Furious Finish Leads to Rough Rider Tie with Orange

Kent Roosevelt hockey coach Ben Barlow could have responded with the infamous Yogi Berra quote after Thursday night’s overtime thriller against Orange at the Ice Arena by suggesting “this is like deja vu all over again.” 

Barlow's team repeated their recent playing pattern of starting slow in the first and second periods and playing their best hockey in the third period and, in this case, an additional overtime stanza resulting in 6-6 final score.

Orange opened the game’s scoring when Jim Stork delivered a goal late in the first period.

 “The first period was a competitive period of hockey,” Barlow said. “But we started to lose our focus in the second period.”

Indeed, the Rough Riders needed to re-focus after allowing four goals in the second period and falling behind 5-2 at the end of two periods.

Kent Roosevelt did score on goals by seniors Bob Danner and Tom Fisher in the second period. However, Orange responded with both Brian Joseph and Chad Sonkin scoring two goals each in the period. Sonkin’s first goal came short-handed.

Orange continued to find the net and opened the scoring in the third period on a power play goal with 13:54 remaining in the game and expanded their lead to four goals at 6-2.

But, as the saying goes, “the harder you work, the luckier you get," and hard work paid off for Roosevelt in this game.

“Our kids are in shape, the weight room is paying off, the hard skating in practice is paying off to where we can play our best hockey and score four unanswered goals in the third frame and then take it to them in overtime,” Barlow said.

The furious comeback of four unanswered Roosevelt goals began with Sophomore Dante Montemayor’s power play goal (assisted by Danner and Kyle Manning) with 8:22 remaining in the game.

Sophomore Scott Rainey added a goal with just over three minutes remaining in the game, and the duo of Danner and Fisher each found the net just eight seconds apart in the final half-minute of play to send the game into overtime — and the crowd into a frenzy.

Roosevelt’s resilient effort continued in the overtime stanza. The Rough Riders dominated the shots on goal in the extra period and survived a penalty but could not score on a power play opportunity.

 “Ultimately we want to win, but even though they came up short, they (Roosevelt players) need to take pride in what they did accomplish," Barlow said. "The kids should be very proud of it and I am very proud of my coaches as they did a great job.”

Blue line notes

• Montemayor’s goal in the third period was his first goal in his high school playing career.
• Roosevelt’s Tom Fisher tallied four points on the night (2G, 2A). Bob Danner added three points (2G, 1A).
• Gone “Fish-ering.” Did you know there are four entries of the name “Fisher” on the Roosevelt roster? Tom, a senior, Gordie and Mitch sophomore twins and Tom, Sr., is an assistant coach. And, for good measure, there also is a Fischer. Jared Fischer is a goalie on the team.

Scoring summary

1st Period: 1, (O) Stork (Bonda, Bodner) 2:44

2nd Period: 2, (KR) Danner (Montemayor, Rainey) 12:18; 3, (O) Joseph (Sonkin) 11:32; 4, (KR) Fisher, T. (Fisher, M) 6:33; 5, (O) Joseph (Sonkin) 6:06; 6, (O) Sonkin 2:15; 7, (O) Sonkin 1:09

3rd Period:  8, (O) Yelsky (Joseph) 13:54 PP; 9, (KR) Montemayor (Manning, Danner) 8:22 PP; 10, (KR) Rainey (Fisher, T.) 3:17; 11 (KR) Danner (Fisher, T. Smith) :26 ; 12, (KR) Fisher, T. (Smith) :18

Game summary

Kent Roosevelt:    0 –2 – 4 – 0 – 6

Orange:               1 - 4 – 1 – 0 - 6

Shots on goal:

Kent Roosevelt: 39

Orange: 29

Goalie Saves:

Kent Roosevelt: Grootegoed 23

Orange: Shapiro, P. 33