Cyclones Tie it Up vs Syosset with 2:53 left in the 3rd Period !

In a high paced game, the Rockville Centre/Malverne Varsity Hockey team tied Syosset 2-2 on November 3rd behind two goals from A.J. Sandorfi and some strong specialty teams play. The game was played at the Town of Oyster Bay Ice Arena at Bethpage where the Cyclones have earned 3 out of a possible 4 points in the first two games of the season.

The first goal was scored by Syosset at 13:22 of the second period on a nearly impossible shot that found the small piece of daylight between goalie Jason Posner’s helmet and the upper corner of the net. However it was the specialty teams play that set up the third period.

Rockville Centre landed two shots on net during a Syosset tripping penalty at 9:52. Rockville Centre forward Luke Dougan was sent to the box for hooking at 4:47 but teammate Jack Flatley was assessed a 5 minor major at 1:43 and that put the team in a 5 on 4 disadvantage until 12:12 of the third period when A.J. Sandorfi was called for hooking creating a 5 on 3 disadvantage for Rockville Centre. Goalie Jason Posner made several sparkling stops during the 7 straight minutes of penalty killing including a right pad save while in a full leg splits position. Defenseman Sean Leavenworth logged 6:30 of the 7 minutes including directing traffic on the 5 on 3. Andrew Cardi, Jared Schwalbe, James Surless, Nick Cuttrone, and both Luke and Brendan Dougan all did solid jobs in containing the Syosset forwards.

The penalty killing took a lot of energy out of the Rockville Centre squad, but A.J. Sandorfi put a charge into the team with the tying goal at 5:29 of the third. Syosset answered back 20 seconds later to take a 2 to 1 lead when Jason Posner was screened on a high shot into the corner. There was no doubt that the lingering weariness from the penalty killing contributed to a coverage breakdown on the goal. However less than 2 minutes later at 2:53 of the third A.J. Sandorfi scooped up a turnover in the neutral zone and blasted it over the Syosset net minder’s shoulder to tie the game at 2-2.

Rockville Centre/Malverne Varsity’s next game is Sunday November 8 at 8:45 pm against Levittown at Iceworks, 175 Underhill Blvd, Syosset, NY 11791.