Late power-play goal sinks Cadets 3-2
Toolbox
By TOM HERZIG Correspondent - Published: November 30, 2008
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Mason Graddock's power play with 2:53 remaining earned Middlebury the PrimeLink Great Northern Shootout championship 3-2 and sent comeback-minded Norwich to its first loss Saturday at Kenyon Arena.
As Rico Piatelli was about to leave the box after serving a roughing penalty, the Panthers swarmed the net and when the puck bounced outward off goalie Ryan Klingensmith, Graddock pounced on it and lifted it over Klingensmith's stick.
"I didn't see the play so I can't comment on the call against Piatelli, but obviously it was a tough one at that time of the game," Norwich coach Mike McShane said. "We gave them the first goal and didn't play well in the first period or the second. We left some zip behind after the overtime game yesterday, although we did well in the third by getting back into it one shift at a time."
Norwich spotted Middlebury a goal by John Sullivan 90 seconds into the contest and had to pedal uphill the rest of the way. For much of the first period the Panthers beat Norwich to the puck when they weren't stripping it off their sticks or intercepting passes in the neutral zone.
Jamie McKenna's second-period power-play goal put Middlebury up 2-0 at 3:05. Eighty seconds later Norwich cut the lead in half on a crafty backhander by Nick Del Gallo.
Del Gallo pulled the puck back after taking a pass from behind the cage by Chad Anderson then flicked off the arm of unsuspecting goalie Doug Raeder, who never moved until the light came on.
A critical point in the game came later in the second period when Sullivan (three tournament goals overall) drew a game misconduct and was shown the gate for boarding Roman Krivda from behind at 13:57. The infraction gave Norwich, trailing 2-1, a five-minute power play that came up empty thanks in large part to outstanding defensive work by the Panthers, including stellar play from freshmen Charlie Strauss, Ian Drummond, Jack Kinder and a nice skate save by Raeder off the stick of Tim Houston. Norwich managed only two shots on net plus a just-wide shot by Eric Tallent during the man advantage and the partisan crowd erupted when the penalty expired and gave the home team a standing ovation at period's end.
Kinder, McKenna and Klingensmith (24 saves) were named to the All-Tournament team — Raeder (16 saves) was chosen as the Tournament MVP. Other all-tourney selections were Ward Smith of Plattsburgh and Rob Johnson of St. Thomas.
Nikita Kashirsky scored the game-tying goal on a power play at 12:07 of the third period. Freshman Emmond Bell drew a tripping penalty on a burst across the blue line. Shawn Baker — named as the tourney's top rookie, set up the goal by snaring the puck to keep it in the zone. That allowed a blast from the point by Steve Coon and Kashirsky was planted at the post to put the puck behind Raeder.
"This was an outstanding tournament and it was great to win in front of our fans, but what made me most happy was the way we played with real enthusiasm for the whole 60 minutes," Middlebury coach Bill Beaney said. "One bounce could have changed the game."
Norwich ends the night with a 2-1-1 record and travels to Hamilton next Friday.
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