St. Mary’s Shaun Gezotis blazes past the Taconic defense en route to scoring one of three first-period goals in a game earlier this year. Gezotis tallied another hat trick Wednesday night to help put the Saints on the brink of a tournament berth. (File Photo by Bill Deren)
WESTFIELD – The St. Mary High School boys’ ice hockey team scored twice in the first three minutes of the game, and never looked back as the Saints skated past Easthampton 5-2 Wednesday night to move within a point of clinching their first postseason berth since 2012.
Reilly Siart scored one minute into the first period, beating Easthampton goalie Bridgette Goeler-Slough, and Shaun Gezotis followed with a power play goal 1:47 later to put the Saints up 2-0 early.
St. Mary kept the pressure up throughout the first period, and with Gezotis finally tallying his second goal of the period, assisted by Siart and senior co-captain Johnathan Spear. It was more of the same as the game progressed into the second. Spear scored on a wrister from the top of the circle, and Gezotis notched his third hat trick of the season with five minutes left in the period to give the Saints a comfortable 5-0 advantage.
Easthampton finally broke through Val Reopel and the Saints’ defense at the start of the third, scoring two quick goals. But the Saints settled down, and ran out the clock to move to 9-8-1 overall on the season. The win gives the Saints 19 points on the season, one short of the 20 needed to qualify for postseason play. A win or tie in either of their final two games would clinch a spot for the Saints, who have not played in the playoffs in four years. They get 10 days to rest up before traveling to Turners Falls next Saturday to face the Indians. – Courtesy of St. Mary High School
Gateway’s Pete Kowal drives around a St. Joe’s defender Wednesday night at the “Gator Pit.” (Photo by Marc St. Onge)
BOYS’ HOOPS
Tigers rally to stave off elimination
Westfield Technical Academy 58, Smith Academy 54
Westfield Tech rallied from a 44-38 fourth quarter deficit to pull off a huge road win, and keep its playoff hopes alive.
Matt Wood, Alex Stepanchuk, and Luis Santos all finished in double digits scoring for Westfield Tech. Tigers’ Viktor Biley, Kenny Flores, and Stepanchuk were instrumental in rotating defensive assignments to focus on stopping Smith Academy’s top scorer, Kevin Banas.
Westfield Tech led from the outset and had a double-digit advantage, but missed free throws and three straight 3-pointers from Smith Academy cost them the lead.
Ilnicki top Saint
McCann Tech 55, St. Mary 35
Nick Ilnicki scored a team-high 11 points for St. Mary.
Hopkins turns away Southwick
Hopkins Academy 72, Southwick 31
Three players scored in double digits – Samie Roe (29 points), Jon Morrison (14), and Brett Morrison (10) – to lead Hopkins at home.
Nick Chambers led Southwick with eight.
Southwick’s Ashley Shea, left, drives toward the hoop past Palmer’s defense. (Photo by Chris Putz)
Gators net victory
Gateway 67, St. Joe’s 48
Peter Kowal scored a team-high 21 points, Shane Mastello finished with 10, Seth Kusnik had nine, and two others (Jeremy D’Angelis and Brett Turban) chipped in eight apiece for Gateway.
St. Joe’s Joey Maynard led all scorers with 23 points.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Panthers prevail
Palmer 41, Southwick 35
Savannah Cavanaugh and Allison King finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively, to lead Palmer.
Southwick’s Haley Parker had nine.
