St. John Vianney Griffins 9   Coffman Rocks 2

Game Summary - Dublin Coffman vs. St. John Vianney, Friday, November 23, 2007, Chiller North

 

                                                                                                                                                            photo by Carol Anderson

 
1st Period
The Rocks once again entered the Thanksgiving tournament with an eye on improving the hockey team prior to the Conference regular season. Rocks found themselves in a tough division with the first challenge a power from St. Louis, St. John Vianney. Vianney came out ready and swarmed the Rocks early on, hemming in the Rocks for the first minute of play. The Griffins, cycled the puck in the left corner pulling the Rocks players down low, leaving defenseman Eric Boning all alone at the point. Boning's hard shot was saved by Alex Rogers, but the squeezed through in behind Rogers Griffin’s center, Cero, was untouched and easily pushed the loose puck behind Rogers and at 14:06 of the first the Griffin's lead, 1-0.

Rocks seemed unsettled, while the duo of Anthony Rogers and Chris Ridgway had a chances early in the period, it was clear Griffin goaltender, Overy, would thwart any chances to get on the board. Griffins continued to press the Rocks in their own zone, time and time again the Rocks continued to have a hard time clearing the zone, the pressure created several turnovers at the blue line, and the skilled core of Vianney defensemen were great at hemming the Rocks in, firing shot after shot in on Rogers. Another clearing attempt failed and this time the Rocks would pay, as the puck kept in at the point is fed down low to Kowalczyk, at the lower left circle, Kowalczyk skates out to the top of the circles, turns and rips a wrist shot right by Rogers, 2-0 Vianney at 5:07.

Alex Rogers is unconscious in the period making great saves, to keep the Rocks in this one until very late in the period. The tender lifts the team with his play and the Rocks respond with their first goal of the night with 35 seconds left in the first, Chris Ridgway intercepts a Vianney pass at their blue line, takes the puck in on Overy's right side, Ridgway seeing a streaking Rogers on the left side of the net, drills a pinpoint pass and Rogers beats Overy, clean, 2-1 Vianney at the end of 1. Vianney out shot the Rocks in the first period 16-5. 

2nd Period
The Rocks start the period with an aggressive attack early and just as the period before an early goal was the outcome. Only this time the Rocks, Anthony Rogers creates a turn over in the neutral zone and feeds, hard skating, Sam O’Brien at center ice. O'Brien carries over the Vianney blue line and threads a pass, past the lone Vianney defensemen, to Chris Ridgway, Ridgway's one-timer is drilled over Overy’s left shoulder, to tie the game 2–2 at 14:01.

The ensuing face-off, the Griffins force the puck low and a quick shot from winger, Stout, caroms off of Rogers pads. The rebound deflects off the boards to Boning, who in turn fires a wrist shot into a melee in front of Rogers, Rogers can't see and the puck slides under his pad, 3-2 Vianney, just 25 seconds after the Rocks had tied the score. Coffman gives up another goal at 8:23, when defensemen, Overkamp, rips a slap shot from the blue-line, Rogers gets a good piece of the puck, unfortunately trickles thru with enough to pass the goal line, Vianney 4-2. With 7:57 left the Rocks are called for charging on a thunderous hit, which produces the power play for Vianney. The face-off is won clean, the two defensemen up top, move the puck to a wide open Paluczak, and the winger bounces a shot past Rogers, 5-2 at the end of 2. Vianney out shot the Rocks 16-3. 

 3rd Period
The Rocks looked uninterested in the third and it proved to be painful. Alex Rogers is bombarded with shots and at 9:10 Vianney's, Cero, notches his 2nd, 6-2. At 6:53 Vianney's Staely scores, with a hard shot from the face-off circle 7-2. With 3:53 left Vianney is not done,  Maurer scores 8-2. Frustration sets in and another penalty late in the game closes out the period with a power play and Vianney does not slow down with :07 seconds on the clock, Kowalczk scores his 2nd, 9-2 Vianney. Vianney out shot the Rocks 11-3 in the 3rd and 43-11 overall.

Rocks Highlights:
The Rocks left the game with their first overpowering loss, a combination of a ready team versus a team looking for energy produced a lopsided score. Were it not for Alex Rogers, it could have been worse. The Rocks look to come ready as its an early morning start, Game 2 of the tourney is St. Jean de Brebeuf, Canada, Saturday morning, 9:15, at Chiller North.

                                                                                                                      by Randy Zacharias