Coffman Rocks 9    Troy Trojans 2

Game Summary - Dublin Coffman vs. Troy Trojans, Sunday, November 11, Hobart Arena

 

                                                                                                                   photo by Carol Anderson

Rocks 9 - Trojans 2  
1st Period
Rocks picked up where they left the night before. Just like the previous night a newcomer helped open the scoring. 1st year Sophomore, Tyler Anderson, gathered a puck in the neutral zone and headed up ice, he shuffled a pass through to a streaking Anthony Rogers, Rogers stepped over the blue line and surprised the Trojan net minder with a quick shot from the right face-off circle at 9:33,1-0 Rocks. Veteran defenseman Matt Zacharias with a stretch pass, that catches the Trojans off guard, to Gregory Strine, Strine goes cross rink to Anthony Rogers, Rogers walks in and drills a shot, 2nd of the game, to put the Rocks up 2-0. The game went end to end at that point when Strine receives a penalty, the Rocks get a strong test from the Trojans power play and starting goaltender Alex Rogers shows why he is ready again for early miscues. After a barrage of shots that had the Trojans ready to get back into the game, Alex Rogers stymied all shooters, with outstanding saves, sending the Rocks into the period break up 2-0.   Trojans out shot the Rocks 12-11. 

2nd Period
While the Trojans came out hard in the first setting the shots and physical tone, the Rocks opened the 2nd with a much more physical match of the Trojans first. Rocks came out in the 2nd ready and just 1 minute into the second, Anthony Rogers took off into the Troy end and drilled a shot that the Trojan goaltender, Carney, made a huge save on, the rebound came right back to Rogers, who than feeds a wide open Chris Ridgway. Ridgway fired the puck into the open side and the Rocks led 3-0. Physical play of the big men again has the Trojans in trouble, the result has Troy trying to control Jordan Edmonds who seems unstoppable.  Andy O'Brien regains his scoring touch at 7:46, when O'Brien positions himself just off to the left of the net and patiently waited as Ridgway and Jordan Edmonds moved the puck back and forth until O'Brien was spotted, O'Brien slipped the puck underneath a sprawled tender and the Rocks led 4-0. On the ensuing face-off Edmonds, on fire, busts in on Carney and beats him clean only to hear the post clank as the puck rings off the post. The game turns physical and defenseman Matt Zacharias and a Troy player are both sent off as Zacharias tries to control the Trojans aggressive play. Edmonds and O'Brien weren't done, carrying the puck into the Trojan end, O'Brien takes a hard hit along the boards, off both knees scoops the puck and sends Rogers in alone on the Trojan's Carney and Rogers wrists a laser like shot past the net minder and the Rocks lead 5-0, with 1:56 left. The Rocks may have celebrated the lead to quickly, catching the Rocks napping just as game 1, off the ensuing face-off and seconds after the Rocks goal, The Trojans answer right, back beating Alex Rogers with a low shot that marks another early season lessen to learn, 5-1 Rocks. Edmonds and O'Brien were simply a force to handle in the 2nd and with 4 seconds left in the period O'Brien strips the Trojan defenseman of the puck at the blue line, as he heads in alone he is hooked and pulled down and the Rocks are awarded a penalty shot, O'Brien comes in and makes a great move unfortunately loses the handle and O'Brien was held off the board. Rocks led 5-1 after two.  Rocks out shot the Trojans 13-7 in the period.    

3rd Period
The Trojans started the third with an early flurry however Alex Rogers denied a great chance off a tip to his glove hand. However it didn't get any easier on the Trojans from than on from a determined Rocks hockey club. Troy starts the period with a goaltender change, the Rocks continue to pressure and at 11:56 Chris Ridgway takes a puck off the side boards and is left to walk right into the high slot, Ridgway uses a perfect screen by a defenseman and drills a shot along the ice and beats the tender 5-hole, Rocks 6-1. At 10:36 of the third a rare neutral zone turnover cost the Rocks, a Trojan forward, Trudeau,  walked in untouched and beat Rogers low, Rocks still led 6-2. The 2nd of the O'Brien clan stepped up in the third, Sam O'Brien walks in from the right side and fires a low far side shot, while the goaltender makes the save he feeds the rebound right onto the stick of veteran Senior, Trent Cooper, Cooper who is leveled somehow keeps his stick on the puck and flips the puck into the open side and the Rocks open a commanding 7-2 lead. Rocks now are dominating both physically and offensively. With the game out of reach the Trojans find some frustration and penalties would allow the Rocks to continue the onslaught, at 6:22, and on the power play, three veteran Rocks, Rogers, Wall and Ridgway show great puck control, leaving Wall all alone at the top of the circles, Rogers feeds Wall and Walls howitzer beats the goaltender clean to put the Rocks up 8-2. The young goaltender for Troy found himself in trouble again when Wall blasts a slap shot from the blue line, while making the save gives a rebound to Chris Ridgway and Ridgway lifts a shot top shelf that finishes a, 2nd game in row, scoring barrage as the Rocks close out the game 9-2.  Rocks out shot Troy 15-8 in the 3rd and finished ahead 39-27 overall.

Rocks Highlights:

After game one's veteran leadership display, Chris Ridgway was determined not to be denied to get on the board in this one. The 3rd year winger showed his prowess out there as he notches a 3 goal 5 point night, ending the game a whopping plus 7. Jordan Edmonds set a fiery tone all night and he proved to be too much to handle on this night as his line Edmonds, O'Brien and Hoover collect 4 pts. The Rocks next action will have them dealing with a tough opponent as the Sylvania Southview Cougars from the Northwest Hockey Conference come in Friday night at 6:00 pm at the Dublin Chiller
                                                                                                                                   by Randy Zacharias