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By Laura McCusker- Housatonic News - March 26, 2010

It was indeed a winter to remember for the Brookfield athletic program. In addition to the girls basketball team winning 21 games and making it all the way to the Mohegan Sun Arena, there was another squad that played a state championship game for the first time ever last weekend.

For the Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury Ice Cats hockey team, the location was the Ingalls Rink on the Yale University campus in New Haven, and the game was the State Division III final. Though the team came up short of taking home a state title, the Cats, like their hoops counterpart, won a record number of games and the departing players have the memories of an historic season while the returnees have a solid foundation to build on next year.

The Ice Cats got off to a fast start this season, an indication of what lay ahead. The team posted wins in its first eight games, including victories over the Division I squads it faced in a trip to Maine during the holiday break.

“We never expected to play for a state championship, so to make it to Yale was a great feeling,” said Brendan Allen, one of BBD’s three senior captains. “I think it was during our trip to Maine that we realized we had quite a good team.”

The Cats’ first loss didn’t come until Jan. 16th, a 6-0 decision to Masuk. There were also non-league losses to Enfield and a tough team from Passaic Valley, New Jersey, in the new year, but there were also big wins over Housatonic and Norwich Free Academy, and a 4-3 squeaker over Div. I New Fairfield/Immaculate.

The state final game against Guilford was the Cats’ only postseason loss. They beat New Milford in the South-West Conference Tournament semi-final, and then were matched-up again with Masuk in the league title game. The Panthers had beaten BBD twice in the regular season, by a combined score of 10-1, but the Cats had done their homework and were ready for a rematch. The title tilt went to overtime, but with just over seven minutes left in the extra period, Nick Martin, another senior co-captain, blasted a shot into the Panthers net, capturing the SWC crown for the Cats.

That was followed by more success. The Cats took on SWC opponent Newtown in the first round of the State Div. III Tournament, and held on for a 2-1 win. That set up the two games at Ingalls, where BBD again faced Masuk in the state semi-final. Again, the score was tied at the end of regulation, and again, the Cats prevailed in overtime. This time it was the third senior captain, Josh Goldenberg, who provided the heroics, scoring at two minutes in, converting on a breakaway to give BBD a shot at the championship.

Allen considered mastering Masuk to be a highlight of the season.

“It was great to play in the championship game,” he said after last Saturday’s match. “But we had to figure out Masuk first, so it was an accomplishment just to get here.”

With the Panthers behind them, the Cats had one more hurdle to get past, number-one seed Guilford. The Indians, who finished the season with a 15-4-1 record, jumped on top fast, scoring the game’s first goal just 1:06 into the first period, and went on to take a 7-3 victory.

The Ice Cats got their first tally at 5:49 into the second, but were trailing, 3-0, by that point.

The Indians only outshot BBD by a 7-5 margin in the first 15 minutes, but two of those shots, by David DeCaprio and Christian Cattaruzza, found the net. Guilford struck again at 2:49 into the second period, as Troy Raccula found himself facing Cats keeper Luiz Dibble one-on-one.

Jared Smenyak got one back for BBD, taking a nice feed from Allen and firing a shot under the left arm of Indians keeper Sean Finucane, to make it a 3-1 game. It would, however, be a three-goal lead for Guilford by the end of the second, as Raccula struck again, deflecting in DeCaprio’s shot with 4:52 left.

The Indians iced the victory early in the third, scoring twice in the first minute of the final period. Justin Gilloran scored right off the face-off, just eight seconds in, and Timothy Brooks followed 32 seconds later, making it a 6-1 game.

“We were unlucky right off the draw,” said Allen of how the third started. “They had all the momentum after that.”

“We’re not a team that scores a lot of goals, so when the score gets that lopsided, it’s hard for us to come back,” said Cats coach Rusty Granacker. “They were too quick for us on the transition today, and we couldn’t adjust. The kids tightened up a little when we gave up those goals.”

The Cats would score two more in the third. Art Hauser converted on a breakaway with 7:38 to go, and Grant Smith got his team’s final tally, slipping the puck under Finucane’s pads with 3:02 left on the clock.

The Indians outshot BBD, 23-15. Freshman goalie Dibble made some nice saves, but unfortunately came out on the losing end after playing a fine season.

