The Eagles 1 ice hockey team defeated the Archbishop McCarthy High School Mavericks 4-3 on Monday, Dec. 16. The game took place at 9:15 p.m. at the Florida Panthers IceDen.
Both teams compete in the Red Division of the Florida Panthers Scholastic Hockey League. Neither Eagles 1 nor the Eagles 2 team are officially recognized as a sport by Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, since hockey is not sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association.
The game opened defensively, with neither team scoring a goal through the first half of the first period. There were many shots on goal from both teams through the first period, but goalkeeper Austin Jeneau (88) was able to make some great saves and keep the Mavericks off the board. A little under midway through the first period, Archbishop McCarthy would take advantage of a fast break and were able to strike first and score.
The Eagles would not trail for long though. Just a minute later, the Mavericks iced the puck, and the face-off returned to the Maverick’s defensive zone. The Eagles won the face-off, and forward Von Seys (28) scored, equalizing the score at 1-1.
A minute later, forward Michael Rozenblat (29) followed Seys’ lead, netting another goal and putting the Eagles ahead 2-1. Both teams ended up in a defensive stalemate for the rest of the period.
At the first intermission, the Eagles grouped together to refresh themselves and take the offense to Archbishop McCarthy’s defense.
“I’d say the communication on the bench and on the ice was a key thing in the game,” Rozenblat said.
Much like the first period, the first half of the second period began with a defensive game, with neither team able to generate any offense. Juneau continued his stellar night by making good saves to halt every one of Archbishop McCarthy’s attacks.
Just after the halfway point through the second period, forward Brandon Jones (97) fired a slap-shot at the Mavericks goaltender. The shot rebounded off the goaltender’s blocker, and the Eagles and Mavericks swarmed the puck and, in the commotion, the puck ended up across the goal line and extended the Eagles’ lead to 3-1.
The Eagles and Mavericks both failed to get any offense going for the rest of the second period, and the Eagles entered the second intermission with a two-goal lead. The Eagles were eager to finish strong and take the game.
“The team battled through the adversity we faced, missing a few guys and we battled through a tough stretch of back-and-forth play. Once we build the momentum and get going it’s hard to stop us,” Rozenblat said.
To open up the third period, the Mavericks came out of the intermission ready to mount a comeback. Seven seconds into the third quarter, the Mavericks scored a goal straight off the face-off, cutting MSD’s lead to 3-2.
The Eagles quickly answered with a goal of their own, as forward Slater Szieovatka (27) put the Eagles back up by two goals early in the third period. The Mavericks would not give up, scoring another goal a couple minutes later, once again cutting MSD’s lead to one goal.
Ultimately, the Eagle’s defense was able to hold the Mavericks off the scoreboard for the rest of the game, which ultimately ended with a final 4-3 score. The Eagles earned another win in their impressive season before getting a rest during winter break.
“We’ve gotta make sure to start the game right with the same energy we finished with, getting pucks in deep and forechecking at the start,” Rozenblat said.
The Eagles are 10-2-3 this season so far and sit in second place in their division with 23 points. North Broward Preparatory School currently leads the division with 26 points.
