Hockey: Not quite enough defense
Two key goals turn tide against Coffman
Sunday, March 14, 2010 4:13 AM
By Jeremy McLaughlin
The Columbus Dispatch
Dublin Coffman had no problem making its hockey semifinal yesterday against Sylvania Northview low scoring.
Coffman had ridden its defense all the way to its first state tournament appearance. It allowed two goals or less in 31 of 39 games, including 11 of the past 12. With senior Alex Rogers a strong presence in net, there was no reason to change.
For the most part that strategy worked. Rogers made brilliant saves, especially in the second period when he was peppered with shots. But Northview squeezed in two goals - one each at the end of the first and second periods - and added two more at the end to win 4-0 in Nationwide Arena.
Northview (21-8-3) will play Cleveland St. Ignatius (30-7-3) at noon today for the championship.
"We knew we had to play a really good defensive game because they've got some fast players," Coffman forward Sam O'Brien said. "We felt like we did that most of the game. We just ran out of gas at the end."
Northview first scored with 29.5 seconds left in the first period. The Wildcats kept the puck in the Shamrocks' end after a power play expired and Zach Felser scored on an assist from Brent Easton.
"Last-minute goals are backbreakers if you are scored upon and are a big boost if you get them," Northview coach Michael Jones said.
The Wildcats carried that momentum into the second period. They sent 15 shots at Rogers. He stopped them all, including one on a 3-on-0 break, until the last one. Aaron Booth's centering pass was poked by Rogers but went to Nolan Culver. Culver, while colliding with a Coffman defender, lifted the puck over Rogers with 48.9 seconds left.
Coffman (30-8-2) picked up the pace in the third period and got chances. It had a 6-on-3 advantage in the waning minutes, but Tyler Harding intercepted the puck and sent it the length of the ice for an empty-net goal with 1:49 left. Culver added a short-handed goal 38 seconds later.
"After playing against (Lakewood) St. Edward and (Hunting Valley) University, we knew we're going to get outshot, we were going to need good goaltending and we were going to need timely goals," Coffman coach Perry Pooley said.
"That's the thing we didn't get today. We didn't get that one goal to get back into it at 2-1 or tie it up. Those goals energize you and we didn't get that little shot you need."
jmclaughlin@dispatch.com
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