stretch, to bump his streak of scoreless periods to seven.
“You get more confident making plays in front of him,” said Saratoga junior forward Mack Ogden. “If you’re afraid to make a mistake thinking your goalie won’t back you up, that’s when you lose control. We are all confident, confident in him, so even if we do lose it, we know he is going to make the big save.”
Ogden had a game for himself as well, scoring one goal and assisting on another to keep the Blue Streaks rolling and improve his season stats to four goals and ten assists for 14 points.
“He’s been playing well the last couple of games,” said Torres of the forward. “I think he
is one of the fastest guys in the league and he utilizes his speed, he knows where to go, and he is small and quick enough to get by people. He is pretty elusive when he gets the puck on his stick.”
Ogden’s assist came after Saratoga was able to kill off a man down situation in the first period. As soon as Ogden hopped the bench, the puck found his stick and he used that elusiveness to get down to the offensive half board and drop a pass off to Andrew Blanchard, who was right in the slot and in the perfect position to rifle the puck passed CBA goalie Josh Coburn.
“We were talking about it on the bench how we wanted to get him off the bench real quick,” said Torres of Ogden’s assists. “Get him off the bench and generate some offense and we did. We broke out on them and he made a great play there.”
Coburn finished with 29 saves in the Brothers’ loss. Coburn’s season stats improved to an .898 save percentage and 3.50 goals against average. Coburn now owns a 2-3 record.
In the second period, chippy play went back and forth, with both teams fighting tooth and nail trying to find the upper hand any way they could, whether it be a penalty or not.
“We are telling them to try and stay disciplined. You can’t reverse calls, you can’t control the game. The officials call the game the way they see it,” said Torres. “Stay out of the box and stay disciplined.”
Ogden scored his goal with 8:02 remaining in the second. Ogden used that speed he is known for to take the puck from the neutral zone right into the offensive zone on the breakaway, faked a move right, and finished low left on Coburn to give the Blue Streaks a 2- 0 lead in the second period.
“Coach O’Brien always tells me to roof it,” said Ogden. “I knew that I had to move this goalie and he was really good down low, so I tried to fake him one way and it worked out.”
In the third period, the excitement of period two continued. CBA searched for the momentum swinging play, whether it be a big hit or a big goal, but nothing was able to spark the comeback.
The Brothers accumulated a few chances, whether it be an opportunity for Hunter Pemrick from the slot or a shot from the point from Colin Mesick, but Blake stood tall in net.
Blake’s play wasn’t without its own saving grace. A few misplayed rebounds handled by the Blue Streaks defense and a lucky post here and there were all that stood in the way from the shut out opportunity being erased.
“Our defenseman were there to clear the puck out of the zone and we kept our poise in the defensive end and we were able to break the puck out,” said Torres.
Blake’s back to back shutouts give him an .870 save percentage and a 3.10 goals against average. Blake’s record stands at 8-3.
Saratoga improves to 8- 3 overall and 4-2 in league competition, while CBA falls to 3-3 in league and 5- 5 overall this season.
Saratoga will be back in action Wednesday when they play La Salle Institute at home. CBA hits the road next Friday when they head to play Queensbury at the Glens Falls Rec Center.