St. Charles Beats Suffolk In The Third

In a rematch of the 2004 Division III National Championship game St. Charles Community College scored five unanswered goals to come from behind to beat Suffolk Community College by a final score of 9-5. 

 

After exchanging five goals a piece in the first two periods the Cougars took the lead 1:10 into the third period when A.J. Speno (2 goals, 1 assist) picked up a loose puck in the high slot area and deked around one defender before beating Suffolk goalie Sal Capito (13 saves) with a quick wrist shot low to the far post. 

 

The teams exchanged chances as Suffolk attempted to tie up the game, but Cougar defenseman Chris Richardson (1 goal, 1 assist) was able to spring Jay Gregory (2 goals, 3 assists) on a partial breakaway with a long pass off the near sideboards.  Gregory skated in along the left side and blasted a slap shot past Capito just inside the near post making the score 7-5 for St. Charles. 

 

St. Charles opened their lead out to three goals on the power play during a major penalty when Tim Benson (2 goals, 1 assist) beat Capito to the near post firing a quick wrist shot from the right corner off of a pass from Gregory. 

 

The Cougars finished the scoring with 1:26 remaining in the game when Richardson wristed the puck through the five-hole of Capito from the right face-off dot in a 3 on 3 situation. 

 

Jeff Whitley (1 goal, 1 assist) opened the scoring in the game when John Lechmanski (1 goal, 1 assist) found Whitley with a long bank pass off the boards during a penalty kill.  Whitley used a quick head fake to freeze the goalie and scored through the five hole to take the lead for the Lighthouses before Benson evened the score with a power play goal when he redirected a pass from Brandon Marchand (2 goals, 2 assists) inside the far post during a 3 on 2 power play situation. 

 

Suffolk regained the lead in the final seconds of the period with a second shorthanded goal when Whitley made a cross-ice pass to Steve Conti freeing him for a partial 2 on 1 break.  Conti and his defender raced down the floor doing their best to keep stride with each other, however Conti was able to gain a step on his man and slid a backhand shot underneath St. Charles goaltender Jake Routzahn (16 saves) to make the score 2-1 at the end of the first period. 

 

The teams scored seven goals in the second period beginning when Gregory beat Capito with an accurate wrist shot high to the stick side just 1:42 into the period.  St. Charles took their first lead of the game just over two minutes later when Speno beat Capito with a laser beam of a slap shot while crossing the blue line that ricocheted off the far post and around the back of the net to make the score 3-2 at the 3:44 mark. 

 

But the lead didn?t last long as Suffolk scored two goals in 0:45 to tie the game and retake the lead.  Rob LoPinto evened the score at 3-3 with 7:28 remaining in the second when he picked up the puck behind the Cougars defense after coming onto the surface in a line change and broke in on Routzahn beating him on a breakaway.  Lechmanski put the Lighthouses back on top when he beat Routzahn with a quick wrist shot along the ice giving Suffolk a 4-3 lead with 5:43 remaining in the second period. 

 

St. Charles knotted the game up at 4-4 when Marchand redirected a cross-ice pass Benson inside of the right post with 4:46 remaining in the period, before LoPinto put the Lighthouses back in front for the final time when he converted an odd-man rush stuffing the puck past the pads of Routzahn on the right post.  Marchand tied the game at 5-5 on a 4 on 2 power play opportunity when he beat Capito high to the glove side from the high slot area.  The goal was the first of five unanswered goals for the Cougars en route to the victory. 

 

St. Charles and Suffolk both play their second game of the tournament Friday afternoon at 1:15 PM with the Cougars facing off against St. Louis ? Meramec while the Lighthouses meet up with Riverside CC.