East hockey experiences reversal of fortune on offense
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

One of the biggest ways a hockey team can lose a game is if it doesn't capitalize on its scoring opportunities. That's what happened to Williamsville East in its 6-1 loss to St. Francis last Thursday on the Amherst Pepsi Center Olympic Rink.

East coach Mike Torrillo said his team outshot St. Francis, 33-23, but missed three breakaways and a two-on-none over the course of the game.

"The effort wasn't bad," said Torrillo. "I thought our chances were good, if not better than theirs, but they scored on their chances."

Torrillo said his team made a couple of defensive mistakes down low in the first 4:15 of the first period which resulted in St. Francis goals by sophomore forward Nate Woznak and, on the power play, junior forward Matt Ganci. Woznak finished the game with a hat trick.

Up 4-1 in the third, St. Francis scored two late goals to finish off the Flames.

Senior forward Eric Esposito tallied East's lone goal late in the first period on a tip in from the point from Austin Barnett and Joey Cantafio.

"Their goalie (Josh Hathaway) made some good saves but we have got to finish," said Torrillo.

Jay Hall tended net for East.

Any doubt of East not generating goals ended two days later as the Flames defeated Niagara Falls, 6-2, on Saturday on the Feature Rink.

Scoreless after the first period, the Flames scored three times in the second - Colin Lucey (Bogart, Dan Tyx); Matt Notaro (Matt Kweller); and Barnett (Justin Floss, Gary Styn) - and added another three tallies in the last five minutes of the third - Bogart (Esposito, Barnett); Lucey (James Faran, Max Fogel); and Styn (Floss, Barnett) - to tame the Wolverines.

"All four lines scored a goal against Niagara Falls," said Torrillo. "That's the kind of balance that we want. It's how we have won games all year."

East outshot Niagara Falls, 27-18. Matt Bradley made 16 saves in net.

Mike Boyd and Thomas Hanna scored for Niagara Falls. The goals cut the Wolverines' deficit to 2-1 and 3-2, respectively.

East (10-7-3, 5-3-2) played Sweet Home on Tuesday but the result was unavailable before The Bee went to press. They get Niagara Falls again at 9 p.m. on Friday on the Feature Rink.