Mohawks pick up first win of season over La Salle, 3-2
TROY, NY >> It was a long time coming, but the Niskayuna/ Schenectady/Albany/Amsterdam Mohawk Hockey Coop has earned its first official win of the season Wednesday afternoon at Hudson Valley
Community College.
“We’ve been very close, very close,” said Mohawk Head Coach Ken Lancto Wednesday night after the win. “We battled hard today. Started slow and we knew it, but battled back in the second and I asked them to battle in the third and they did.”
The Mohawks scored one goal in the second period and two in the third to take the 3-2 win over LaSalle Institute.
“We battled and scored a couple. We didn’t falter like we had in the past so it was good to see and it was a good way to start our second half of the year for sure,” added Lancto.
Despite the Mohawks getting the final result in their favor, it was LaSalle who owned the first period and a half Wednesday.
“I thought we played a very good game, but both of their goals they scored , those last two in the third period, we left guys open in front of the net and they connected and they scored,” said LaSalle Head
Coach Tim Flanigan. “You can’t afford to do that in the third period of a close game.”
LaSalle’s tempo in the first was something familiar: shut down the middle of the ice, chip and chase, create scoring opportunities, and the Cadets had the opportunities in the first, just not the results.
“My guys know that we don’t let guys get shots from the front of the net,” said Flanigan. “It’s a fast pace game and sometimes a few bounces with a guy open in front of the net where he shouldn’t be, and i’m sure we will fix that moving forward.”
In the second, both LaSalle and the Mohawks traded one goal apiece. Reid Murray scored the first goal of the game for LaSalle at 5:33 in 4-on-4 play thanks to a beautiful feed from Mike Baker from below the goal line. Mohawks Sanzio DiGesualdo responded with just under two minutes remaining in the period, picking up a bouncing puck out in front of LaSalle goalie Leo Paul.
The Mohawks third period was much different from their first, with chances continuously coming as they cracked the scoreboard twice. The first on a bouncing puck out front that Chris Gakkagher was able to stuff into the net and the second on a one-timer finished off by Adrew Velasco off of a pass from Aidan Graham separated by just a few minutes.
“We played good today. We scored and then we scored another quick one right after that to really take the momentum over in the third period there with maybe ten minutes left or so,” said Lancto. “It was definitely a fun third period to be a part of, exciting for sure.”
Down two, Hunter Caola responded to cut the lead to just one with time dwindling on the clock. Caola had hit the pipe with seconds remaining in the second period, which in hindsight, could have completely shifted the third period.
LaSalle pulled Paul with less than two minutes remaining and had several chances to knot things up, but Mohawk goalie Joe Rosi was able to complete the game and hold stalwart in net.
“We’ve been getting more opportunities than we had to start the year, patience is key against a team like LaSalle who always plays good defense and takes away the middle of the ice,” said Lancto. “I was happy with how that ended, for sure.”