CASH delivers in OT

The Kenmore East, West and Grand Island girls high-school hockey team better known as KenGI pulled out all the stops Monday afternoon while vying for their first win of the season. Unfortunately, a late two-goal rally and then another in OT scored by the Clarence, Amherst and Sweet Home (CASH) girls team foiled the effort in a dramatic 7-6 finish.

KenGI (0-6) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with Jaclyn MacVittie, Nina Stockman and Carissa Buyea registering goals for the home team. The goals all came within the first six minutes of play and had the young KenGI team believing not only could they compete with one of the best teams in the Fed, but that they could beat them too. CASH (5-2) smoked KenGI just a little over a week earlier 7-2 on the same ice surface at Lincoln Arena in the Town of Tonawanda.

CASH gave up 13 shots on goal in the opening period. One might have assumed whether they had overlooked KenGI the second time around after the lopsided victory back on December 5th. “You have to take it game by game,” CASH head coach Nicola Adimey said. “It’s easy to look past a team when you played so well the first time around but when you do that, you forget to do the little things. It took us a couple periods to wake up and start playing our game,” she added.

CASH’s Emma Faso scored a late first period goal to cut their deficit to just two goals as the teams headed into the second period. Charliegh Rondeau (CASH) and McKenna Horne (KenGI) exchanged goals early in the second to make it a 4-2 hockey game.

CASH pulled starting goaltender Gina Densico after allowing her fourth goal on KenGI’s 16th shot at 10:11 of the second period in favor of Hannah Barrett. The move seemed to motivate team CASH as they responded with two goals before the middle period ended. Rondeau scored an even strength goal to make it 4-3 in favor of KenGI.

Rondeau completed the hat-trick early in the third period, knotting the game at 4.

Undeterred by the momentum shift, KenGi’s Horne scored back-to-back goals, including one on the power play to give her team a much needed lift and more importantly a two-goal lead again.

CASH wasn’t done though. Jamie King chipped in with a goal with a little over two minutes left in regulation to get her team to within one. Rondeau then delivered the equalizer half a minute later forcing the extra period, her fourth goal of the game.

With the help of the man advantage in OT, Faso ended the game on a breakaway to give CASH it’s fifth win of the season.

“That’s a tough one to lose for us,” KenGI head coach Jeff Orlowski said after the game. “The girls gave a great effort, they played much better than the last time we played them. It just wasn’t enough, obviously, but we can build from it. Game’s that end like this only make you better in the long run.”

KenGI goaltender Carolyn Bourgeault, a 7th grader faced 44 shots from CASH’s high-powered offense. Barrett finished with 14 saves including a breakaway stop on KenGI’s Abby Blair in overtime.

The teams combined for 10 minor penalties.

Rondeau finished with four goals and two assists while Faso had two goals and three assists for CASH. Kaylynn Savoy had two assists for KenGI while Stockman, Jenna House, Rosie Boyko and Blair each added a helper in the loss.

TUESDAY SCHEDULE

CASH takes on the FLOP (Frontier, Lake Shore and Orchard Park) Northtown Center, 4pm

KenGI hosts Williamsville at 7:40pm at Lincoln Arena

Hamburg, Eden and West Seneca (HEWS) plays Lancaster, Iroquois and Depew (LIDS) at Leisure rink 4pm

NO ADMISSION

NOTES

Brian Hillery stepped down a little over a week ago as head coach of HEWS. Assistant coach Tom Ferro has assumed his responsibilities

WNY Girls Fed Hockey will be the featured topic on the Saturday, December 30th episode of WGR 550’s Inside High-School Sports program, heard 10-11. Bill Pavone will be in studio to discuss a wide range of topics concerning the Girls Fed.