Shen hands Guilderland first league loss

DELMAR -- This game featured the two top teams in the league and it lived up to the hype as both teams battled hard to the end. The Plainsmen came out on top with a 3-2 defeat over the relentless Dutchmen. Shenendehowa scored early and often in the first period and that’s all they needed to hold off the Dutchmen.

Shen’s Craig Blake opened up the scoring on the powerplay, he skated around defenders and found the back of the net with a wrist shot that whizzed past Guilderland goalie Adam Gray. The first period saw a lot of hard hitting by both teams, a few powerplays, and a couple of 2 on 1 breaks. The Plainsmen’s second goal came from a flurry in front of Gray and Shen’s Matt Kevlin fired a shot past Gray off a pass by Garret Ryan. That goal gave Shen a commanding 2-0 lead, but they weren’t done their they managed to get one more before the horn sounded to end the first period. The game winning goal for the Plainsmen came roughly 30 seconds after their second goal, off the center ice face off Brett Tabolt and Mike Schrom connected for the final goal. Schrom passed it to Tabolt and his slapshot found the back of the net past a stunned Gray. The Plainsmen had to be feeling good going into the second period up 3-0 against an undefeated Guilderland team.

The second period consisted of three Shen penalties, with Guilderland capitalizing on one. With Shen Defensemen Patch Alber off for holding, Guilderland managed to keep the puck in the zone and Marcus Montgomery found Drew Rosenberry streaking across the slot and he wristed a shot past Shen goalie Tim Mayhew. That goal brought the Dutchmen to within two goals of the Plainsmen. The Dutchmen had a good opportunity to make the score 3-2, with a 5 on 3 powerplay. But, they were unable to get another one by a solid Mayhew. Shen went into the third period with a 3-1 lead.

The boisterous crowd erupted when Guilderland pulled to within one of the Plainsmen, thanks to an Anthony Marciano score early on in the final period. Guilderland’s forechecking made a 2 on 1 possible, with Plainsmen down behind the play, Marciano and Tim Montgomery broke it out into the Plainsmen zone. The two played pitch and catch for a while and Marciano lifted the puck past a sprawling Mayhew. This goal pulled the Dutchmen to within one goal, 3-2. Unfortunately, for the Dutchmen they were unable to convert on their final man advantage late in the third period. They made a valiant effort in trying to sneak the puck past Mayhew to tie the game, but were unsuccessful.

The battle of the league’s two top teams proved to be a good one with Shen coming out on top 3-2, and improving to 11-3 overall and 6-1in league play. With their first loss in league play the Dutchmen drop to 13-4 overall, and 8-1 in league play.