Reck’s late goal secures the first win of the season for West Hartford’s Conard boys hockey team.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Paul Palmer

A new year, a new look, a new result for the Conard Red Wolves boys hockey team.

After dropping its first three of the season – being shut out in two of them – coach Jason Olson made some offensive adjustments, and on Saturday the entire coaching staff wore suits behind the bench. Whatever it was it worked, as Nolan Reck scored on a rebound with 30 seconds to play to secure Conard’s first win of the season 4-3 over the E.O. Smith/Tolland Bucks at Veterans Memorial Rink in West Hartford.

“We made some changes up front and it’s taking time for people to get used to it and buy into it,” said Olson.

On Saturday, it was a first period without much flow with both teams having opportunities on offense, but not being able to convert. With 1:10 to go it was the Bucks scoring first when Beckett Hanson dug the puck out of a scrum on the sideboards and sent it heading towards the back of the Conard net. He pulled up before moving behind the cage and found Mike Iacampo who lifted a backhand over the shoulder of goalie Chase Emery for the 1-0 lead.

The goal came after the Wolves had their best sustained action in the offensive zone and looked to be gaining momentum. Just when it looked like Conard was going to add another period to their scoreless streak, they found the back of the net. It started when Ken Roche sent the puck from the half boards in behind the Bucks net. Gavin Mangini tied up a defender and Jack Eisenberg swooped in and grabbed the puck. He took one shot on net as he came around that was stopped by goalie Liam Petrella. A Bucks defender tried to clear the loose rebound, but Eisenberg used him for a screen and wristed it into the net to tie things at 1.

“It was very important to get that first goal,” Olson said. “He (Eisenberg) has not been scoring, but he is going to get a lot of goals so it was good for him, too.”

Period two never really developed a flow to the play as both teams looked for chances, but could not build any sustained attacks. Both goalies were called on to make some big saves to keep it a 1-1 affair. Petrella had the first one when he stopped a Torin McGoldrick shot off a 2-on-1 breakaway with Reck. Emery would answer moments later with a big save on Hanson’s bid before Petrella managed to grab a loose rebound after being handcuffed by Riley O’Keefe’s shot.

Each goalie would have one more big save before the end of the second with Emery being in perfect position to stop the shot from Mason Bishop that hit him in the crest. McGoldrick had one more opportunity when he skated in off the sideboards and let fly a wrister that Petrella saved.

With the final 15 minutes left to play it was either teams game to win and claim their first victory of the season, and both teams played like they wanted it. Conard would break the tie 90 seconds in when McGoldrick raced ahead to catch up to a clearing pass along the boards near mid ice. He shed one defender, came in on the goalie, opened up Petrella by cutting right to left, and slid the puck in to give Conard the lead.

That lead would last a little over two minutes when the Bucks controlled a faceoff in the Conard zone, and Bishop’s shot eluded Emery’s glove to tie it at 2 with 11 minutes to play. Exactly two minutes later and again it started with hard work behind the goal by McGoldrick. He sent a pass out in front with two teammates closing in, Reck fanned on it, but Braden Gainey was right behind him and made no mistake to make it 3-2.

Twelve of the game’s craziest seconds would play out starting with just over seven minutes to go. A turnover along the center ice boards by Conard sent the Bucks’ Blake Kemozicky in alone on Emery. The Red Wolves’ Peck raced back and dove to try and clear the puck before the shot, but he took down Kemozicky who crashed into the net and the officials awarded a penalty shot. The shooter skated in on the forehand from center ice as Emery challenged. Kemozicky went high stick side on Emery who deflected it into the corner to keep the one-goal lead.

 

“Chase played big back there,” said his coach Olson. “He has done a nice job for us.”

Before Conard could finish their celebration, Smith/Tolland managed to get the tying goal when Brandon Fantry entered the zone and head toward the net. He dished a nice backhand pass to Alex Sutton who snapped off a wrist shot between defenders that found the back of the net :12 after the penalty shot.

The Red Wolves went on the powerplay 40 seconds later when Iacampo took a roughing call. Conard had good early pressure, but with :55 to go in the man advantage they nearly gave up the go-ahead goal when Sutton raced in alone and tried to pull Emery from left to right in the crease, but the goalie stacked the pads and pushed the shot off into the corner.

When it started to look like overtime would be needed, it was Reck who would be the hero for Conard and once again McGoldrick would have a hand in it. The senior got off a shot that Petrella stopped but did not control and Reck was there to knock home the rebound for the 4-3 lead.

The Bucks would have one final chance as they pulled their goalie for the 6-on-5 advantage. Following a faceoff in the Conard defensive zone, Emery had to make a final pad save with :11 to go to seal the deal.

With the first win under their belts, Olson is hoping that not only will the changes on offense continue to produce, but that his players learn from the win. “It is critical we build off of this, and for them to see the success we had. That is huge,” he said.

Game notes

• Eisenberg had a three-point game with two goals and an assist.
• McGoldrick also had a three-point game with a goal and two helpers.
• Reck and Gainey each had two points.
• The Red Wolves look for their second win of the season when they travel to meet winless Newington on Wednesday.

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