Neumann skates past Castleton
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Neumann College scores a goal past Castleton goalie Jeff Swanson during Sunday's title game of The Rutland Herald Invitational. Cassandra Hotaling/Rutland Herald |
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By Carleton Laird Rutland Herald - Published: December 1, 2008
The championship game of the second Rutland Herald Invitational ended on kind of an ugly note after 59 minutes and 12 seconds of hard play. With Neumann owing a 5-1 lead and on the verge of winning back-to-back titles, there was as scuffle after the whistle that degenerated into a multi-player scrap against the boards and culminated when Neumann's Danil Guryev and Castleton's Omar Pacha dropped their helmets and gloves and went at it NHL-style at center ice at Rutland Regional Fieldhouse.
After nearly 10 minutes of discussion and consultation between the officials, two minor penalties and six game disqualifications were handed out. Evan Romeo, Brandon Heck and Pacha will have to sit out Friday's game against Bowdoin, while Bill Foster, Stewart Sjoberg and Guryev will serve suspensions for Neumann.
Oh yes, Neumann did win Sunday's game by that 5-1 score while Brockport State took the consolation over Becker College, 3-2.
Castleton coach Alex Todd downplayed the late-game events.
"It's unfortunate. I think it was pretty innocent. It was way (better) than it looked. You could tell; the kids shook hands after the game. Our guys' only frustration was in the loss. The was no malicious or ill intent or anger toward them."
The Spartans outplayed the Knights for much of the first period but found themselves trailing 1-0 at the first intermission, thanks to an Eric Stoyanovich goal at 8:28.
Castleton came out flat in the second and was outshot 15-3. But Neumann couldn't get the puck past Jeff Swanson until the 12:36 mark when Kyle Casey took the rebound of a Guryev shot and backhanded it inside the left post.
There were double matching minors assessed at 13:40 and four seconds later, Neumann scored again. Sjoberg won the ensuing draw to Brock Van Slyke at the right point and he gunned it through a crowd, off a defenseman and into the net.
Ryan Bartlett then drew a major penalty and game misconduct for a hit from behind, and the roof caved in on the Spartans.
Donovan Hall dug the puck out of the corner and found Kaleigh Schrock all alone in front for Neumann's third goal of the period 53 seconds into the five-minute penalty. Just 1:18 later, Charles Paterson's drive first hit a Castleton knee and then a shoulder before the twine in the back of the net to make it 5-0.
"We played two good periods and one bad period," Todd said. "When you're playing against a good team, it'll cost you. It's such a shame to have a chance to play at home against a really good team and then (not play the entire game.)"
The second period the Spartans played well was the third. They beat the Knights to most pucks and outshot Neumann 12-5, scoring the period's only goal in the process.
"We said 'One period we played well and one period we didn't, now you have a choice: How do you want to go out and play in the third period?'" Todd said. "'Win or lose doesn't matter at this point, it's just what kind of team are you?'"
Castleton's goal came on the power play at 4:43. Steve Culbertson dug the puck out of the left corner to Pacha at the left point and he unleashed a drive that hit a defenseman and sailed over the right shoulder of Matt Tendler.
Freshman goaltender Seth McNary took over for Swanson (17 saves) to start the third and began facing 2:26 of Neumann's power play. He saw just the five shots but handled them flawlessly.
Tendler was outstanding in the Knights' net, making 26 saves. He got considerable help from a defense that consistently got a stick on Castleton shots outside the circles.
"They were definitely the better team today but I think our guys know if we played our best for three periods it could have been different," Todd said.
He knows he has to prepare his team, which stands 1-3-0, for a weekend against a pair of tough NESCAC teams, Colby and Bowdoin. Colby comes to the Fieldhouse Friday at 7 p.m. while Bowdoin will be in Saturday at 4 p.m.
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