Freeport Yellow Jackets

VALENCIA - *****Game Summary provided exclusively to PA Hockey by Canon-McMillan Hockey***** The Canon-McMillan Big Macs got an unexpected test from the Hampton Talbots on Sunday night but remained steady to come away with a 7-5 win. The victory kept the 2nd-ranked Big Macs' unblemished record in tact at 6-0, but the 2-goal margin was their closest of the season. The Talbots fell to 1-7 on the year despite a 32-save effort by goaltender Tim Pappert. The Talbots struck first just 1:53 in to the opening period when Dan Relihan found a loose puck at the side of the crease and tucked it in to the CM net. Pat Duffy and Brian Goncar created the scramble in front and were credited with assists on the play. Canon Mac would even the score just over 2 minutes later when Doug Stanton tallied his first of the night with an assist from Eric Lang. The tied score only lasted 29 seconds, however, as Talbot winger Dan Flory beat CM goaltender John McFalls for a 2-1 lead. McFalls, who was playing in his first Varsity game, boarded up the nets from that point, making 14 saves in the first period alone. That gave the Big Macs an opportunity to build some momentum. Stanton slammed home a loose puck in front of the Hampton net at 8:23 after chances by Jesse Patnesky and Jake Borish to tie the game at 2. Back-to-back penalties by Hampton late in the period put all the momentum in Canon-McMillan's favor, and they would seize the opportunity. Nate Bohn took a feed from Stanton and blasted a slap shot by Pappert to notch a 5-on-3 power play tally at 2:45. Bohn then returned the favor and assisted on a power play goal by Stanton 38 seconds later. Lang also got an assist on the play, and the Big Macs claimed a 4-2 lead after one period of play. The scoreboard would remain active in the second period, but it was the penalty clock doing a majority of the work. Six penalties were handed out in the period, and it wasn't until Duffy scored on a low wrister with 1:40 left that the score would change. Pappert was the star of the period, though, turning away all 13 shots he faced to keep the Talbots within a goal. The 1-goal deficit was erased when Goncar beat McFalls to the glove-hand corner on a power play breakaway at 11:45. Canon Mac restored their lead when sophomore forward Corey Griffith put his own shot in to the top shelf for a 5-4 lead for the visitors. It was Crazy Eights when #8 Goncar responded to #8 Griffith's goal with a shot from the slot that beat McFalls at 8:49. Talbot forward Matt Celin fired the puck in to the Canon-McMillan zone, and the puck caromed off the end boards and straight out to a streaking Goncar for the goal. With the score deadlocked, Hampton was driving hard to the Canon Mac net to accomplish the upset, but it was a drive from the point by Lang that put the Big Macs ahead for good at 4:27. Nick Cusolito and Erik McKown got assists on the goal. Stanton sealed the deal by taking the puck end-to-end for an empty net goal with 14 seconds left. The goal was Stanton's 4th of the night and team-leading 11th of the season. He would finish the game with 5 points, while Lang had 3 assists to go with this game-winning goal. Relihan also had a goal and 3 assists for Hampton, while Celin finished the game with 3 assists to his credit. McFalls got his first career win by making 27 saves. After a 12-day lay off prior to this game, Canon-McMillan doesn't get much rest afterwards since they return home to face Bishop Canevin on Monday night. The Big Macs also play at 3rd-ranked West Allegheny in a battle of current unbeatens on Thursday night. Hampton gets the rest of the week off before traveling to face Greater Latrobe next Monday night.