Ice Devils freeze Friars, 8-6
by TOM UTESCHER
Ending their second season since ice hockey returned to Chestnut Hill
Academy, the Blue Devils defeated the Malvern Prep JV team, 8-6, last
Tuesday in a CHA “home” match played at Old York Road Skating
Club in Elkins Park.
Hat tricks were scored by Bruno Petrillo, whose Chestnut Hill club ended
up with an overall record of 4-12, and by Steve Boyle, whose Friars departed
with a mark of 4-11. Both goalkeepers were kept busy, and CHA’s
Greg Quillian finished with 30 saves on the afternoon, while Andrew Zoeller
made 33 stops for Malvern.
Illness or injury kept Jamie Baker, Mike Marino, and Schuyler Rooke out
of the CHA line-up, but the Devils jumped out to a 3-0 lead. The first
of the game was also the first for Petrillo, who scored about two-and-a-half
minutes into the action with assists from Joe Breen and Brett Shandler.
From the right face-off circle, Kip Powell centered the puck to set up
a shot in front of the cage by John L. Harris, and then on a Malvern power
play Petrillo placed an unassisted shot in the upper right corner, giving
the hosts a 3-0 lead with 7:41 left in the opening period.
This time Malvern responded, breaking the shutout just 20 seconds later
thanks to Ryan McGuckin, who cashed in while the Friars still enjoyed
the one-man advantage.
With a little over five minutes remaining in the first frame CHA’s
Harris made a rush down the right wing and passed the puck in towards
the near post to Powell, who scored on the short side. Two minutes after
that, Malvern’s Boyle took the first step towards his hat trick,
and the period ended at 4-2.
During the first three minutes of round two the Devils jumped out to
their biggest leas of the day, 6-2, as they jammed in two goals in the
space of 15 seconds. First, Harris lifted a shot into the right corner
with assists from Breen and Powell, then Breen got one of his own, charging
straight up through the slot for an unassisted strike.
The Friars came back within two goals again thanks to Boyle, who booked
back-to-back markers with 11:27 and 8:47 remaining in the period. The
resulting 6-4 score held up until the end of the second round, then on
a CHA power play early in the third stanza, Anthony Giovinazzo punched
the puck in from in front of the net off an assist from Breen.
The Blue Devils’ lead dwindled to a single point in the middle
of the period, as Mike Clement and Brian Antel found the net for the Friars
to make it a 7-6 game. Chestnut Hill fans were able to relax just a little
bit when Petrillo completed his hat trick with eight minutes to go (assist:
Harris), giving the hosts a two-point lead once more.
Late saves by Quillian against Malvern’s Antel and McGuckin kept
that margin intact until the closing horn.
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