The RFA Black knights (12-7-2) picked the perfect night to put it all together. Put it all together the visitors did as they raced around and past the Corcoran Cougars (14-6-1)for a convincing 6-3 Section III playoff win. A win that had to excite the many fans who made the trek to Meachem to watch their troops post a Quarterfinal victory over the stunned maroon and white.
Up next for Coach Greg Cuthbertson and his #3 seed Black Knights is a matchup with the winner of tonight's New Hartford/CBA/JD matchup.
Licking your chops Knight's nation? Can't imagine why you would want another shot at the New Hartford Spartans, maybe? Could happen and probably will, if form holds.
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Speaking of form, RFA showed its best in beating the Cougars who had closed out the season winning five of their last six and fielding a lineup that included DII West Player of the Year James Cathers, an intimidating figure, on ice, if there ever was one.
If you don't like a performance that included more assists, 7, than goals, 6, you don't like to watch an unselfish team. That's how RFA played and that's why they survived and advanced on the road.
Speaking of form, it was the form the Knights showed on defense, to shut down Cathers most of the night, that made the difference as the visitors raced out to a 3-1 lead over the home team.
The fast paced first was needed to quiet the crowd that jammed its way into the old rink. RFA needed to get back on track to keep the campaign alive, after losing two straight and dropping to third place in the DII East standings.
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(RFA's Garrett Reilley (10) heads across center ice while Corcoran's Steve Young (14) gives chase in the early going.)
You had the sense that the Black Knights were a team on a mission as they flew out of the shoot, shooting laser beams at a stunned Cats goalie, Jason Frier (23 saves) who did his best early to keep the attacking Romans at bay.
Garrett Reilley proved that speed kills, streaking up the right side of the ice to send a backhander at Frier just twenty seconds in. Two minutes later, Matt DeMatteo, who was a man on a mission, let a onetimer rip that Frier fielded with a quick flick of his glove.
With 12:37 to go in the opener, TJ Reilley got into the act trying to sneak a backhander past the stunned Corcoran netminder. The quick start was just what the doctor ordered as RFA kept the pressure on the home team.
Corcoran, not known for its offensive prowess, doesn't like to take a lot of chances up ice, they tend to wait for opportunities to come to them. One did when RFA's Max Bartell was sent to the sin bin giving Corcoran a 5 on 4 chance, one of 8 chances they would have on the night.
Thank goodness for the RFA special teams. Time and time again they skated short handed but kept the frustrated Cougars off the scoreboard.
(RFA's T.J. Reilley (22) sees his breakaway shot go wide as Corcoran goalie Jason Frier (1) moves to fill the void.)
Chris Domanski almost found the range, with ten minutes left in te first, but Mike Endres, the senior netminder, stoned him to keep the game scoreless. Endres made 20 saves on the night and enjoyed tending the net on a night his defense did more than hold their own against the rough and tumble Cougars.
The momentum of the penalty kill carried over to the offense on the next shift and a short time later TJ Reilley made it 1-0 scoring off a beautiful feed from a streaking Nick Tardugno who set up Max Bartell. The lamp lighter came with 8:24 left in the first.
Corcoran took advantage of some sloppy play in front of their own net by the Knights and tied it up 1-1 when Andrew Jackson beat an outstretched Mike Endres to tie it up. Steve Young picked up an assist as the home fans banged the glass to raise the roof.
Ryan Fanelli, a junior forward, was in the right place at the right time banging home a rebound off a shot by Matt DeMatteo to put RFA up for good, scoring with 3:40 left in the period. Just :36 seconds later lighting struck again as Garrett Reilly made it 3-1 showing why he has become such a potent force on offense.
Whatever Corcoran coach Matt Caron told his troops during the break seemed to hit home as the Cougars made a game of it when Steve Young scored just 1:44 in to cut the RFA lead to 3-2.
(Black Knights forward Nick Tardugno (17) fires a pass past Corcoran's James Cathers (10) during second period action.)
Problem is, RFA's Max Bartell took umbrage and blasted one past Jason Frier to up the lead to 4-2, with 12:51 remaining in the second. Whenever Corcoran made a run, RFA made one of their own, like the one Bartell made to hustle his way onto the scoring ledger.
Speaking of scoring, Nick Tardugno did just that two minutes later as the Knights took control leading 5-2. Tardugno's goal was a thing of beauty as he picked up a loose puck in his own end and sped past Corcoran defenders like they were standing still, and rifled a blistering backhander past a diving Frier.
RFA then ran into what some might call home cooking, having to kill off four 5 on 4 chances because of a parade to the penalty box by the orange and black. Trouble is, RFA fans think the home cooking stunk up the joint.
Thanks to some marvelous play by the penalty kill unit, RFA stayed in command as the clock wound down in the second.
As the clock sped to 1:22 to go before the break, James Cathers planted his huge frame in front of the RFA crease and bulled his way to the net to score and cut the lead to two, 5-3, with 1:22 left. That's the way the second ended.
(Black Knights netminder Mike Endres (31) turns away a point blank shot as teammate Jeff Holzberger (26) helps clear the crease late in the game.)
The third period was all about killing time and killing off penalties for the Romans who protected their lead like a team on a mission.
Despite being shorthanded most of the frame RFA kept up the pressure and ran the clock down to 2:25 when Corcoran Coach Matt Caron pulled out all the stops sending his netminder to the bench as the Cougars tired to claw their way back and keep their season alive.
Try as they might, it didn't happen, as the Romans added an empty net goal by freshman Robbie Waller and celebrated a big road win on enemy ice.
Speaking of the road, just how long the trip ahead in this 2010 post season is remains to be seen, stay tuned for more!
Fun fact: Hard to imagine but there were four sets of brothers and a cousin on the ice tonight. Go figure. The Reilley boys from RFA, Cathers for Corcoran, Domanski's and Stanford's also for Corcoran. Wonder what the odds on that are?
RFA 6 Corcoran 3
1 2 3 Total
RFA 3 2 1 6
Corcoran 1 2 0 3
Scoring Ledger:
RFA
Max Bartell- 1 goal-2 assists
Garrett Reilley- 1 goal-2 assists
Joey Rutkowski-2 assists
Matt DeMatteo-1 assist
Robbie Waller-1 goal
Ryan Fanelli-1 goal
Nick Tardugno-1 goal
TJ Reilley-1 goal
Corcoran
Edmund Cathers-1 assist
James Cathers-1 goal
Andrew Jackson-1 goal-1 assist
Steve Young-1 goal-1 assist
