Big second period lifts Rams to 8-2 victory
ROSTRAVER TWP. — Ringgold was able to get the offense rolling in the second period with six goals and when the ice spray settled the unbeaten Rams defeated Elizabeth Forward, 8-2, Monday night at Rostraver Ice Garden.
The Rams improve to 15-0-0-0 and sit atop the PIHL Class B South Division with 30 points as the only undefeated team. Ringgold has home games with Connellsville (Feb. 10) and Bishop Canevin (Feb. 17), and closes the season at Carrick (Feb. 24).
“We have three games left. We have a really big bull’s eye on our backs,” said Ringgold coach Rick Kalinowski on the march to a perfect season.
The Warriors (7-6-0-1) remain in third place with 15 points, but were unable to gain separation from fourth-place Bishop Canevin, and Morgantown and Connellsville in fifth place. Connellsville fell to second-place Carrick in overtime, 3-2, while Morgantown suffered a 4-2 loss to Bishop Canevin.
Bishop Canevin is alone in fourth place with 14 points, but the Warriors have two games in hand on the Crusaders. Morgantown and Connellsville both have 13 points. Elizabeth Forward and Connellsville have a postponed game that has yet to be resheduled.
“To get these points would help us big,” said Elizabeth Forward coach John Zeller. “We have four games left. We have to win at least two. I think we have three teams that we can beat if we play the game the right way.”
The Warriors were out-shot in the first period, 14-5, but entered the second period with a 1-0 lead on Chase Glunt’s goal at 8:46. Ben Ruskay assisted on the goal.
“We kept it simple in the first period and we stayed with them,” said Zeller. “We had good sticks on pucks.”
“They were bodying in the first period. Elizabeth Forward is a well-coached team. That 89 (Sean Weber) is relentless,” praised Kalinowski.
The teams switched ends in the second period and the transition sparked Ringgold’s offense. The Rams netted six unanswered goals over seven minutes to take control of the game.
“They came out a little harder in the second period and we got away from our game. I’m sure (the Rams) got it from their coach,” said Zeller.
Ringgold’s Nick Nagy tied the game at 2:21 with Evan Eberlein and Justin Day assisting. Brad Bujdos scored the first of his three second-period goals — and five overall — at 3:59 with Ethan Saylor assisting.
Eberlein assisted on Zach Kalinowski’s power play goal at 6:02. Nathan Boulanger scored on Hunter Hodgson’s assist at 7:09 and Kalinowski and Saylor assisted on Bujdos’ goal at 9:08.
“We weren’t clicking in the first period. They were collapsing in the middle and we got the defense involved and we passed better,” said coach Kalinowski. “What I liked is we had all different kids involved for us.”
The Warriors slowed the offensive onslaught when Michael Vasko scored a power play goal exactly two minutes after Bujdos’ second goal of the period.
However, Bujdos answered about two minutes later when he turned a Justin Day pass into his hat trick with only 55 seconds remaining in the period.
Play became a bit ragged in the final four minutes of the second period. With the Zach Kalinowski off for slashing at 13:23, Ringgold’s Ryan Marek and EF’s Jake Provident got tangled up in front of Ringgold’s bench. By the time the referees separated the players, the two earned fighting majors and fighting game misconducts at 13:34.
Nagy was whistled for tripping 18 seconds later, leading to Vasko’s power play goal.
The Zamboni cleaned the ice between the second and third periods, but not the ill feelings between the two rivals.
Ringgold crashed Warriors’ goalie Billy Siemon and the ensuing pushing and shoving led to the Zach Kalinowski and Warriors’ Alex Bilohlavek receiving fighting majors and fighting game misconducts.
The misconducts carry at least a game suspension so both teams will be a player or two short in the vital home stretch.
“People get mad at each other. It’s a great rivalry,” said coach Kalinowski.
Bujdos scored a pair of goals, the first at 9:49 and the second just over a minute later, to cap the scoring.
While Ringgold peppered Siemon with 41 shots, the Warriors could only muster 11 against the Rams’ Jerry Meason, including just one shot in the second period.
“We didn’t have enough shots on net. Pucks on net can go in,” said Zeller. “We did not give ourselves a chance to win.
“Tip it off to that team. They’re a good hockey team that’s well coached.”
Carrick 3, Connellsville 2, OT — Tyson Feldman’s goal at 3:57 of overtime was the game-winner for Carrick.
The Falcons’ Timmy Pisula set up Lukas Joseph’s game-tying goal at 10:44 of the third period.
Carrick’s Ethan Wright scored at 10:51 of the first period and Ian Norkevicus extended the home team’s lead to 2-0 at 2:10 of the second period.
Jeffrey Golembiewski cut the Falcons’ deficit in half with a goal at 15:08. Tristan Lapinski and Chip Sipple assisted on the first goal.
Carrick’s Sean Dugan made 21 saves in the victory. Connellsville’s Alex Mitchell turned aside 36 shots.