NEWBURYPORT — The Triton hockey team showed its home crowd it has the ability to find a way to win under adverse circumstances Saturday against a tough North Andover squad.
With the game tied at 2, Triton forward Schyler Reilly found a hole in the almost impenetrable defense of North Andover net-minder Joel Daccord, scoring the game-winner with only 17.3 seconds left to keep Triton (11-4-1 overall, 10-1-1 CAL) in first place in the brutal Cape Ann League going down the stretch, 3-2.
"It was a big game, a character builder," said Vikings coach Drew Wile. "This game was back and forth; it was a war. We pounded on them in the first period. We pounded on them in the second, in the third period. It was just, what's it going to come down to?"
Triton hit the ice on fire in the first period, out-shooting the Scarlet Knights 11-8 in what was looking to become a classic. But nothing went in for either team, and when they hit the ice again in the second period, it seemed that Triton had left the building.
The Knights (11-3-2 overall, 7-3-1 CAL) got on the boards just three minutes into the second period, when Dan O'Connor fired a rocket past Triton goalie Carl Orlandi's left ribs, assisted by Rich O'Connor and Jack Carroll. Less than two minutes after that, Carroll assisted Cody Aponas with a rebound past Orlandi's right side.
The Knights kept control of the game for most of the second period after that, until Jake Wood jumped one over Daccord's left shoulder unassisted to end the frame.
The third period was much more even and with much more back and forth. With four minutes to go, Viking co-captain Nate Williamson found a weakness over Daccord's right shoulder, assisted by Matt Velonis, to tie the game at 2.
Then came those last 17.3 seconds.
Mike Fish fed Reilly, who came around the net behind Daccord's right and took his shot from almost behind the net. The puck found the sweet spot just past Daccord's left skate, and the Vikes kept a one-game lead in the CAL.
"That was a hell of a goal," Wile said of Reilly's hero moment. "And I think Schyler surprised him, how quick he came off the wall and shot it. He beat (Daccord) low. He's so difficult to beat low. You're looking at a potential professional goalie in Daccord. He's that good."
"When you have players like Williamson and Reilly, if you make mistakes, they're going to put it in the net," said Knights coach Peter Marfione. "That's a good team. They made the plays when it counted. We played very well; we really did. I just wish we finished different.
"It's in their hands right now," Marfione said of the Vikings. "They deserve it. As long as they don't fall, it's theirs. They've got a good team, they're well coached, they work hard."
Wile was truly impressed by his players Saturday.
"(The kids) showed a tremendous amount of character today and heart," said Wile. "A game like that, with teams like that, playing that hard, it comes down to a mistake. And making a shot."
But the Vikings coach still sees a long road ahead to the tournament.
"We're concerned about snowballing," Wile said. "We're trying to get that snowball rolling toward playing good hockey. Yeah, winning the league is nice. But we're trying to build our practices, which is most important to us right now.
"Because of the way we've been practicing, it shows; it pays off. You play like you practice. They're starting to show character and leadership. There's a different feel to them. And I'm real proud of them, the way they came today and represented themselves and the school really proudly, Wile said.
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