“All those odd-man rushes add up,” said Granacker. “Luiz did a great job in SWCs, but there’s more pressure here. I’m happy with the way he played and that he’ll be back for three more years. Luiz had a tough day, but we win or lose as a team.”

And, when all was said and done, that team realized it played a great season. And it’s a squad that’s come a long way… just ask the seniors.

“It’s been an amazing season, and four years,” said Smith. “I started as a freshman with Jared, Brendan, Nick, Max (Urso), and Art. We were 4-16 as ninth-graders and got beat up pretty good. To end as seniors in the state finals was great. It was disappointing to be second, but still satisfying to see how far the program has come.”

“No one thought we would end up in the state finals, ,” said Allen. “It was tough to lose, especially as seniors, but we are SWC champs, and that’s a big accomplishment. It’s amazing to think of the chemistry and camaraderie our team had, especially since we encompassed three different schools, but we have all become good friends, and all because of the Ice Cats.”

“We were a blue collar team. We worked hard every game and every shift, and with our strong work ethic were able to go where no other Brookfield hockey team has gone before: to the state finals,” said senior P.J. Harrington. “We had a coaching staff that was dedicated and believed in us, so to be SWC champs and state final runner-up is a testament to the whole team’s work commitment.”

That team closeness was cited by several of the Cats.

“The loss was disappointing, but winning the SWC title was great,” said Smenyak. “I think of all my team as a unique group. We were all pretty close and we wanted to win for each other.”

“We had a great run, and a lot of our success was due to the fact that we all got along as a team,” said Hauser. “We really like each other, on and off the ice, and I think that team spirit carried us a long way. I’ll miss the guys. It’s hard to believe it’s over.”

“I’ll miss hockey, it has proved to be a valuable part of my life,” said Harrington. “We are a self-funded group with very little financial contribution from the schools, so our parents and supporters deserve a lot of credit for allowing us to enjoy our success this season.”

A success the departing Cats think is just beginning.

“We had a strong run, and I’m sure future Ice Cats will continue to build on the foundation we started this year,” said Smenyak.

“The team will be returning a lot of good young players,” agreed Allen. “I’m sure they’ll continue to be very competitive in the strong SWC.”

Richard Gregory, STAFF WRITER

March 20, 2010

NEW HAVEN -- In the end, it was just too deep a hole for the Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury boys hockey team to climb out of.

The IceCats fell behind early in Saturday's Division III state championship game and never recovered, falling to Guilford 7-3 at Yale's Ingalls Rink.

"They're a team that if you let them hang around the game they find a way to get back in it," Guilford coach Ralph Russo said of BBD. "Even though at the end the score looked good for us, they were dangerous throughout the game. There was no quit in that team."

Despite the loss in the state final, it was quite a successful season for the IceCats, who finished the season at 17-7-1 -- the most in program history -- and captured the South-West Conference Division II/III championship along the way. Led by a talented group of seniors -- Nick Martin, Brendan Allen, Grant Smith, Jared Smenyak, Art Hauser, Joshua Goldenberg, P.J. Harrington and Max Urso -- the IceCats won their first eight games, including a three-game road trip to Maine right after Christmas that helped set the tone for the season.

"We had a great season," Allen said. "We weren't really expecting to make the state championship in the beginning, but when we went to Maine, we saw that we were quite a good team. We kind of built off that."

Troy Raccuia scored a hat trick to lead a powerful Guilford attack that out-shot the IceCats 23-15 and seemed to have an immediate answer every time the IceCats scored a goal. The Indians scored 21 goals in their three state-tournament wins.

"Their transition was so fast," Granacker said of Guilford. "They had too many odd-man rushes and a lot of good scoring opportunities, and that's what made the difference."

Top-seeded Guilford was rolling from the outset and took a 1-0 lead just 1:06 into the game when David DeCaprio banged home the rebound of a shot by Stephen Petrick. BBD goalie Luiz Dibble (17 saves) made the initial save on Petrick, but DeCaprio buried the rebound. The Indians made it 2-0 at 9:42 of the first period when Christian Cattaruzza beat Dibble with a quick, low shot from just inside the faceoff circle.

