By Dylan Butler
Steve Ferguson knew what to expect when he joined the McClancy hockey team. His brother Ryan told him.
Expect immediate ice time, and lots of it.
So the freshman forward was prepared Saturday, even when the Crusaders fielded a team of just eight skaters with a forward — Pat Mulroy — in net. The Astoria native scored two goals and added three assists to lead McClancy past Salesian, 7-4, at the Ice Hutch in Mount Vernon.
“We’re a small team so I told him he’s going to get a lot of ice time (and) there’s going to be a lot of skating in practices,” Ryan Ferguson said he told his brother. “It’s a long season with only 11 or so skaters.”
McClancy was without starting goalie Sean Rock and freshman forward Anthony Vennitti, who were playing with their club teams, as well as junior Keith Morrice, serving the second of a three-game suspension.
“That has always been our trademark. Unfortunately we’re always short on players but long on heart,” said McClancy assistant coach Mike Barnwell, filling in for head coach Mike Brenneis. “I knew it was going to be a tough game and we might be outscored, but I knew we wouldn’t get outworked.”
Junior Ryan Ferguson, a converted defenseman, helped stake the Crusaders to a quick 3-0 lead with a pair of first-period goals — including a power-play goal seven seconds into a too many men on the ice minor.
But Salesian (1-3 CHSHL ‘C’) roared back with a pair of goals by Tom Guerriero and Joe Montalto in the final 45 seconds of the first period and two more by Guerriero and Ralph Faiella 30 seconds apart in the second period to take a 4-3 lead and force Barnwell to call a timeout.
“I basically told them to get back to dumping the puck in. I thought we went away from what got us the 3-0 lead,” Barnwell said. “I told them to go to the red line, dump the puck and just forecheck and don’t turn the puck over.”
Salesian’s lead lasted just 18 seconds as Steve Ferguson scored the first of two straight goals, beating Eagles goalie Paolo D’Onofrio with a backhand wraparound.
“I saw Ramon (Guttierrez) in front screening the goalie and the goalie didn’t know where I was,” Steve Ferguson said. “I just came around the net and stuffed it in.”
He then put McClancy (3-1) ahead for good with 4:55 left in the second period on a low wrist shot from the right circle.
Freshman Patrick Gargano's wrist shot after a flurry in front of the net with 2:06 left in the second period put the Crusaders ahead, 6-4, and captain Joe Sadowsky added an open netter in the third period to cap the scoring for McClancy.
Molloy 7, St. Joseph by the Sea 3. Sean Kearney had three goals, Matt DaVino had two goals, Mike Farrell and Matt LaVanco added a goal apiece and Sean Murphy had four assists for Molloy (6-0-1 CHSHL ‘B’), which went 4-for-5 on the power play Saturday at the Ice Hutch. Nick Carro scored two goals for St. Joe’s (2-4).
Holy Cross 7, Xavier 2. Chris Ryan had two goals and two assists and Pat McHugh added a goal and an assist for Holy Cross (5-1-1, 4-1-1 CHSHL ‘B’) Friday at the Ice Hutch. Carl Muraco scored both goals for Xavier (0-4-1).
Molloy 9, St. Edmund 1. Bryan Elfant and Farrell each scored two goals and Kearney, Paul LiVecchi, LaVanco and Chris Massi also scored for the Stanners Friday at Abe Stark Rink on Coney Island. Rob Sacco scored the lone goal for St. Edmund (1-4).
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
