Torrid Titans out-skate Rams
By Ryan J. Phelan
Meriden Record-Journal
February 14, 2008
WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT - Tyler Timek scored two go-ahead goals for the Sheehan ice hockey team in its 4-3 victory against SCC Division II rival Cheshire, but it was T.K. Kiernan’s rocketing slap shot that ended up being the difference maker on Senior Night at the Choate Rink.
With 8:05 to go in regulation and the Titans ahead by one goal, a quick breakaway feed from Brendan Kane set up Kiernan for a blast from the right circle. The shot slipped past the glove and over the shoulder of Cheshire’s George Donarumma, rebounding off the upper netting to open up Sheehan’s largest margin of the game, 4-2. The assist was Kane’s third of the night.
Kiernan’s goal was the product of a huge momentum swing started by Timek, a senior captain, who kept the Titans out in front with a third period power play goal with 9:30 left. Kane was again involved, dishing the puck to Mike Busillo, who found Timek at the left circle with a clear shooting lane. Timek curled up and let loose a low snapshot to the far corner.
“Tyler and Bubba (Kane) work so well together,” Sheehan coach Ralph Shaw said, “(Cheshire) shut them down a bit early on, but they got a little quicker and started moving the puck in the second and third periods.” Both teams started out slowly, with no team dominating time of possession. Cheshire (13-4-1 overall) out-shot Sheehan (14-3-0) in the first period, 12-4, and was rewarded with first blood when Rick Duchette took a crossice dish from Steven Farrel and put it past Titan goalie Cameron Sidwell.
Less than a minute and a half later, however, the Titans struck back with a mirror image goal, as J.J. Ritchcote tapped in a pass from Kiernan to even the score.
The teams remained deadlocked until Timek scored his first goal of the game with six seconds to go in the second period. With the play up against the boards and the Cheshire defense out of position, Timek took the puck, dipped his shoulder to juke Donarumma and then fired into the open stick-side net, sending the home crowd into raucous celebration going into intermission. “It was a lot of fun,” Timek said. “With six seconds left in the period, we all went into the locker room pumped.”
Cheshire head coach Jim Riccitelli was not pleased with the defensive breakdown.
“We let the kid (Timek) walk right in,” Riccitelli said. “Kid’s got 45 points this season. You think he’s going to miss?”
Kane, another Sheehan senior captain, was again involved on the assist with his long-time teammate.
“Brendan’s a huge help to me,” Timek said. “Most of the time it’s him scoring all the goals. This game it was the opposite. We’ve been playing together a long time. We can play hockey with our eyes closed and still pass to each other.”
Whatever momentum the Titans had was short lived, as the Rams countered immediately in the first minute of the third period. From behind the net, Michael Norwid exploited a quick seam to Dennis Mc Sherry, who sprawled across the ice to deflect the centering pass through Sidwell to tie it 2-2.
After the two Sheehan goals, Cheshire scrambled to get back in the game, eventually pulling Donarumma in the final minute. Despite a taunting home crowd, the Rams made it clear that nothing was over by scoring a third goal with 43 seconds left. Michael Flynn was credited with deflecting a shot from Allen Dagesse into the low right corner.
Unfortunately for Cheshire, that was the last shot they managed on net.
“We came out flat,” Riccitelli said. “And we got flatter and flatter and flatter. But (Sheehan) played well.”
Sidwell had 27 saves on 29 shots for the Titans. The Rams’ Donarumma had 18 on 22.
The victory was Sheehan’s 11th straight since the new year. Both coaches know the teams will get another crack at each other very soon. The game was a preview of a likely match-up two weeks from now in the SCC Division II Tournament semifinals.
“We’re going to have to put together three solid periods,” Shaw said. “It’s developing into a great rivalry.”