The second-seeded IceCats came up empty on their best scoring chance of the period when Grant Smith's shot from the slot rang off the goal post.

Raccuia made it 3-0 at 2:49 of the second period, scoring on a breakaway set up by a long pass from Ryan Moore.

BBD's Jared Smenyak cut the deficit to 3-1 three minutes later when he beat Guilford goalie Sean Finucane (12 saves) with a quick shot off the rush from inside the faceoff circle. Brendan Allen set up Smenyak for the goal with a nice pass down the right wing. Finucane got a piece of the shot, but not enough to keep it out.

Raccuia scored again at 10:08 of the second period as the Indians regained their three-goal lead heading into the third period. It certainly wasn't an insurmountable lead, but any hopes the IceCats had of a come-from-behind victory took a major hit in the opening minute of the third period. Guilford's Justin Gilloran scored off the period's opening faceoff, needling through the BBD defense and sliding a back-hander past Dibble after only eight seconds had ticked off the clock. Just 32 seconds after that, Tim Brooks scored on a wrap-around to make it 6-1 with 14:20 remaining.

"When you give up two quick goals like that, it's just too far of a gap," Granacker said. "We're not a team that scores a lot of goals, so to get a score that lopsided it's hard for us to come back from. I called a timeout (after the first goal), hoping we could change what was going on out there and settle them down. But, unfortunately, they got one right after the timeout and that kind of just shot that theory down."

The IceCats' Art Hauser and Smith scored goals 55 seconds apart late in the third period -- sandwiched around Raccuia's third of the game -- but it was too little, too late for BBD.

BROOKFIELD/BETHEL/DANBURY 0 1 2 -- 3

GUILFORD 2 2 3 -- 7

GOALS: BBD--Jared Smenyak, Art Hauser, Grant Smith; G--Troy Raccuia 3, David DeCaprio, Christian Cattaruzza, Justin Gilloran, Tim Brooks. ASSISTS: BBD--Brendan Allen, Kyle Powers, Hauser, Steven Segiet; G--William Ring 2, Gilloran 2, Raccuia, Ryan Moore, DeCaprio, Zachary Hilhuly, Jordan Drake, Matt Doyle. GOALIES: BBD--Luiz Dibble (17 saves); G--Sean Finucane (12 saves). RECORDS: BBD--17-7-1; G--18-4-1.

Richard Gregory, STAFF WRITER

By Kevin Duffy, Staff Writer

Published: 11:42 p.m., Tuesday, March 16, 2010

NEW HAVEN -- Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury ice hockey coach Rusty Granacker says his IceCats are "one of the most unemotional groups" he's coached in his 17 years with the program.

"They never get too high," Granacker said. "And they never get too low."

That even-keeled mentality paid off in a big way in Tuesday's Division III state semifinal versus Masuk.

The IceCats, clinging to a 2-1 lead late in the third period, surrendered what could have been a heartbreaking goal when Masuk's Kevin Faust fired a loose puck to the back of the net with 25.7 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.

"We beat them before in overtime, so we knew it was doable," said BBD senior forward Arthur Hauser. "We didn't get down. We didn't let our emotions get the best of us."

They didn't.

That is, until Josh Goldenburg scored on a breakaway with 2:18 elapsed in overtime to give the IceCats a 3-2 victory.

"No, we couldn't contain ourselves then," Hauser said with a laugh. "I mean, we're going to the state championship. As a senior, that's what I've been looking forward to for four years."

After a scoreless first period, Masuk took a 1-0 lead when senior Joe Kleinhenz deflected in a Tim Zakzrewski cross with 3:06 remaining in the second.

But, in typical BBD form, the IceCats didn't hang their heads.

Instead, they rebounded quickly -- 15 seconds later, to be exact.

Senior forward P.J. Harrington answered at the 2:49 mark and tied the game on an unassisted goal.

Hauser then put BBD up 2-1 on a one-timer with 7:19 remaining in the third period.

The IceCats -- particularly freshman goalie Luiz Dibble (21 saves) -- withstood a furious Masuk power play attack in the closing minutes before letting in the Faust goal that forced overtime.

"He was making saves that shouldn't be have been saves," Hauser said. "I don't know how he did it."

Neither does Granacker.

