The Williston 2013-14 Boys Varsity Hockey team missed a spot in the playoffs by .004 of a percentage point. Another win surely would have been enough. Even another goal or two, or not giving up a goal could have done the job.
To start the 2014-15 season, the Wildcats played an exhibition game against Academie St. Louis (ASL) on Saturday, November 15th.
The Wildcats held a 2-0 until they conceded a goal with .5 seconds remaining in the first period. That goal reminded Head Coach Derek Cunha of the .004. “That’s the stuff that’s going to keep us from being successful. That right there is four one-thousandths of a point.”
ASL is a Quebec-based secondary school. The oldest members of its team are 17.
Williston went on to have a three goal second period, and added another in the third for a 6-1 tune up win.
New member of the team, junior defenseman Brad Budman, scored the first goal of the game, a slap shot from the point that whistled past ASL’s goalie’ glove.
Post graduate Jared Karas, sophomore Jo Jo Carbone, and senior Justin Lindsay scored, as well.
The team’s line of Carbone ’17-Ferguson ’15-Brandon Bork ’15 produced three goals and three assists.
Senior forward Rourke Ferguson scored the Wildcats’ second and fourth goals. “I’m playing with two great guys, they really move the puck well, so it really opened up some ice for me and I was lucky to get those two bounces,” he said.
Lindsay said after the game, “We had a lot of speed out there, I felt like starting from the beginning, everyone was starting to click with each other.”
“I thought we were running around early, but as the game progressed, we started to settle down. I thought we had some good breakouts. I thought our “D” zone was exposed a bit, which in a first game it usually is.”
The Wildcats were without junior defensemen RJ Guardia and Nick Garofano who played in Williston football’s Bowl championship. After falling down 27-0 at the half, Williston came back and led Lawrence Academy 28-27 at one point, but eventually fell 35-34.
The hockey team played four goalies against ASL. Junior Shane Mason, who was the team’s backup last season started, played until about the halfway point of the second period, and was followed by Elie Small ’15, Joey Teresi ’16, and Don Battimelli ’17.
As tradition after each win, the hockey team sings one of the school’s songs, “Sammy” (named after founder Samuel Williston). In addition, as many hockey teams do, the team has a victory song, generally an upbeat popular song. Ferguson ’15 held a closed-eye team vote after today’s game and “Die Young” by Kesha was democratically elected. Last year’s song was “Timber” by Pitbull and Kesha.