Game Summary - Dublin Coffman vs. St. Jean de Brebeuf, Canada Saturday, Nov 23,2007, Chiller North

 

                                                                                                                                                            photo by Carol Anderson

The High school from Canada has a little history of successful hockey players with the likes of, Dave Andreychuk - Tampa Bay Lightning 2004 Stanley Cup Champions, Adam Mair - Buffalo Sabres, Brain McGrattan - Ottawa Senators, Ryan Risidore - Hamilton Bulldogs. So the Rocks knew they were in tough.

 
1st Period
The Rocks battled a tough Hamilton Ontario team in St Jean de Brebeuf Braves.  The first period went back and forth with plenty of action. At 13:19, the Braves hit pay dirt first. What seemed initially as a routine play to keep the puck in the Brave’s zone ended up having a Rocks defenseman knocked over at the Brebeuf blue line, the Braves grab the loose puck it's passed at the red line over to a streaking left winger, Denny Traviale who walks in virtually untouched and wrists a shot that Alex Rogers makes the save, only the upper body save creates a rebound and is backhanded out of the air by trailing Brebeuf forward Nick Cino, 1-0 Brebeuf. Quickly Matt Charbonneau takes the puck end to end, skates from the left side across the hash marks and at the top of the face-off circle to the right side, releases a huge wrist shot into heavy traffic, Rogers screened was unable to react and the Braves lead, 2-0. The Rocks are having trouble with the Braves speed and the points for Brebeuf are taking shot after shot, Rogers under heavy traffic, is outstanding. The Rocks finally mount some pressure and get on the board with 2:31 left in the period while on the power play, Evan Bowdy and Jimmy Wall set-up the play back in the Rock’s zone. Wall sends a pass from the Rocks face-off circle to Anthony Rogers at the red line, Rogers carries into the Braves zone and as he tries to release a shot he is drilled by a Braves defenseman, the puck is scooped up by Bowdy who sends a pinpoint pass over to Chris Ridgway on the left side of the circles, Ridgway's one-timer flies past, net minder Dan Arreri, 2-1 Braves. Brebeuf out shot the Rocks in the first period 14-4. 

2nd Period
The first minute both goalies make great saves as the teams try and build some momentum. The Rocks have a great opportunity to score on a 3 on 1 but a centering pass was intercepted and the heads up reaction from a Braves defenseman, feeds Jesse Healy coming off the bench who is in behind the Rocks defense.  Healy on the breakaway deke's Rogers and sticks the puck past the outstretched pad of Rogers, 3-1 Braves. Just 2 minutes later at 11:15, Matt Smith sends the puck around the net to the left-winger, Sam O’Brien, Obrien passes to a streaking Anthony Rogers, Rogers skates in on Arreri and wrists a shot from the left face-off circle, that gets thru the Braves goalie, 3-2 Braves. At 5:41 the Rock’s go on a power play, after an obvious trip sends a Rocks forward crashing thru the net, the ensuing face-off is to the right of the goal.  Anthony Rogers wins the face-off sending it back to Evan Bowdy, once again Bowdy spots Chris Ridgway, who has camped out in front of the net minder, his first shot is saved but Ridgway corral's the rebound and his second hot is backhanded over the outstretched, Arreri, into the top right corner 3-3 at the end of 2. Brebeuf out shot the Rocks 14-7. 

 3rd Period
The Braves show their strength quickly in the 3rd, tape to tape passes on the first face-off of the period allows Braves forward, Cole McNeil, to skate in on Rogers alone and just 16 seconds into the third the point blank wrist shot beats Roger’s left shoulder and the Braves lead again 4-3. For the balance of the game the Rocks get a few scoring chances but the Braves keep the Rocks well out f a good scoring shot. The Rocks were desperate and a face-off to the left of the Brave’s goal, results in a goal against. Jordan Edmonds wins the face-off over to Andy O’Brien who is tied-up with two Braves, the puck is loose in the Braves crease but no Rock can get to the puck, a Braves defenseman scoops up the loose puck and skates the puck into the Rocks zone, just to the left of Rogers. At the last second he passes the puck under a back checking defenseman for the Rocks, over to Matt Charbonneau,  Charbonneau releases the shot quickly and the puck squirts under Rogers pad, and the Braves close out the scoring 5-3 Braves. Brebeuf out shot the Rocks 10-7 in the 3rd and 38-18 overall.

Rocks Highlights:
The Rocks came to play with their best effort to this point of the tourney. They seemed more disciplined all over the ice, finally moving the puck from player to player and the improvement showed, once Again Alex Rogers stands tall, and all three lines picked up the pace. Game 3 of the tourney is against the Ancaster Royals, Canada, Saturday afternoon, 12:45, at Chiller North.

                                                                                                                      by Randy Zacharias