Game of the Day
WEST CHESTER – Despite knowing they had already advanced to Sunday’s quarterfinals, that didn’t slow down Culver Military Academy.
Paced by a four-goal first period, Culver defeated CarShield 8-1 to finish pool play undefeated at the USA Hockey Tier I 18U Youth National Championships on Saturday.
Mason Lohrei and Dominic Vidoli led the way offensively for Culver, each scoring a pair of goals. Head coach Steve Palmer credited his team’s offensive outburst to moving the puck quickly.
“When we share the puck like that and change the point of attack and we’re aware and move the puck quickly, it makes scoring chances come in abundance,” Palmer said. “As long as we move the puck like that we’ll be able to create something.”
As a defenseman, Lohrei knows finding the back of the net is rare for him, but called today’s two-goal performance a “good day.”
“It felt good just to get pucks through, it normally doesn’t happen,” he said. “We had a lot of screens in front and guys going to the net so that helped.”
Jackson Pierson opened the scoring 1:48 into the game, and was joined by Jack Schmiedlin, Spencer Cox and Connor Caponi in the goal scoring festivities. The lone goal scorer for CarShield in defeat was Eric Brown.
With six different players finding the score sheet for Culver and recording 50 total shots, the amount of talent on the roster was on full display in their latest victory.
“We have a lot of firepower up front,” Lohrei said. “We play well and move fast and it stems a lot from my breakout, just getting up the ice fast.”
Although they had already booked a spot in the playoffs, Palmer’s message to the team before the game was all about details.
“What I told them was it’s hard to turn it on and off, and it’s much easier to turn it on and on,” Palmer said. “There’s gonna be eight teams left that are great hockey teams so if we’re not detailed we’re gonna give up chances that we shouldn’t so that’s the message I gave them.”
Other Action
Eastern Mass Senators 9, Mid Fairfield 3
Five consecutive goals put the exclamation point on Eastern Mass' decisive victory over Mid Fairfield. Michael Outzen was the leading scorer on the day was four goals, Nolan McElhaney added a pair, and Matt McGrath, Mathew Rickard and Patrick Borella also got on the score sheet. For Mid Fairfield, Artjoms Lapiks, Matthew Holmes and Ryan Dooling tallied goals in defeat.
Shattuck St. Mary's 2, Anaheim Jr. Ducks 0
Wyatt Palmer and Ryan Drkulec scored for Shattuck St. Mary's, who finished with 53 total shots in their shutout over Anaheim. Shattuck goaltender Darius Bell saved all 19 shots he faced in the shutout, while Jr. Ducks goalie Brandon Bedient was credited with 51 stops.
Belle Tire 18U AAA 5, Tampa Scorpions 0
Belle Tire was paced by five different goal scorers, and scored four of their five goals on special teams in the victory over Tampa. Two power play goals were scored by Kam Ottenbreit and Camron Cervone, with a pair of shorthanded goals coming from John Kaljian and Nathan Hodges. Drew Cooper added a goal of his own, and goalie Hunter Lopatin made 49 saves in the shutout.
CCYHA 5, Cape Cod Whalers 2
Leading only 2-1, CCYHA extended the lead to four after scoring three unanswered goals in the victory over Cape Cod. Two power plays goals 1:04 apart in the second period from Ryan Sullivan and Shane Pinto gave CCYHA a four-goal cushion. Sullivan ended with a pair of goals, with Michael Gebhardt and Anthony Mastromonica also scoring. The Whalers goals came courtesy of Jay O'Brien and Jack Nisbet.
Dallas Stars Elite 5, PAL Islanders 3
Ethan Harrison led the Dallas offense with two goals, Todd Abrams and Griffin Sugasawara each scored on the man advantage, and William Stromp tallied a goal of his own in the Stars' victory. The Islanders received a pair of power play goals from Romeo Torain and Mathew Minerva, and Liam Donelan got his name on the score sheet with a goal.
NJ Avalanche 4, Yale Bulldogs National 2
The Avalanche scored the first three goals of the game, with a pair being scored in both the first and third periods. C.J. McGee and Nicolas Petruolo opened the scoring in the first 20 minutes, and Tyler Sedlak and Michael Conlin scored in the third. Yale's goals came courtesy of Kevin Wall on the power play and Jacques Bouquot.
Sioux Falls Jr. Stampede 18U AAA 6, Chicago Mission 3
Trailing 3-1, Sioux Falls exploded for five consecutive goals and a lead they would not surrender in the win over Chicago. Both Nathan Mutschelknaus and Sam Prisbe scored a pair of goals, while Brendan Westbrook and Marco Escobar also found the back of the net. The Mission's goals, which all came in the first period, were scored by Quinn Shay, William Dineen and Luke House.
