Falcons hand Rams’ skaters first loss of the season

By JASON BLACK

For the MV Independent

After a sluggish start to the season, the Connellsville hockey team is on a serious roll. The Falcons have won four straight games, with their latest victory being their most impressive.

Trailing by two goals in the late stages to Ringgold, the Falcons scored two quick goals to tie it before scoring in overtime for a 3-2 victory at The Ice Mine.

Milan Deffibaugh picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, skated down the right wing and ripped a shot past Ringgold netminder Jerry Mease for the improbable comeback win with just 1:18 left in overtime.

Connellsville’s win also snapped Ringgold’s 10-game win streak to start the season.

Ringgold seemed to have the game well under control. In fact, it took the Rams (10-0-1) only 53 seconds to light the lamp as Hunter Suarez beat Connellsville goalie Alex Mitchell on a wrist shot in the game’s opening minute.

Ringgold continued to push the pace and eventually scored in the period’s final minute as Kenneth Cadwallader took a nice feed from Nathan Boulanger and converted for a 2-0 Ringgold advantage.

The score stayed that way as both teams were held off the scoreboard through the second period.

“The second period was pretty even and we talked (during the intermission) about what we would have to do to score,” Connellsville coach Ray Brown said.

Ringgold seemed to give the Falcons (5-3) a big assist in the third by taking a couple of bad penalties. The last one proved costly. After the Rams were called for an elbowing minor, Connellsville’s Zak Koslosky fired a wrist shot from the point on the power play. The puck found its way through traffic and into the back of the net with just under six minutes remaining.

The goal gave the Falcons plenty of life, and it didn’t take long before they were able to tie the game. With 4:57 remaining in regulation, Lukas Joseph found a loose puck in the crease and buried it off a scramble to send the pro Connellsville crowd into a frenzy.

“The penalty hurt us,” Ringgold coach Rick Kalinowski said, explaining that it was an unnecessary hit on a Connellsville player that seemed to open the door for the home team.

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