IceCats Top Housy Behind Four Second Period Goals

The Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury (BBD) hockey team improved its record to 2-0 with a 6-1 win over Housatonic at on Wednesday. The IceCats broke open the game with four second period goals.

The IceCats had a chance to get on the board first when DJ Scott found himself alone in the slot, but his shot found the Mountaineer goalie's glove. BBD swarmed around the Housy net, with a number of passes through the crease that were not able to find their target. The Mountaineer goalie was able to keep the IceCats off the board until a nifty goal by Andrew Creaturo made it 1-0. Creaturo took a shot from the goalie's right side, and the puck clanged off the far post only to deflect off of the goalies leg and into the net.  Housatonic kept the majority of the BBD shots to the perimeter during the first period. 

"We were shooting from bad angles. We needed to get more shots from the center of the ice," said Coach Rusty Granacker.  The IceCats would finish the period with a 14-5 edge in shots.

The 'Cats opened the second period with a goal 22 seconds in to make it 2-0.  Steven Segiet scored what would end up being the game winner, with Andrew Creaturo getting his second point of the night with the assist on the play.

Housatonic looked to make it a game with a goal that made it 2-1 just moments later at 1:33 into the period. But the IceCats took away any momentum the Mountaineers had gained when Nick Melvin scored on a breakaway just 18 seconds later. Melvin got the puck on the right wing boards and got some room on his defender. He drew the puck across the net and beat the goalie stick side to make it 3-1. 

The IceCats would continue to put pressure on the Housatonic netminder, but he stood tall making a number of point blank saves throughout the period.

The final five minutes of the second period would result in three goals from the IceCats, putting the game out of reach for the Mountaineers.  Stephen Hallock scored with 5:01 left to play in the period. Nick Melvin would get his second of three points on the evening with an assist. Jordan Warren also assisted on the goal.

Just over a minute later, Jon Leonard scored unassisted. Stephen Hallock finished the scoring with his second of the night, with the assist going to Nick Melvin, and the IceCats were up 6-1 after two periods. The third period was scoreless. 

Junior goalie Ryan Campbell got the start in net Wednesday night. While he wasn't really tested on the evening, he did everything he needed to do to get the win. 

"The one goal they scored we had a couple of defensive errors," added Coach Granacker. Campbell ended up with 15 saves. 

Coach Granacker praised his junior goalie's focus, with most of the action at the other end of the ice, "It's tough in game like this with not a lot of shots. He did a great job." The IceCats have four goalies on the squad this year, and everyone will see some ice time according to Granacker.   

Both teams were 0-for-1 on the powerplay. BBD finished the night with 43 shots on net. The IceCats will travel to Maine to play in a tournament starting on December 27 and will return to local action on January 3, when they face Ridgefield.