By Dylan Butler
Dust may have been starting to collect on their skates, but the Archbishop Molloy hockey team showed no signs of rust after a 25-day layoff, winning back-to-back CHSHL B games Friday and Saturday.
After dismantling St. Joseph by the Sea, 8-3, the Stanners returned Saturday and defeated a determined Holy Cross squad, 4-3, at the Ice Hutch in Mount Vernon.
“It’s a crazy schedule, but I guess it helps that we have a lot of guys who play travel hockey,” said Molloy coach Richie Rodgers. “It was nice to get two wins over the weekend and get the cobwebs out. It was good to see them skate.”
First-place Molloy (8-1-2 CHSHL B) quickly jumped on shorthanded Holy Cross as goals by Andrew Anastasio and Nick DeVita gave the Stanners a 2-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.
“We lost the game right there,” Holy Cross coach Mike Mitchell said of a first period in which his team was outshot, 10-2.
The Knights (5-4-3 CHSHL B) started the game without sophomore winger Chris Ryan, who arrived just about six minutes into the game. But the CHSHL B division leading scorer quickly made a difference with a pair of assists on goals by Cosmin Soflecta — 42 seconds into the second period — and Rob DiRico to tie the game with 7:29 left in the second period.
But Jimmy Grogan — who also had a pair of assists — scored with 3:34 left in the period and Paul LiVecchi stuffed home a rebound to put Molloy ahead by two midway through the third period.
Holy Cross’ Joe Temperini, who is second in the CHSHL B in scoring, capped the scoring with 1:10 left in the third period. The Knights return to the ice against Kellenberg (6-4-2) at Murray Rink Thursday at 5:15 p.m.
Against St. Joseph by the Sea, the Stanners scored six first period goals en route to the 8-3 rout Friday.
Matt Davino had two goals and one assist, Dan Marsanico scored two goals, Sean Kearney and LiVecchi had a goal and two assists apiece, Chris Massi had a goal and an assist, Sean Murphy had one goal and Mike Farrell had three assists for the Stanners.
Molloy remains busy this week with four games in six days. The Stanners start with back-to-back games with second place St. Peter’s (6-3-2), which is four points out of first.
The first game will be Friday at 12:30 p.m. at Murray Rink in Yonkers and the two teams meet again Saturday at 9:30 p.m. at Abe Stark Rink on Coney Island.
Molloy then plays two straight games against Christ the King. The first game is slated for Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Rye Playland. Two nights later the Queens rivals collide again, this time at Nassau Coliseum at 7:45 p.m.
McClancy 5, Spellman 3. Jason Andjelovic had a goal and two assists, Mike Spiteri had a goal and an assist and Keith Morrice, Joe Sadowsky and Anthony DiMarco added goals for McClancy (6-5 CHSHL C) Sunday at Abe Stark Rink.
The victory came on the heels of a 5-4 loss to Mount St. Michael Saturday at the Ice Hutch. Kevin Moran scored a pair of goals and Andjelovic and Morrice added one apiece for the Crusaders.
McClancy takes on first-place Xavier Thursday at 12:30 p.m. at Murray Rink before hosting St. Raymond’s Monday at 3 p.m. in a rare game at Flushing Meadows Rink.
Kellenberg 6, Christ the King 2. John Del Rios scored both goals for Christ the King (0-9-1 CHSHL C) Saturday at the Ice Hutch.
St. Joseph by the Sea 5, Christ the King 3. Del Rios scored two goals and Frank Markey added another for the Royals last Thursday.
Snow games: A pair of CHSHL games were postponed due to heavy snow Monday. The Holy Cross vs. St. Edmund game scheduled for 3:45 p.m. at Abe Stark Rink will now be played Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Abe Stark Rink.
The Molloy vs. Christ the King game, originally slated for Feb. 18 at 9 a.m. at Murray Rink, has been moved to Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Rye Playland.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by email at TimesLedger @aol.com or call (718) 229-0300, Ext. 143.
