Late goals cost Sweet Home hockey versus Lancaster
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Sweet Home's Federation hockey team posted a win and loss last week but had the Panthers not made a few mistakes in its 5-4 defeat to Lancaster on Monday they probably could have left the Pepsi Center Rink No. 2 with a victory.

Tied 2-2 with Lancaster late in the second, the Redskins got goals from Justin Hussar (Jordan McGraw) and PJ Brown (Joe Karl, Ryan Rogolski) 1:13 apart to put them ahead for good, 4-2.

Sweet Home's Ryan Marko (Rich Beaudet) made it 4-3 on the power play at 12:41 of the third but Karl answered at 2:40 from Rogolski. The Panthers pulled goalie Rob Castiglia for an extra attacker and it worked for one goal as Ryan Gutt scored at 1:04 on a scramble in front of the net from Chris Covel and Mike Campise. Sweet Home coach Dave Gerspach said his team got some shots after Covel's goal but could not put it into the empty net.

Sweet Home trailed Lancaster 1-0 in the first before Gutt scored seven seconds later at 3:15 from Pat McMahon.

Marko made it 2-1 Sweet Home with five seconds left in the period on a slap shot between the red and blue line that went off the post and low to the stick side of the Lancaster goalie. Alex Gilmour and Beaudet assisted.

Nick Berst (Karl, Brown) hooked up once in the first period on the power play and again in the second period.

"We probably played our best first and third periods of the year," said Gerspach. "We just had some breakdowns in the last half of the second."

Sweet Home was outshot 31-19.

The Panthers opened its week with a 5-0 over Niagara Falls on Saturday on the Olympic Rink.

Covel led Sweet Home with a natural hat trick in the third period. His first goal came from Gutt and McMahon, his second was unassisted and his third came on the power play from Mike Campise and Beaudet.

Colin Cardinale (Marko, Rich Fedele) and Adam Titanic (Dominic Puntillo) scored at 13:58 of the first and 4:36 of the second, respectively.

Castiglia made 23 saves to record the shutout. Sweet Home had 30 shots on net.

"We were the better team in each period," said Gerspach. "When they did have chances, Rob played really well in net."

Gerspach liked how in both games, his team played well in the third period.

"It wasn't as much as the goals as it was the effort the kids gave," said Gerspach. "It's nice to see the things we are working on practice in a game."

Sweet Home is off until Tuesday, Jan. 29 when they face Williamsville East at 3:30 p.m. on the Feature Rink.