By Dylan Butler
“It’s not the playoffs, but it beats a tie.”
Those were the sentiments of Molloy hockey coach Richie Rodgers after the Stanners blanked rival Holy Cross, 4-0, Friday at Abe Stark Rink on Coney Island after the two Queens rivals battled to a pair of draws their first two meetings this year.
“I’ve been talking to them about playing with passion,” Rodgers said. “We played with more emotion. We didn’t give up any scrums in front of the net. It was probably the best game we played all year.”
Harrison Knee posted the shutout but made just eight saves all game — including just two apiece in the final two periods. For the game, Molloy (11-0-2 CHSHL ‘B’) had a 19-8 edge in shots.
After Matt Davino gave the Stanners a 1-0 lead at 6:29 of the first period, Sean Kearney scored on the power play at 6:21 of the second period to give Molloy a two-goal edge.
Bryan Elfant and Kearney added third-period goals to put the game away for the Stanners, who take on Christ the King Monday at 11:50 a.m. at the Ice Hutch in Mount Vernon. The Royals, who beat Xavier, 8-6, and tied St. Joseph by the Sea, 5-5, are 5-3-2 and one point behind third-place Holy Cross.
Struggling Holy Cross (5-4-3 CHSHL ‘B’), which has lost three of its last four, faces St. Edmund Thursday at Murray Rink in Yonkers at 5:15 p.m.
Monsignor McClancy 6, Cardinal Spellman 3. Keith Morrice had two goals, Stephen Ferguson had two goals and an assist, Charlie Gonzalez had a goal and two assists, and Patrick Gargano added a goal for McClancy (10-1 CHSHL ‘C’) at the Ice Hutch in Mount Vernon Saturday. Steve Mele had one goal and two assists, and James Harnett added a goal and an assist for Spellman (1-10).
St. Francis Prep season ends. The Terriers didn’t get the two wins they needed in their final two regular season games, falling to Fordham Prep, 5-0, Friday at Rye Playland and 3-1 to St. Peter’s Saturday at Abe Stark Rink. In its second season in the CHSHL ‘A’ division, St. Francis Prep finishes 7-9 after a 2-11-2 season last year.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
