Aurora ice hockey team beats Twinsburg for first win of the season
The Aurora High School ice hockey squad picked up its first win of the season, taking down Twinsburg before falling to Canfield to put the Greenmen's overall record at 1-13.
The Greenmen hosted Twinsburg for a non-league matchup on January 2 and the Tigers struck first, netting a power play goal six minutes into the game. Aurora senior Conor McMahon answered with two minutes remaining in the period to even the score 1-1 after the first.
The floodgates opened in the second period however, as the Greenmen had their biggest offensive output of the season, knocking in four unanswered goals to take a commanding 5-1 lead. In the third period, it was more of the same, as the Greenmen scored two more, including freshman Will Adams netting his first career varsity goal, to cruise to a 7-1 victory.
Junior Mateo Martinez led the way for Aurora with a goal and four assists. Senior Christian Viant and junior Michael Phillips each had two goals and an assist, and McMahon finished with a goal and an assist. Sophomores Matt Smith and Brody Markle rounded out the scoresheet with one assist apiece.
Sophomore Raquel Bailey and junior Colton McCrae combined for 17 saves in goal for the Greenmen and Ayden Syke made 22 saves in goal for Twinsburg.
"It was great to get that first win," said Aurora coach Joe Lawrie "We were missing our leading scorer Will Pfiffner due to injury, but everyone stepped up and things started to click offensively as the game wore on."
On January 7, Aurora hosted Canfield for another non-league contest, and this time it was the Greenmen who got off to a quick start with first-period goals by McMahon and Martinez to take a two-goal lead seven minutes into the game, but the Cardinals scored one of their own with two minutes left to pull within one goal after the first.
The majority of the second period was scoreless until Canfield netted two goals in 24 seconds in the final minute to quickly grab the lead heading into the final frame. The Cardinals added a final insurance tally with five minutes left in regulation and snuffed out all Aurora chances to secure a 4-2 win.
Freshman Max Stefano made 36 saves in goal for the Greenmen and Corey Knarr made 12 saves in net for Canfield.
“It was a tough game, I thought we had a great start and played well defensively, but unfortunately those two quick goals at the end of the second turned the tide and proved to be the difference," said Lawrie. "We were without Pfiffner once again which is a big hole on offense, but we still had some chances and just couldn't capitalize."
Aurora will have a busy upcoming weekend, first hosting Solon in a league matchup at 9 p.m. on January 13 at The Pond. They will then participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Tournament at Michael A. Ries Arena in Parma beginning on January 14, with an 11 a.m. game against the St. Edward JV, followed by a 1:45 p.m. tilt on January 15 against Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, then a 9 a.m. contest against Nordonia on January 16th. If they qualify, the tournament championship would be later that day on January 16 at 7 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Aurora Greenmen ice hockey roundup for January 11
