Despite the efforts of Hall goalie Matthew Bonner, Hall boys hockey fell, 3-2, at Veterans Memorial Rink in West Hartford on Wednesday night.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Paul Palmer

Sasha Filipovic scored his second goal of thee game with 4:24 to play as the E.O. Smith/Tolland Bucks got the win in a thrilling boys hockey game Wednesday night in West Hartford.

Filipovic has totaled four goals in one assist in two games over five days at Veterans Ice Rink. His 3-point effort on Saturday led the Bucks to a big win over Conard.

Hall goalie Matthew Bonner turned in another solid performance and kept his team in the game until the last whistle. “Bonner played fantastic tonight,” said Hall coach Colin O’Connor after the game.

Task number one in the game for the Titans was to limit the damage from the Bucks top line of Filipovic, Declan Bayne, and Ryan Fanty. Their combination of size and speed was on display throughout the game, and the task of holding them down fell to Hall’s No. 1 defensive pair of Zach Gerkin and Dillon McDermott.

In the first period Hall got a good look at what they would be up against with the Smith/Tolland top line with Bonner having to make a save on Filipovic who was parked right in front and then 30 seconds later it was gloving a long point shot. Looking at the lanky Filipovic you might think he’s not a breakaway threat, but with 8:42 to go, Hall learned a lesson the hard way. Fanty let fly a cross-ice pass from his own blue line that landed on Filipovic’s tape as he came into the Hall zone. He got behind two defenders, came in alone on Bonner, and carried the puck from right to left and tucked low into the far corner for the 1-0 lead.

“That first goal, we were not ready,” O’Connor said. “He (Filipovic) has to show you his speed to believe it and we let him out in space.”

Hall had its chances in the opening period too when Declan Stone had two good chances from the left win, but Bucks’ goalie William Patrella was up to the task both times. Both teams kept up the exciting end-to-end play in the second period, and it would be Hall getting the tying goal with 9:37 to play.

A turnover behind the visitors’ net came out to Charles DeBassio on the right side of the net and he made a quick pass to Stone in front of the net and he buried it.

“We are not letting teams dictate how we play,” O’Connor said. “We have our size and our style and the kids are buying into it.”

A huge momentum swing came about three minutes later, when Patrella stoned Charles Ganey from in front and Smith/Tolland fired a pass along the left boards that was picked up near the blue line by Bayne, who came in alone on Bonner and beat him with a shot along the ice moving across the net.

“That goal came from an unlucky bounce on our D-man,” O’Connor said of the play.

Smith/Tolland was not done trying to score as they fired shots from all angles on Bonner – who used his glove, pads, stick, and teammates to keep the puck out of his net. One of his best was a blast from the point that he stopped and then covered ahead of attackers looking for a rebound. A few minutes later, a Hall turnover in its defensive zone led to a pair of chances, the second an attempted jam from the side of the net by the Bucks that Bonner used his pad and stick to deny.

Connor McHugh would have a pair of chances later in the second but his first shot was blocked and his rising backhander went over the top of the bar. Bonner had the final two big saves of the second when he denied Filipovic on a rebound and a second whack at the puck.

The Hall goalie had 24 saves in the first 30 minutes of play.

With the game still up for grabs, Hall wasted no time tying things up in the third period. McHugh picked up a loose pick along the left boards and sent a pass to an unmarked Ben Putnam who beat Patrella from about 6 feet out just 19 seconds into the period. The Titans kept up the pressure looking for the go-ahead goal and almost got it when Ben Goldstein had good keep at the blue line and hit Stone with a pass. But his shot was saved by Patrella.

With 8:10 to go and the score tied, Stone forced a Smith/Tolland penalty as he tried to crash between two defenders and drew a holding call. Hall’s power play was impressive, controlling the puck and the chances for nearly the entire 2 minutes. But as time ran down, the Titans players did not get their No. 1 defensive pair back on the ice and they paid the price.

As Hall tried to make the line change, Filipovic picked up the puck and used his speed and size to split two defenders and scored the winner.

With 1:00 to go, Hall pulled Bonner in favor of the extra attacker. They applied good pressure, forcing the Bucks to ice the puck to dump the puck twice in an :08 span. The Titans nearly tied it following the second face-off when the puck found its way toward the Smith/Tolland goal and a pile of players from both teams struggled to gain control.

Hall got at least two shots off but they bounced off the pile of humanity and time finally ran out in the 3-2 game.

“I liked everything we did in the third period,” O’Connor said. “Our power play has to recognize when it’s time to get off the ice and get the defense out there versus their No. 1 line.” He added that once his players got their legs under them in the first, they played with one of the state’s top teams in Smith/Tolland.

Looking at where his team is now, at 8-4 on the season, O’Connor said he is ecstatic with how his team has responded and played since an early season loss, saying his team has settled into its style. He also praised the efforts of Bonner over the stretch of games. “Since our first loss, Bonner has been a different kid in the net and the rest of the kids feed off it.”

Hall returns to the ice with a home-and-home series with Newington on Monday and then one week from Saturday. The loss dropped Hall down to eighth in Division III, and Smith/Tolland, with the win, moves to 11-1-1 and into the top spot.

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