The way the game started the thought was to stop video taping the game and go enjoy a hot chocolate. Reason being Rider scored twice in the first 2 minutes of the game. But I should have known better, because the team has not quit in a game all season. Rider would not score again until there was less than 9 minutes left in the 2nd period. The first Rider goal came when a rider player was able to walk in from the boards and tee up a snap shot. ESU 0 – Rider 1. The second goal was scored after Warrior goalie, Travis LeBar, had stopped 2 point blank shots, but the last rebound was flipped into the net. ESU 0 – Rider 2.
Warriors Play Well in Loss to RiderFour and half minutes into the 2nd period ESU closed the gap to a one goal deficit. Ryan Malandra carried the puck across the low slot and let go a backhand shot. Ryan got his own rebound and got it to Nick Londino on the side of the net. Nick, quickly, sent a pass to Stephen Palmer in front of the crease, and Palmer buried a backhander. ESU 1 – Rider 2. Rider took back a 2 goal lead on a power play goal. The goal was scored on a rocket of a slap shot from inside the point. ESU 1 – Rider 3. Fourteen seconds later the Warriors got the goal back. Nick, The Quick, Londino intercepted a cross ice pass, in the ESU zone, and went in one on one, deked the goalie and lifted a wrister over the goalie’s blocker. ESU 2 – Rider 3.
The 3rd period was well played and eight and a half minutes in ESU tied the score when Chris Tull cleared the puck to Londino in the neutral zone. Londino quickly delivered a pass to Dean, The Hammer, Malanga at the Rider blue line. Malanga skated in and from between the circles hammered the puck into the top left corner. ESU 3 – Rider 3. Rider scored the winning goal in a 4 on 4 situation off a face-off when a rebound off a shot went right to a Rider player who slid the puck into goal. The final goal came when the puck was thrown across the crease and went in off a Warrior defender.Final score – ESU 3 – Rider 5. An excellent game after a disastrous beginning.
