Patton Would Be Proud

“I see Clinton taking this one 4-3, maybe 5-3 with an empty netter.” I’d like some onion and garlic powder to go with my salt and pepper before I eat those words.

It was a great battle between Warriors. Clinton and Whitesboro went at it last night with first place in the 3-2-E on the line. I can’t remember the last time I saw a Clinton high school team get pounded like they did in the first period. Boo Synder was dropped several times, once from behind and hard into the goal post. Snyder had a tough night. He did so because Whitesboro was tough on him. Boo rarely went about the ice unmolested and this helped bottle up the Clinton first line.

Defense was the key to this game for opposite reasons at the opposite ends of the ice. Whitesboro’s blue liners motivated this win. It was their hard nosed, hard hitting play that not only stymied Clinton early on, but got the Maroon Warriors heads down. Big credit to Derek Farley, who lead an aggressive defense that wouldn’t let Clinton break out of the zone. He did that by attacking the Clinton winger from the blue line and drilling them, often not long after the puck got to their stick. This had a threefold effect. First, it killed the breakout and disconnected the Maroon Warriors attack before it got out of their own zone. Second, because the winger was usually looking for that pass and not the defenseman resulting in big, brutal hits. Finally, the first and second items combined to demoralize Clinton…who I must imagine was looking to get off to a hot start.

At the other end, the inability of Clinton’s defense to keep the white jerseys from in front of Clinton goaltender Ryan Bassett was a killer. Whitesboro’s two first period goals were scored on shots by defensemen that were deflected into the net.

Whitesboro doesn’t have flashy, marquee players, just a lot of hardhat type players and several unsung heroes. Clearly in the hardhat category are guys like George Hajjar, Logan Schaaf, the Farley twins and Jim Engler. The hero of the big game is from the unsung hero department…Mike Towne. Towne is a hard skating sophomore with decent size. He’s played in his share of Snowbelt games, as has many a high school player. Towne got his chance to play in the big game and then got his big chance when he was in the right place as a Clinton forward made a Pee Wee mistake with a clearing pass. Getting the opportunity is one thing, taking advantage of it is the key and Mike Towne did that. First, the shot. The puck came out of the corner to Bassett’s right and on to Towne’s stick. Towne didn’t waste any time or wait to settle the puck down. He snapped off a wrist shot that thread the needle to beat Bassett on the short side. Great shot, great play. As if scoring the winning goal wasn’t enough, Towne legitimized his selection by playing a great game…particularly on the forecheck.

Gotta give respect to both goaltenders. Ryan Bassett made three huge saves against one big Whitesboro attack with a little better than four minutes left in the game, giving his Warriors a chance to still tie it. That chance came on another Hobaica breakaway.

Jordan Hobaica, whom I have called the most dangerous man in the 3-2-E, rallied Clinton back with two second period goals. Hobaica was called for an interference penalty, away from the play, with 3:43 left in the third. Clinton killed it off and as soon as Hobaica stepped on the ice the puck was on his stick. He jetted in all alone on Lambe and Jack stoned him. The rebound came out to the trailing Snyder. He looked up and saw Hobaica to the left of Lambe and Foley to the right of Lambe. The Whitesboro goalie stirred Snyder’s shot off to his left and Hobaica didn’t have a chance at the rebound. That was the last good chance Clinton would get.

Another big point…with about a minute and a half left in the third there was a face off on the neutral zone dot, just over the Whitesboro blue line. Dave Litz couldn’t pulled Bassett until his Clinton club gain control of the puck. Whitesboro kept the puck alive between the blue lines and prevented Clinton from getting the extra man on the ice until there were about twenty seconds left.

Great game!

Before the game, it was senor night. Mike Nasser was missing due to a bad back. It was also announced that Cooper Zielinski planned on attending the Air Force Academy. Cooper is one of the game’s real characters. Cooper may study to be a rocket scientist.

New Hartford finally posted their first win over a Big Four opponent by beating RFA at JFK. Mike Zalewski got the third period goal for the 3-2 win. Just when folks were wondering what was wrong with New Hartford, possibly going 0 for the season against Big Four teams. Now they can wonder why they haven’t done this more often.

The season ain’t over yet.

I know that I’m late with the State of the Game, Pt. 2. How about Monday, OK?