RAYNHAM – As representatives from every New England Future Stars team converged on the Raynham IcePlex to take part in All-Star Weekend this past Saturday and Sunday, the 2015 selections from the Squirt South Middlesex Coyotes put all in attendance on notice as to why they currently sit amongst the best in their division.
The defending Squirt Gold Cup champions began the annual marquee exhibition on Saturday morning by scoring a win in the Skills Challenge and leading Black to a 7-5 victory over the White in the Squirt All-Star Game.
Max Tong, Caroline Aufiero, Dillon O’Reilly and Laz Giardina comprised the Coyotes four-player team that doubled the score of their nearest competitors by taking the top spot in the Team Relay and Target Shooting events. The Norfolk County Hawks were the only other team to win an event in the competition, taking the Agility Race with a time of 1:17.66, mere fractions of a second better than the North Shore Stingrays, who finished in a time of 1:17.72.
The Hawks win brought them a second place finish in the overall standings, while the Stingrays, South Shore Sabercats, Marlboro Thunder and Boston Brahmas all finished tied for third.
When the Squirt All-Star Game began, O’Reilly was back out on the ice leading another victory charge as the Black All-Stars rallied for a 7-5 win.
While they got the better in the end, Black struggled at the onset, all over their opponent, but unable to score as defense prevailed at both ends of the ice. Black did have better possession, but White had the better scoring chances and capitalized on the few they had.
Hawks forward Matthew Cataldo garnered White the game’s first lead, combining with Matthew Tisdell of the Thunder for the score just past the midpoint of the opening half. After O’Reilly rifled a wrist shot cross net to tie the game 1-1 near the 19-minute mark, the Sabercats’ Logan Greeley pounded the puck through a scrum in front of the net to give White a 2-1 lead that lasted until halftime.
More typical of what is seen in an All-Star game, the offensive fireworks began with the drop of the puck in the second half, the two sides combining for three scores in the first 1:30 of play to set the score at 3-3.
Southeastern Grizzlies forward Anders Alves gave Black their first lead of the game, 4-3, when he sent a backhand home just before the four-minute mark. The lead, however, was not yet theirs for good as Sabercat Brandon Perry pounced on a puck left unattended in the crease with the goaltender cleared out and the net wide open just two minutes later. Perry’s goal tied it at 4-4.
Despite the quick equalizer by White, Black was fully taking over the game as the second half continued, scoring three straight to take a 7-4 lead. An Owen Butler goal got White back to within two at 7-5 with nearly five minutes remaining, but there was no comeback to be had. Black finishing off their victory.
With a 2015 All-Star Weekend high four points in the contest, O’Reilly (3G, 1A) and Cataldo (1G, 3A) were named First and Second Stars of the Game, respectively. Tied with Cataldo with an All-Star Weekend high three assists, O’Reilly’s Coyotes teammate Luke Pazzia laid claim to Third Star of the Game.