"I actually don't know what to say about Luiz anymore," Granacker said. "He doesn't make a lot of mistakes and he's gotten better as the season has gone on. He doesn't let up a lot of rebounds, which is important when you can stop the puck once and limit their second chances."

Dibble's outstanding play between the pipes helped the IceCats secure their second straight victory over Masuk and take the season series in what is becoming quite a rivalry in the SWC.

The Panthers defeated BBD, 4-1, in the regular season, but the IceCats were victorious in the SWC championship game on March 6 and in Tuesday's semifinal.

Both games were won 3-2 in overtime.

"It's been pretty even (between Masuk and BBD) over the last few years," said Masuk coach Andrew Townsend. "We got them in the quarterfinals last year and they got us this year in overtime. When the games are close like that, it makes for a little bit of a rivalry."

Masuk, the No. 6 seed, ends the year 14-7-1 while the second-seeded IceCats advance to the Division III state championship game against top-seeded Guilford, which defeated Northwest Catholic 7-3 in the semifinals.

The game is set for 10 a.m. Saturday at Ingalls Rink in New Haven.

MASUK 0 1 1 0--2

BBD 0 1 1 1--3

GOALS: M--Joe Kleinhenz, Kevin Faust; BBD--PJ Harrington, Arthur Hauser, Josh Goldenburg. ASSISTS: M--Tim Zakzrewski, Tyler Dushay; BBD--Nick Martin. SAVES: M--John Cairns (13 saves); BBD--Luiz Dibble (21). RECORDS: M--14-7-1; BBD--15-6-1

By Richard Gregory, STAFF WRITER/News Times

DANBURY -- Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury goalie Luiz Dibble had the weight of an entire hockey season resting on his shoulders as the seconds ticked away in the third period Thursday night against Newtown.

Max Urso had given BBD a one-goal lead 36 seconds into the third period of the Division III state quarterfinal clash, and it was up to Dibble to protect that lead for the next 14-plus minutes.

Dibble -- a freshman playing his first pressure-packed, win-or-go-home state tournament game in front of 500 or so screaming fans at the Danbury Arena -- never flinched. He made 20 saves, including several huge ones late in the third period, to preserve the IceCats' 2-1 victory.

"What's going through my mind is just stopping the puck," Dibble said. "I don't want to let my team down."

With 3:32 remaining, Newtown's Parker Rodbell had a great chance to tie the game when he gathered a loose puck in front of the net. Dibble stopped Rodbell's low shot, and Rodbell -- a freshman star like Dibble -- slammed his stick on the ice in disbelief. With less than two minutes to go, Dibble stopped a shot from the blue line through a screen by Newtown's Tyler Hanley, another freshman standout.

"Once again, any time there was a situation where he really needed to make a crucial save, he made it," IceCats coach Rusty Granacker said.

"For him to really get thrown into the fire as a freshman, he's done a great job," Granacker added. "He always steps up and rises to the occasion."

The IceCats had two defensive-zone faceoffs in the final minute and sent senior Grant Smith out to take both of them. The IceCats controlled the puck off both faceoffs and never let the Nighthawks get a quality scoring chance.

"He's been our lead faceoff man all year," Granacker said. "He's definitely our best defensive center. He's just a smart player out there. He's not the fastest guy, he's not a goal-scorer -- I think he's only got two goals on the season -- but he kills penalties like nobody else we've got and he makes great decisions on the faceoffs."

The IceCats' defense -- led by Nick Martin, Brendan Allen, P.J. Harrington and Urso -- kept a potent Newtown attack in check for much of the night.

The second-seeded IceCats (16-6-1) will play sixth-seeded Masuk (15-7-1) in the state semifinals at Yale's Ingalls Rink on Tuesday at either 5:30 or 7:30 p.m.

"It was definitely one of our goals, to go to Yale and compete for a championship," Granacker said. "We're slowly stepping toward that, one game at a time."

Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury took a 1-0 lead when Jared Smenyak deflected P.J. Harrington's shot from just inside the blue line past Newtown goalie Dylan Deselin (23 saves). Josh Goldenburg assisted. The Nighthawks tied the game at 10:04 of the first period when Hunter Dolyak scored off assists from Joshua Branchflower and Brett Klein.

