The Jamestown Lakers Bantam B took to home ice against the Amherst Knights on Sunday afternoon and, after a very tight first two periods, blew the game open with a five goal third to score a 6-1 victory. It is said the the recipe to build a hockey team is to build from the net out. The Lakers cooked up their fifth victory of the season by starting with two prime goalies, adding a healthy dose of stifling defense, and sprinkles in a few highlight reel goals.
The Lakers goaltending tandem of Brock Eppinger and Stathi Theofilactidis were on their game again, halting all but one of 31 Knight shots. Along the way, they both look cool, under control, and square to the shooter all afternoon. Amherst’s goaltender, James Matrese, also put put on a show, for two periods before finally succumbing to the withering Lakers attack in the third.
Eppinger was on his game from the very first shift when Knight star, Joe Zenoski, drove from his left and sent a dangerous cross-ice pass. Eppinger showcased his athleticism, using his right skate to push himself across the crease and forcing the point blank shot aside.
The Jamestowners were aided by another outstanding game by the defense corps, who was led by Kameron Press. Press led the team with nine defensive plays, and also was able to add to the offense with several excellent passes. Fellow blue liner Ben Scott continuously held Zenoski in check. Meanwhile, the defense also got involved in the offense zone. After a scoreless first period, Jackson Kresge got the Lakers on the board with a coast-to-coast special for his second goal of the weekend. Taking the puck behind his net, he slithered his way through the right of the neutral zone, cut back across the middle to create space after crossing the blue line, launched a missile over Maltrese’s shoulder.
The Jamestown lead did not last long, though, as Amherst struck just 12 seconds later with a wicked wrister to the high glove to knot the game at one. It would stay that way through the end of the second period.
In the third, the Lakers blew the formerly tight game open with five goals in a span of about four minutes. Mikael Anderson netted his first of the game on a neutral-zone turnover that saw him attack a 1 on 2 with a backhand-forehand move that unsettled the defense, giving him time to go five hole with success.
Cole Mazzurco, installed at full-time forward for the first time all season, delivered the next strike just 40 seconds later. It was his former defensive partner, Zach Bishop who started the play with a strip and breakout pass deep in the Lakers zone. Mazzurco touched it off the boards to himself and as off to the races. Despite a rolling puck, Mazzurco unleashed a clap bomb over Maltrese’s right shoulder for his first of the game.
Anderson would benefit from another Kresge defensive stop, this time in the neutral zone. Kresge put his foot in the ground and attacked, creating a loose puck situation. Anderson jumped on it, streaked and drove to his backhand for his second of the game and tenth of the season.
Again, it was defense creating offense as Kresge stopped a Knight attack and initiated a breakout to Caleb Kimmerly. Kimmerly found a breaking Mazzurco up the middle. Mazzurco made no mistake on the short-side wrister for a 5-1 lead.
The sixth and final Laker tally came off of a play the Lakers had worked on all week – the breakout. Starting in their own zone, Ben Scott recovers a puck and sends to to Carson Winsor, waiting just as he should have been, at the hashmarks. Winsor quickly whipped the puck to Chase Kartesz, breaking up the dots. It was exactly as the Lakers drew it up this week. Kartesz carried the mail into the Knight zone and found Cooper Shelters open as a trailer. Shelters sent a seeing-eye shot through a crowd and into the mesh for the 6-1 lead and his fourth of the season.
With great goaltending, the Lakers know that they can take some chances and want to have their defense push the play. A perfect example of that took place in the middle of the third period when Press had an aggressive strip and attack in the third. While the Amherst goaltender was up to the challenge, the play is indicative of how the Lakers want to create offense.
While the game was decided, Theofilactidis still wanted his second no-no in a row. With just two minutes to play, Amherst drove hard from his right. Theofilactidis made the initial save, but the puck trickled loose and skidded to a halt on the goal line, much to the chagrin of the shooter.
With the win, the Lakers now find themselves at 5 wins and 1 loss on the season. They will be back in action next Sunday at home against Cheektowaga – Black at 3:35. The two teams have yet to meet this season
Jamestown Lakers 07 Blog 