Team DC Turns the Tables and Rolls to 9-2 Win vs. Arizona
In almost a complete turnaround from Friday’s game, Team DC took over a competitive contest in the second period and ran away from Arizona for a 9-2 victory in the final game of pool play at America’s Hockey Showcase in Pittsburgh. With the victory Team DC improved to 2-1 and finished in second place in the Freedom Division of Pool B.
Team DC will play in a consolation game Sunday at 8 a.m. against Massachusetts, the second-place team from the other group in Pool B. Colorado Burgundy won the Freedom Division with a 3-0 record to advance to the quarterfinals.
Today’s victory was a total team effort for Team DC, with eight different players scoring goals and 11 different players recording assists. Ten players notched multiple points. Defenseman Wyatt Hinkson (Team Maryland 16U AAA/DeMatha) remained on fire with his third and fourth goals of the tournament, while seven other players each notched a single goal.
“The kids had fun playing and played hard and well together today,” Team DC head coach Rob Trantin said. “It would have been nice to see how we would have done yesterday with this kind of energy and effort.”
For the second time in three games Devin Lowe (Team Maryland 18U AAA/Dulaney co-op) scored the first goal of the game, this time just over seven minutes into the contest, on a power-play shot from center point with Tiger Bjornlund (Montgomery Blue Devils 16U AAA/Whitman) and Griffin Long (Washington Little Caps 18U AAA/St. John’s) picking up assists.
The score remained 1-0 until the second period before the floodgates opened. Hinkson, Brener Granston (Tri-City Eagles 16U AAA/Montgomery Blair), Jackson Harnois (Tri-City Eagles 18U AAA/Quince Orchard co-op) and Evan Bergquist (York Devils 16U AA/Fallston co-op) all scored in the second frame to push the lead to 5-1 after two.
Liam Eden (Washington Little Caps 16U AAA/Arbishop Spalding), John Cardellicchio (Reston Raiders AA/Gonzaga), Hinkson and Jake Kaplan (Tri-City 18UAA/DeMatha) then connected in the third period for the final margin. Here is a look at Cardellicchio's unassisted goal.
Ben Calaman (Team Maryland 18U AAA/St. John’s) started in goal for the second time in the tournament and played the first two periods, making 18 saves and allowing one goal. Matt Schaab (Calvert Hall) relieved him in the third and stopped three of four Arizona offerings.
Hinkson led the multiple-point parade with his two goals, with Lowe, Granston, Kaplan and Eden each recording a goal and an assist. Long, Evan Yamaguchi (Team Maryland 18U AAA/Frederick County co-op), Denis Kuzminov (Team Maryland 18U AAA/St. Mary’s Ryken), Bjornlund and Josh Keller (Team Maryland 18U AAA/Urbana) each contributed a pair of assists.
Single assists were recorded by Nate Dailey (Howard Huskies 18U AAA/Mount St. Joseph’s) and Colin Cunningham (Haymarket, VA/Battlefield).
“Hopefully the kids will come out with the same type of focus and intensity tomorrow,” Trantin said. “It would be a nice step forward for Team DC to finish 3-1 here this year.”
Tomorrows 8 a.m. game vs. Massachusetts can be seen live on www.hockeytv.com.
