Colonials Continue Winning Ways

 The Jr Colonials Pee Wee A hockey team stayed unbeaten for a six-game stretch after a 1-1 tie against the Darien Blue Wave at the Stamford Twin Rinks on December 13 and a 5-1 win against the Greater New Haven Warriors at the Northford Ice Pavilion on December 14. The Colonials lost  3-1 to the ECHO Stars this past Saturday but rebounded to defeat the Northeastern Connecticut IceDogs 4-2 on Sunday. Here is a recap of the recent games:

 Colonials 1, Darien 1: Trailing 1-0, the Jr Colonials responded when Newtown Middle School student Owen Sandercox rifled a shot from the left point to even the score in the second period. NMS student Patrick McLoughlin played a solid game in goal and preserved the tie with a spectacular save late in the third period when he got his right pad on a hard shot.

Colonials 5, Warriors 1: The Jr Colonials shook off the long car ride up to Northford outshot the Warriors 45-15 in the win. Forward Frank Haklits tallied two unassisted goals, one on a crisp wrist shot and another on a breakaway, which he buried with a quick backhanded shot. Forward Cooper McLean of Newtown gathered a pass by Haklits and lifted a quick, hard shot into the top of the net to make it 3-0. Sandercox had the secondary assist. Seventh-grader Justin Corsello then closed out the Jr. Colonials’ scoring with two goals in the third period, the first on a goal set up by Haklits. Corsello then completed the Jr Colonials’ scoring by making some nice fakes around the Warriors defense and wristing a high, hard shot home. The Jr Colonials improved to 9-3-1.

ECHO Stars 3, Colonials 1: At Danbury Ice Arena, the Colonials struck first against their CHC rival when Haklits found the net in the first period. Then, a controversial goal by the Stars changed the complexion of the game. Jr. Colonials goalie Patrick McLoughlin seemed to have the puck covered in the crease, but the whistle did not blow the play dead. Instead, ECHO continued to push and poke for the puck, creating a pileup that eventually saw the puck enter the goal for a 1-1 tie. The Jr. Colonials never recovered and fell behind.

Colonials 4, IceDogs 2: The Colonials made a long, snowy trek up to UCONN’s Freitas Ice Forum in Storrs to face off against the Northeastern CT IceDogs. Facing an IceDogs team that was just 4-11 in the CHC, the Jr. Colonials were sluggish. Steven Almeida scored a first-period goal on a wrist shot from the high slot and the IceDogs answered with one of their own. Almeida then scored another goal on a nice shot that he banked in off of an opposing player’s stick from behind the IceDogs’ net. However, the Jr. Colonials allowed the opposition to tie the game at 2-2. The Jr. Colonials were finally able to open up a lead and put away the IceDogs in the third period on goals by NMS students Dan Harrison and Heydan Savoia.

The Colonials,  improved to 10-4-1 in CHC action. Up next for the Colonials is a Saturday game against the Northwestern CT IceHawks before a rematch with the IceDogs on Sunday.