Bucs Bounce Back

"We had our turkey yesterday, there was no need for another today," crowed Dillon Krok to his Nana Lucy as the Pearl River Pirates left the ice upon completion of a well earned 3-2 victory over the Montclair Blues in their opening game at the Hackensack Ice House Tournament. Our Squirts found a way to score that first goal, albeit it came in the final minute of the second period to gain the upper hand in this close contest. Mike Fodi in the Blues net was exceptional in holding the swarming bevy of attacking Pirates off the scoreboard until Kyle Javier gathered a loose puck at the top of the slot at the 11 minute mark and drilled a 25 footer past the beleaguered net minder's stick side. A scant eleven seconds later Kyle Welch converted a pass from Dylan McCavitt behind the net to widen the margin to 2-0 as the second period ended. The Pirates yielded a goal early in the third period breathing life back into the Blues who pressed the attack. However, Ronan James responded with a nifty move beating the goalie with a wrister from 12 feet out. We needed it as the Blues answered back with three and one-half minutes to go to make it 3-2. Superior Pirate skating and jump to the puck kept Montclair at bay preventing the Blues from getting on an extra skater as time expired.