Urso netted the go-ahead goal, firing a shot from just inside the blue line past a screened Deselin. Goldenburg assisted.

It was a tough loss for a Newtown team that has made great progress this season. The Nighthawks finished the season at 14-7-1 and notched their first-ever state tournament win on Monday against Barlow.

"We're very disappointed, but we couldn't have asked for anything more than what the kids put out there tonight," Newtown coach Paul Esposito said. "They played as hard as they possibly could and they've done all the things we've been asking them."

In the state semifinals, the IceCats will face a tough Masuk team which they beat in overtime on Saturday in the South-West Conference final. Masuk beat Watertown/Pomperaug 3-2 in another all-SWC quarterfinal on Thursday. Immediately following Thursday's game at the Danbury Arena, nobody knew which of those two teams the IceCats would be facing in the semifinals. Granacker didn't have a preference.

"I try not to worry about it too much because we have to be the best team on that day," he said. "Anybody in this whole Division III tournament could win it."

NEWTOWN 1 0 0 -- 1

BROOKFIELD/BETHEL/DANBURY 1 0 1 -- 2

GOALS: N--Hunter Dolyak; BBD--Jared Smenyak, Max Urso. ASSISTS: N--Joshua Branchflower, Brett Klein; BBD--Joshua Goldenburg 2, P.J. Harrington. GOALIES: N--Dylan Deselin (23 saves); BBD--Luiz Dibble (20 saves). RECORDS: N--14-7-1; BBD--16-6-1.

By Richard Gregory, STAFF WRITER – News Times

DANBURY -- It took a little extra time -- seven minutes and 23 seconds, to be exact -- but the Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury boys hockey team finally won the South-West Conference Division II/III championship on Saturday night.

After taking home the runner-up trophy each of the last two years -- the IceCats certainly didn't seem to mind having to work a little overtime to win the title. Nick Martin's goal 7:23 into sudden-death overtime lifted the IceCats to a 3-2 victory over Masuk at the Danbury Arena.

It's the program's first SWC championship since 2003, when it was a Bethel/Brookfield co-op.

"These guys definitely aren't the most talented team that I've ever had, but they are the best team I've ever had," said IceCats coach Rusty Granacker, who was an assistant coach on that 2003 championship team. "They play as a unit. There's not one selfish kid on the team. That's why they're successful."

Martin scored twice in the championship game and was named the SWC tournament's Most Valuable Player; he had a goal and an assist in the IceCats' 4-1 semifinal win over New Milford on Thursday.

Martin banged home the game-winner off an assist from Joshua Goldenberg. Martin's initial shot was blocked by the Masuk defense, but the puck came right back to Martin and he immediately fired it on goal.

"I was just trying to get it on net and then the shot got blocked," Martin said. "Luckily, it went right back to me and I got another shot."

IceCats freshman goalie Luiz Dibble made 11 saves to earn the win, including a huge save on Masuk's Joe Kleinhenz from close range early in the overtime.

"He's done a great job and we're happy to have him for three more years," Granacker said of Dibble.

Justin Sullivan put the IceCats up 1-0 in the opening minute of the game when he scored off assists from P.J. Harrington and Steven Segiet. Harrington won a battle for a loose puck behind the net and fed it into the slot for Sullivan.

Just a few minutes later, Sullivan received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for his hit from behind on Tyler Dushay along the boards. Masuk capitalized on the power play and tied the game at 7:03 of the first period when Dean Accomando banged home a loose puck off a scrum in front of the net. Corey Schneider assisted.

The IceCats regained the lead at 2:48 of the second period when Martin stuffed one home from in front.

At 4:27 of the third period, Masuk's leading scorer, Jack Damota received a two-minute interference penalty, then received a 10-minute misconduct and a game misconduct for his ensuing unsportsmanlike behavior. Damota has 25 goals and 21 assists this year -- including five goals and two assists in two regular-season wins over the IceCats.

Kleinhenz tied the game for Masuk at 7:05 of the third period, scoring on the power play off assists from Tim Zakrzewski and Dushay.

Kleinhenz and Zakrzewski were both named to the All-Tournament team from Masuk. Segiet, Goldenberg and Dibble represented Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury on the All-Tournament team and Jack Murphy was selected from Watertown/Pomperaug.

