Game highlights of Mamaroneck's 5-0 loss to Suffern. John Meore/lohud
MONSEY – In a matter of six minutes, Suffern exorcised all the frustration that built up over the course of six consecutive losses to its oldest rival.
A message was delivered in a barrage of goals.
The Mounties converted four times in the closing minutes of the second period on Friday and skated off with an emphatic 5-0 win over the defending Section 1 champions at Sport-O-Rama.
Each goal further incited the faithful, who do not like black and orange.
“We had to get this one,” Suffern forward Evan Cama said. “We really wanted this game, a lot, especially coming into our house after not beating them in so long. Words can’t even describe how much we wanted this game.”
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Both teams were fully invested.
The first period was fast and physical. The rivals were stride for stride the first nine minutes of the second period, too, until Mamaroneck was called for hooking and holding in short order.
And the Tigers nearly got away with it.
Trevor Gagliano threw a rocket on net from the point in the final seconds of the power play, giving the Mounties a 1-0 lead with 8:29 to go in the second.
Suffern kept the pressure on and Evan Cama showed off his legs, speeding in twice for goals. Tom McCarren tacked on a turbocharged goal with two seconds left in the period.
When the buzzer sounded, the Tigers looked and sounded defeated.
“They hadn’t gotten a shot on goal the whole second period then we give them a two-man advantage for 1:09 and they scored in the last 11 seconds of the penalty,” said Mamaroneck coach Mike Chiapparelli, whose team has dispatched the Rockland power each of the last two years in the Division I championship game. “That goal was huge. We knew the first one tonight was going to be a big one. We beat them last time, but that gave them some confidence. Then our guys started to look at the puck and they went by us three times. Good things do not happen when you do that.”
Nope.
The Tigers (9-2-3) did push back in the opening minutes of the third, but couldn’t get that one goal they needed to ignite a comeback. The Mounties (9-3) have won eight in a row and have only given up five goals during that run.
Suffern goalie Mike Halper made 23 saves to get the shutout.
“It’s gotta be the biggest win I’ve been a part of,” he said. “The defense has been really helping me a lot, keeping the shots outside and clearing the puck out quickly when I give up a rebound. They’ve been amazing, which helps keep my confidence up so much.”
Ryan Schelling finished the scoring, netting a power-play chance with 2:36 remaining.
Mamaroneck won the first meeting of the season 4-1 at Hommocks.
“We had our game plan,” Mounties coach Rob Schelling said. “We knew coming in we had a lot of guys who didn’t get a lot of ice time in the past, so they had to get used to the system and start to believe in it. Our goal was to get better and better and that’s what we’re doing. We still have a ways to go, but I like the way we’re playing.”
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