skip navigation

Squirt Spotlight: Raiders vs. Coyotes

By Matthew Preston, 07/23/14, 3:00PM EDT

Share

Raiders try to keep pace, but Coyotes prove why they are on top.

RAYNHAM – The Squirt South Middlesex Coyotes (10-0-0) inched closer to locking up the No. 1 overall seed in the Gold Cup Championship on Sunday at the Raynham IcePlex as they notched a commanding 12-0 victory over the host Raynham Raiders (0-10-0).

Though they were under consistent pressure from the start, goaltender Ethan Bairos and the undermanned Raiders opened strong at the onset, but eventually the fresher legs and speed of the Coyotes took control. And once they got rolling, the South Middlesex league-leading offense became hard to stop throughout the remainder of the first period.

Brendan Janis’ goal at 6:38 started streak of two-goals in 18-seconds and seven in the period for South Middlesex to blow the game open.

The Raiders did, however, fair better in the second, the majority of which was played scoreless after Chris Skelley wrapped up his natural hat trick at 3:42 of the middle period, bringing the game’s score to 8-0. From there the two sides went back and forth, the Raiders seemingly on the verge of getting the game’s next mark around the 7:00 mark, PJ Arena firing off a long-range shot on the rush, but Jake Berglund was there to make the stop. Rather, it was the Coyotes who got the only other goal of the period, All-Star defenseman Larry Parece netting one for a 9-0 lead heading into the third.

Those final 15:00 of the contest belonged to South Middlesex, who proved the validity of their undefeated record. The Coyotes took complete control in the period, tacking on three more goals to wrap up the 12-0 final and their 10th win of the season. Skelley, with six points in the contest (5G, 1A), lead all scorers. Indi Wagner had a game-high four assists.