Coming off of a 3-1 win against tough competitor Glenbrook South, the Nighthawks continued their streak in a match against the aggressive Kings Hockey Club Gold team, shutting them out 10-0.
First Period
Lincoln Park junior Tony Ercoli started off the first period by trying to score from the left side. Niles North sophomore John Kinne attempted to score from the right side but was also unsuccessful. The first goal of the night came from Niles North sophomore Stefan Vlad and was assisted by junior Nick Brummitt. Ercoli later came up on the right side with the puck, but the was thwarted by the Kings’ goalie. Fortunately, Ercoli’s next attempt succeeded, making the score 2-0. He was assisted by senior Nick Clark. Fueled by the early lead, the Nighthawks scored again, this time with Kinne putting the puck in the net and assisted by Niles North senior Benji Berg-Einhorn and Ida Crown sophomore Seth Greenberg. The first penalty of the night was taken by the Kings, giving the Nighthawks the power play advantage. Unfortunately, the penalty resulted in an injury for Niles North senior Jack Burke, who was forced to leave the game; it was later learned that he suffered a separated clavicle, taking him out for the next week. Kinne brought up the puck along the right hand side boards, but was met by the Kings’ defense. The next penalty was taken by Ercoli for hooking. The Kings tried to capitalize, but senior defenseman Eli Sherman stood his ground in defending Taft freshman goalie Jason Dorsch. Chicagoland Jewish High School sophomore Ethan Herman took a hard hit and was laid out, but recovered. Ercoli and Clark both tried to extend the lead, but the Kings’ goalie kept the puck out of his net. The Kings tried again to break through to Dorsch, but Sherman poke checked and kept the puck away from the Nighthawks’ goalie. Vlad tried stick handling his way towards the Kings goal, but was denied. Ercoli scored his second goal of the night, going top shelf, assisted by Brummitt and Vlad. The score at the end of the period remained 4-0.
Second Period
After the first face-off of the period, Ercoli brought the puck up, but his shot went wide. Ercoli tried to pass to Ida Crown junior Elazar Kolom, but the pass fell through. Clark stayed with the Kings’ offense, preventing them from scoring early in the period. Kolom worked offense and defense, trying to score again while guarding Dorsch from the Kings’ offense. Later on, the Nighthawks crowded around the Kings’ goal, with Ercoli trying to score again. Berg-Einhorn tried coming up on the Kings’ right, but was blocked from scoring. Finally, the fifth goal of the night occurred when Ercoli put it through the the Kings’ goalie’s five hole, through the legs, giving him a hat trick. Shortly after, Vlad scored his second goal of the night. The Kings were clearly losing stamina, allowing Berg-Einhorn to score the Nighthawks’ seventh goal. He was assisted by Greenberg. The Kings took a penalty not too long after Berg-Einhorn’s goal, giving the Nighthawks the power play, which proved fruitless for the Kings. Rather than the Kings scoring from the extra man advantage, Kinne scored, ending the period with a score of 8-0.
Third Period
Kolom started off the period by trying to score from the left side but couldn’t come away with a goal. Herman protected Dorsch from the oncoming Kings, but while passing had the puck stolen by a King; fortunately Dorsch was able to block the scoring attempt. Clark took a penalty, giving the Kings the power play. Herman took another hard hit, but was able to stand up and continue playing. A little drama unfolded when Greenberg hit a King player, who got up and tapped Greenberg’s face mask, causing a minor shoving match. Greenberg and the Kings’ player both took penalties. Sherman scored the ninth goal of the night, getting assisted by Vlad and Niles North junior Joey Bleadon. The last goal of the night was scored by Clark, who was assisted by Herman. The final score was 10-0.
Clark feels that the team dealt well with physical opponents.
“I feel that we were relentless in the offensive attack, and we kept our composure while the Kings were taking runs at us. However, when playing a weaker team, you are more likely to fall back on bad habits and play at their level,” Clark said.
However, he does not think that the team played perfectly.
“Although we won 10-0, we did have some lapses, such as blind passes and playing out of position, which would prove problematic against a stronger opponent. But overall we played well and need to get ready to take on the second Kings team, which is the stronger of the two,” Clark said.
