By Dylan Butler
And the beat goes on for the Molloy hockey team. Without their head coach, Richie Rodgers, who couldn't make the game because of a personal commitment, and a couple of injured players, the Stanners still managed to blow out Salesian, 11-4, at the Ice Hutch in Mount Vernon Monday night.
Greg Silverman, who was called up from the “taxi squad,” a group of practice players who fill in for regulars who cannot dress, netted a hat trick in the win. It was the Middle Village native's first high school goals.
“When someone's hurt or unable to play, they'll call me up and I'll take their spot,” he said. “I wasn't expecting to [score a hat trick], but sometimes it happens. I played hard and it happened, I had a great line feed me passes.”
Assistant coach Jim Sheldon, who filled in for Rodgers, praised Silverman and his line mates.
“I am happy, especially with the third and fourth lines,” he said. “They ran the plays today, they played hard and with heart. I'm very, very impressed with them.”
Joining Silverman on the fourth line was Paul Tocco, another member of the taxi squad, and Chuck Graves. Both Tocco and Graves picked up two assists.
While the Stanners third and fourth lines excelled, the other lines weren't too shabby either. Junior John DiGregorio, the leading scorer in the CHSHL's B division, extended his lead over Joe Denino from St. Edmund's as the Rego Park native scored five goals and added an assist against the Eagles.
“We had a better passing game than last game,” said DiGregorio, who has 19 goals and 14 assists for 33 points in 15 games. “Our defense was very good.”
DiGregorio opened the scoring in the first period and assisted on Chris Edele's tally that put Molloy (8-2) ahead 2-0 in the first period. Silverman scored his first high school goal with 3:58 left in the first when he threw the puck at the net from the right point and it somehow eluded Salesian goalie Ryan Clark. DiGregorio capped the first period scoring when he picked up a rebound in the slot and beat Clark with a wrist shot with 33 seconds left, to put the Stanners ahead 4-0.
It took DiGregorio 26 seconds into the second period to net a hat trick of his own as he stuffed his own rebound inside the near post to give Molloy a 5-0 lead.
Joey Evangalista scored one of the prettiest goals of the night 3:12 into the second period. The sophomore from Bellerose grabbed a loose puck in the neutral zone, cycled around three Salesian defenders and blistered a slap shot just inside the blue line that deflected off the crossbar and into the net to give the Stanners a six-goal edge.
Alex Kalaf made it 7-0 with a low snap shot and DiGregorio netted his fourth of the game on a breakaway, beating Clark high glove side with 3:58 remaining in the second period.
Matt Crevani spoiled any hopes of a shutout for Molloy goalie Frank Campanella, when his slap shot through a screen from in between the circles beat the senior from Howard Beach with 1:23 left in the second. Salesian (0-9) rallied a bit in the third period, scoring two goals in a span of 29 seconds to make it an 8-3 game, but Silverman, who fanned at his first attempt from in front of the net, beat Clark, to put Molloy up 9-3 with 10:47 remaining.
Crevani, who had a goal and two assists for the Eagles, dished to Tom Hensler, who beat Campanella on a one-timer, with 10:18 left in the third. But DiGregorio and Silverman capped the scoring for the Stanners in a very physical, penalty-plagued third period.
“It did get a little chippy, their frustration showed a bit,” Sheldon said. “Our guys maintained their composure for the most part. I was impressed with that.”
St. Peter's 9, Holy Cross 2. The good news for Holy Cross (2-8-1 CHSHL AA) was that it scored the first two goals of the game. The bad news is that St. Peter's found the net the next nine times Saturday night at Abe Stark Arena in Coney Island.
Eddie Bergin scored the game's first goal, on an assist from Sean O'Neill. Dan Lupoli put the Knights ahead 2-0 in the first period, on an assist from Mike DiNublia. St. Peter's (8-1-1 CHSHL A) scored seven second period goals and two in the third to cruise to victory. Holy Cross takes on division rival Iona Prep (6-3) Friday at Rye Playland in Westchester County at 5:15 p.m.
