Cardinals open preseason ice hockey with 4-4 draw

Preseason is underway for 2011-12 ice hockey Cardinals. Ireton tied Archbishop Spalding 4-4 Friday night.

The BI Varsity Ice Hockey team opened their 2011-12 season last Friday night with a pre-season scrimmage against Archbishop Spalding. The Cavaliers brought a mixed squad all the way from Severn, MD, for the 7:00 pm tilt at the Mt. Vernon Rec Center. A great home crowd saw an entertaining game end in a 4-4 tie, after the contest was called with a little over a minute left due to an injury sustained by the Spalding goalie.

After a tentative start on both sides, BI opened the scoring late in the 1st period on a goal from Dillon Roach, the captain of this year’s squad. Assists on the Roach goal went to Sam Ratner and William Chastain. Less than a minute later Chastain netted one of his own, taking a pass from Stephen Gerke and rifling a shot past the screened Cavalier goalie. The Ireton squad increased the lead to 3-0 early in the 2nd period on a tally from Stephen Gerke, the recipient of a nice pass from Nick Tangora to finish off a 2-on-1 break.

Unfortunately the Cardinal squad couldn’t make the lead stand up, getting themselves into penalty trouble and causing a momentum swing toward the Cavaliers. Two Spalding power play goals in the 2nd period and another even strength tally just 7 seconds into the 3rd period, and the score was tied at 3. An unassisted goal by Dillon Roach halfway through the 3rd period restored the Ireton lead, but the Cavaliers stormed back with one of their own just over 4 minutes later. A flurry in the last two minutes of the game resulted in several good Cardinal scoring chances, but it wasn’t to be on this night.

Freshman goalie Jack Rodgers stopped 18 of 22 shots in his first action in net for the team.