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St. Francis avoids letdown, skates past McClancy, 8-0

By Dylan Butler

After an emotionally charged 2-0 win over St. Edmund's Friday night, the St. Francis Prep hockey team suffered the proverbial letdown against Monsignor McClancy Monday night at the Ice Hutch in Mount Vernon.

Unfortunately for the undermanned Crusaders, who dressed just nine skaters, the Terriers' struggle lasted only one period.

After a scoreless first period, the Terriers came back to score four goals in each of the final two periods to cruise to an 8-0 win. The playoff-bound Terriers (11-3-2) finish the regular season on a five-game winning streak.

“I would have liked a little more intensity tonight,” said St. Francis Prep head coach Billy Turner. “It's here physically, it has to be there mentally. Either they know how to handle it and play well or they don't.”

The Terriers, who are second in the league behind Xavier in goals against, also finish the regular season with back-to-back shutouts.

“We play a good forecheck, good defense,” said St. Francis Prep senior captain Mike Begy. “We don't give up many quality shots.”

With the win against McClancy (2-13), St. Francis Prep assured itself of either a third or fourth seed in the playoffs, which start this weekend. Molloy (10-3-1) wraps up its season against Xavier Friday night. A Stanner tie or win garners Molloy the No. 3 seed and pits it against No. 6 Christ the King (4-7-2) Sunday at 7:45 p.m. at Abe Stark Arena on Coney Island. St. Francis Prep, the fourth seed, would faceoff against No. 5 St. Raymond's at the Ice Hutch Saturday at 6 p.m.

If Molloy loses Friday, St. Francis Prep picks up the No. 3 seed.

Top-seeded St. Edmund's and No. 2 Xavier have received a bye into the semifinals. The quarterfinal round is a one-game elimination while the semis and final are a best-of-three series.

Against McClancy, Dan McCloskey opened the scoring 2:45 into the second period on assists from Denny Gryz and Adam Discepolo. Discepolo put Prep up 2-0 less than a minute later when he ricocheted the puck off McClancy goalie Chris Gavalas' back and into the net.

“I was at a bad angle, but I saw a little space and I banked it off the goalie's back and it went in,” said the junior from Flushing. “I've done it a couple of times before, but it was kind of lucky, I guess.”

Discepolo netted his second of the game with 4:18 left in the second when he picked up a pass from McCloskey and beat Gavalas with a wrist shot low to the blocker side.

The Terriers went ahead 4-0 when Gryz deflected in a Begy slap shot from the point with 1:12 left in the second period. Discepolo assisted on the goal.

St. Francis Prep sophomore defenseman Kevin McMenamin scored Prep's fifth goal on a slap shot from the point which deflected off a McClancy player past Gavalas, 3:56 into the third period. After Gryz put the Terriers ahead 6-0, St. Francis Prep scored two goals within 10 seconds as Peter Lilkendey and Steve Cameron each found the back of the net.

Holy Cross 3 Fordham Prep 1. Holy Cross (3-12-1) ended its regular season with a 3-1 win over the Fordham Rams Saturday night at the Ice Hutch in Mt. Vernon.

Matt Cennamo's goal tied the game at 1-1 in the second and goals by Chris La Vecchia and Sean O'Neill iced the game for Cross.