Williston Loses to Cushing; Beats Academie St. Louis

The Williston Wildcats traveled to Cushing on Wednesday afternoon to do battle with the Penguins at Iorio Arena.  While Williston battled hard, they did not play a full 54-minute game letting lapses in the defensive zone put them on the wrong side of a 4-3 game.

James Belleavoine got the Wildcats on the board in the first period when Shaul Mitton drove down the slot, let a shot go which was saved by Cushing goalie Joe Sharib, a Union recruit; Sharib made the save but Belleavoine was there to drive home a rebound at the 12:50 mark.  Alex Berg got the other helper.

In the second, Cushing tied the game on a power play and then went up at the 13:45 mark of the period.  Mitton would tie the game on the power play when he drove hard to the crease and tipped in a hard pass from d-man Tyler Varin.  Cushing would get another that period but with .03 seconds remaining in the period and with the goalie pulled, Brendan Nehmer put a puck past Sharib off a faceoff to knot the game at threes.

Cushing would take the lead and the game in the third with 5:55 remaining on the power play.  Williston battled, and hit the post two times in the remaining minutes but could not even the score.  Williston played hard and came close but did not play as hard as they needed to in the defensive zone.

Sharib earned the win making 22 saves; Kyler Breland took the loss for Williston making 30 saves.

On Friday night, Quebec City’s Académie St. Louis entered Lossone to take on the Wildcats.  Williston took the cheese in this one, 5-1 bringing them to .500 on the season.

Williston got on the board just 34 seconds into the frame when ASL took a penalty at :07 mark on a hit from behind.  On the power play, off a shot from Jake Sacratini, James Belleavoine put in a hard-fought rebound.  Tim Rego got the other assist.  Then, a little more than two minutes later, Jake Sacratini got his first goal of his Williston career making it 2-0 when he drove hard to the net and caught a pass from Rego and made good on the opportunity.  Tyler Varin also earned his first of the year when he let a shot go from inside the blue that was too much for ASL goalie Emile Savoie.  Assists went to Hunter Sarro and Hunter Wilson.  ASL got off the schneid at the 13:27 mark on an errant play behind the net by two Williston defensemen.  The ‘Cats went into the dressing room after one period up, 3-1.

In the second, Shaul Mitton garnered the fourth Williston goal at the :21 mark of the game when he let a shot go from the slot beating Savoie on the far post.  Tommy Harty and David Novotny earned the assists.  Then at the 13:11 mark, the line earned the Kodak moment of the game when Mitton took the puck at the red line and made a short two-foot pass to Novotny who blazed into the left side of the ASL  zone and then slowed down waiting to hit a trailing Harty in the high slot.  Harty took advantage of the time and space created and buried his first goal of the season.

In the third, Williston worked to maintain the lead and when the buzzer sounded Williston won and the bell would be rung.

Trevor Corsello earned the win saving 16 shots.  Williston outshot Académie St. Louis, 47-17.  The game puck went to Tyler Varin for his first goal and continued consistent and smooth play.

Tonight your Wildcats welcome The Gunnery School Highlanders to Lossone for a 6 o’clock tilt.  If you need a break from shopping and spreading holiday cheer, stop by the ol’ hockey barn for a much-anticipated game!

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