Sports
Darien Boys Hockey Defeats Stamford, 4-1
Blue Wave stays hot with their fourth straight victory and moves over .500 at 6-5-1
After not playing for more than a week, the Darien boys hockey team was able to shake off the rust and defeat Stamford 4-1 Saturday night at the Terry Conners Rink.
It was a penalty-filled game for the surging Blue Wave that saw the team kill off more than 10 penalties and go perfect in that category.
Darien (6-5-1) extended its winning streak to four games and moved over .500 for the first time this season.
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“We have not taken many penalties all year,” Blue Wave head coach Larry Vieira said. “Our 5-on-3 triangle was outstanding tonight and our man-down in general was just terrific.”
Despite taking numerous penalties, the Blue Wave were able to get their game going early and started the scoring just over three minutes into the first period.
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With Darien on the power play, Blue Wave senior and captain Richard Gregory made a great pass from behind the net to junior Nick Bruno, who buried it for the 1-0 lead
The Black Knights (4-7) answered just over seven minutes later, but Darien junior netminder Max Rothston finished with 28 saves and was one of the main reasons the Blue Wave were able to come away with the victory.
“Max has been on fire for us all season,” Vieira said. “Stamford took it to us, but Max was strong for us.”
The Blue Wave took control of the scoreboard in the second period when they scored two goals, both on wraparounds.
Bruno picked up the first one with 10:11 to go in the period, followed by senior Garren Fritts, who gave the Blue Wave a 3-1 lead heading into the third.
Blue Wave senior Christian Nielson scored a shorthanded goal just under a minute into the final stanza to close out the scoring, but not the penalties for his club.
The Blue Wave were shorthanded for almost the entire third period as Bruno took a two-minute roughing penalty, than a five-minute major and game misconduct for abuse of the official. Vieira did not agree with those penalties, however.
“The calls were not needed,” he said. “Both teams played a clean hockey game and the calls were just unneeded.”
Luckily for Vieira, his team’s penalty kill and Rothston were outstanding in keeping the Black Knights' power play off the board.
The Blue Wave will be back in action on Wednesday night at home to take on Trumbull (8-3-1).
