For two periods of the Fair-chester Athletic Association Tournament, the top-seeded RCDS hockey team couldn’t find the back of the net. Even though playing at home, with their fans urging them on, the Wildcats remained scoreless through the first ten minutes of the third period.

 

By Melanie Cane

 

For two periods of the Fair-chester Athletic Association Tournament, the top-seeded RCDS hockey team couldn’t find the back of the net. Even though playing at home, with their fans urging them on, the Wildcats remained scoreless through the first ten minutes of the third period.

And then the Wildcats caught fire. Freshman Kyle Halloran broke the scoreless tie, beating the King goalie on the glove side for the first of his two goals. Senior captain Henry Beschar and Patrick Kissell then each added a goal. Both Beschar and Halloran also had two assists. The final score was 4-1, with King scoring their lone goal in a scramble in front of the Wildcat goalmouth in the final minutes.

King came out storming in the first period, skating harder and playing very physically, putting relentless pressure on Wildcat goalie Jack Carroll. But Carroll denied their surge, making 29 saves overall. Said Coach Gary Bingham, “Jack’s glove hand was huge.”

Coach Bingham also praised junior captain Michael Rocco for controlling the came between the blue lines, as well as the Halloran twins, Blake Beber, Chase Jaegar, Patrick Kissel, and Liam McEnroe.

Senior Captain Henry Beschar was very proud of how the team handled the pressure of a 0-0 game going into the third period. “Freshman forward Kyle Halloran played a fantastic game with two crucial goals. Defenseman Michael Rocco’s play was phenomenal stopping the King’s strong first line. Jack Carroll was also a steady force in goal.”

Beschar credits King with playing a tough game and coming out with a lot of energy early on. “ I know the team is looking forward to an intense rivalry with King in the future.”

Regarding the season overall, Beschar said it felt great to finish the year with a 15-8 record and repeat as FAA Champions.

Coach Bingham attributes the championship win to “the boys following the game plan in the third period to shoot the puck.”