St. Mary’s Andrew Booth, right, battles Chicopee’s Ben Jablonski recently at the Amelia Park Ice Arena. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
AMHERST – St. Mary’s dropped a tough one on the road at Orr Arena Monday. The Saints, who fell to 3-5, received just one goal, a short-handed effort from senior Andrew Booth (Westfield) in a 4-1 loss against host Amherst.
Saint Mary’s spent the majority of the first period in the defensive zone having trouble clearing the puck. The Saints ended the first period down 2-0 on a goal with less than four seconds remaining.
St. Mary’s played better in the second period but could not find the back of the net and was marred by a penalty that led to an Amherst goal after an icing was waved off. The Saints trailed 3-0 entering the final period.
St. Mary’s came out with much more energy and played more aggressive until a third-period penalty killed the momentum. However, Booth came with a lot of hustle and was able to put the Saints on the board.
St. Mary’s goalie Matt Brady saw a total of 33 shots, making 29 saves.
“We have to come out with more heart and be ready to play,” Saints coach Don Goodreau said. “We had a game plan and didn’t execute tonight. We have to really review what we are doing to get better.”
Westfield senior forward Chris Gentile, left, reaches for the puck against Longmeadow recently at the Olympia Ice Arena in West Springfield. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
LATE RESULTS
Wachusett 4, Westfield 2
Chris Gentile kept his season-scoring streak alive with his eighth and ninth goals of the year, scoring 24 seconds into Sunday’s game at Amelia Park Ice Arena, and netting another off a Connor Sullivan rebound. Craig Lacey assisted on the first effort.
The third period featured tremendous goaltending with Westfield goalie Garrett Mathews keeping it a one-goal game, until an open-netter in the waning minutes made it 4-2.
Also in the third, Connor Sullivan fed Chris Sullivan in the slot for a bomb that clanged off the crossbar, the tying goal just eluding the Bombers (4-1).
