OPENING NIGHT WIN
Youth leads Saratoga Springs past Syaracuse-CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt 3-1
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Tied 1-1 entering the third period, the next goal would go a long way to decide the winner of Saturday’s nonleague varsity ice hockey game.
That’s when Saratoga Springs’ young talent stepped up.
Sophomore captain Xavier Clark used a screen to score the go-ahead goal, then freshman Devin Wormley added an insurance tally in his first varsity game to lead Saratoga Springs to a 3-1 win over CBA-Syracuse/Jamesville-DeWitt.
It was the season-opener for the Blue Streaks.
“We had some adversity early on and we overcame that,” Saratoga Springs coach Dave Torres said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. Our offense isn’t going to be the firepower it has been in previous years but we’ve got a young squad and they’re learning how to play at the varsity level.”
Sophomore Mack Ogden
opened the scoring for the Blue Streaks with a goal late in the first period. Fellow sophomore Joe Amodio had the assist on the opening goal.
The visitors tied it with 6:46 left in the second period when CBA/J-D sophomore Kodi Dotterer scored.
In an attempt to provide a spark, the Blue Streaks adjusted some of the lines for the start of the third period, including moving Wormley from fourth to second line.
“We juggled the lineup, we had to get the guys going somehow,” Torres said. “We got a little boost.”
Clark provided the goahead goal with a nice solo effort after picking the puck in his own zone.
“I saw a chance to skate it up so I used the guy as a screen, cut to the middle and shot it,” Clark said. “This year I have a bigger role to lead by example.”
CBA/J-D goalkeeper Manuel Pineda didn’t see the puck until late as it slipped through his legs and into the net to put Saratoga Springs up 2-1.
The Blue Streaks continued to put pressure on the Section III visitors’ net while Dotterer continued to go on solo skates up ice looking for the equalizer.
Saratoga Springs goalkeeper Brad Blake made an inportant save — one of his 14 on the day — midway through the period to keep his team in front.
Charlie Leary, another sophomore, found Wormley for an insurance tally with 4:32 left in the third period.
“I got open, turned my body, got the puck and buried it,” Wormley said. “The captains took charge, kept us motivated and we took it to them. It was a lot of fun, crazy.”
The Blue Streaks played the game without senior captain Matt Shamberger.
Saratoga Springs will get two big tests next ween when it hosts the annual Don Kauth Memorial Tournament Dec. 8-9 at Weibel Ave Rink. Saratoga Springs plays Section I powerhourse Mamaroneck at 6:45 p.m. Friday night then hosts Section VI’s Williamsville North at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.