December 4, 2013 Story and photos by Eli Fisher
Saratoga Springs High School’s state championship-defending hockey team dominated the under-manned Guilderland-Mohonasen-Scotia Storm on Tuesday evening at Union College’s Messa Rink. The score came to 19-2 by the end of the game, with the Storm making both of their goals during the first period of play.
Saratoga led in shots as well with 62 compared to just five for the Storm, four of which were during the first period.
“After the first-period jitters I think the kids came alive,” Saratoga head coach Dave Torres told The Saratogian. “Our power play looked really good, we worked on a few things, our penalty kill was good. We kind of tried some new things; it was a good first game. Guys played their hardest, I asked them to play their hardest after the first period and they did. They gave me two great periods of hockey.” The Streaks netted five goals in the first period and seven each during the other two, all by a variety of players.
“We came into the locker room [before the] second period and kind of talked over everything and decided everybody needed to step it up,” said Saratoga forward Josh Dagle ’16. “It wasn’t one person doing something wrong, it was all of us. We didn’t really prepare ourselves for the game. We came out in the second period on fire and finished the game strong.”
While the student section appeared to consist of no more than two spectators during Tuesday’s game, Torres is expecting a larger crowd on Friday, when the Blue Streaks take on Mamaroneck during their home opener and first game of the weekend Don Kauth Memorial Tournament. The tournament is named for the husband of Saratoga Springs High School English teacher Anne Kauth who was killed in the Sept. 11 attacks.
Faceoff on Friday is at 6:45 p.m. at Weibel Avenue Rink in Saratoga Springs. On Saturday at 3:00 p.m., the Streaks will play Section VI team St. Joe’s Collegiate as their second game of the tournament.