BROOKFIELD/BETHEL/DANBURY 1 1 0 1 -- 3

MASUK 1 0 1 0 -- 2

GOALS: BBD--Nick Martin Nick Martin 2, Justin Sullivan; M--Dean Accomando, Joe Kleinhenz. ASSISTS: BBD--Steven Segiet, P.J. Harrington, Joshua Goldenberg; M--Corey Schneider, Tim Zakrzewski, Tyler Dushay. GOALIES: BBD--Luiz Dibble (11 saves); M--Jon Cairns (21 saves). RECORDS: BBD--15-6-1; M--14-7-1.

By Laura McCusker - Housatonic News Times - 2/12/10

The regular season is coming to a close, but the Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury hockey team appears ready for whatever comes next, as it chalked up a pair of wins in the past week.

The Ice Cats are 11-3-1 with the victories, with five games left.

Downing of Spartans

The Ice Cats earned win number 11 on the season by beating Shepaug/Litchfield/Wamogo, 10-2, on Monday at Danbury Ice Arena.

The Cats jumped on top right from the get-go, scoring off the opening drop of the puck. Nick Martin got possession, skated to the front of the Spartans’ net and hooked in a backhander, and just 26 seconds into the first period, it was 1-0 BBD. The Cats would go on to score two more times in the next 14 minutes, and took a 3-0 lead into the first break.

That’s pretty much the way things have been going for the Spartans this year. Shepaug is still looking for its first win, and it’s always difficult going up against a squad like BBD, which is not only having a strong season, but has a far deeper bench.

“They just don’t have enough numbers. We have four lines and they have two, so they get tired a lot quicker,” said Cats coach Rusty Granacker. “Their strength will come when they have enough players for a 20-game season.”

“We showed some good offense, we converted on two, but defensively we had too many lapses,” said Spartans coach Mike Gorra. “Good teams like Brookfield will capitalize on that.”

There weren’t many penalties in the game, but BBD took advantage of three of them, starting late in the first. The Cats went on the power play when Shepaug was whistled for slashing with 5:11 left, and 1:40 later, Justin Sullivan brought the puck around to the side of the net and poked it past Spartans keeper Peter Dauten, for a 2-0 lead. Then with 2:38 to go, Martin struck again, facing Dauten one-on-one on a breakaway, and it was a three-goal Cats lead.

The closest Shepaug would get was when it scored early in the second. With 11:15 left, Samian Roy lofted in the rebound of a saved shot by Adam Hiravy, and it was a 3-1 game. By the time the second period was over, however, BBD had gotten the goal back, and then some. With 5:06 left, the Cats again converted on the power play, as Josh Goldenberg scored on a rush. Goldenberg added on another 1:26 later, when his hook shot found the net, and with just 2.1 seconds on the clock, D.J. Scott blasted a one-timer that got by Dauten, for a 6-1 lead.

The Cats’ Jared Smenyak added onto the lead when he scored a power play goal with 7:57 left in the third, a tally that was quickly followed by Shepaug’s second and last score. This one also was put in by Roy, a rebound of Tyler Stinson’s shot just 18 seconds after Smenyak’s goal, making it 7-2.

The Cats scored three more times in the last four-plus minutes. Andrew Creaturo’s shot dribbled over the line before it could be swatted away with 4:06 left; Sean Stoeckle scored just over a minute later; and with 1:59 to go, Scott Martin converted on a hook shot to keeper Chase Burton’s glove side, for the final goal of the match.

Dauten finished with 24 saves and Burton with two, while the Cats’ Andrew Gillotti made 13 saves. The Cats outshot the Spartans, 39-17.

As it enters the season’s home stretch, Shepaug is hoping to put one of its remaining games in the win column.

“It’s been a rough season, but the kids keep playing hard,” said coach Gorra. “I have a good group of kids. For an 0-14 team we average less than four penalty minutes per game, which I think speaks to the character of this team. I’m proud of them.”

OT Win

Last Saturday, the Cats held on to win in overtime against Immaculate/New Fairfield, 4-3.

It was a nice come-from-behind victory for a scrappy Ice Cats team. The Pelicans scored the game’s first two goals, as Brendan Stascavage lit the lamp with 9:55 left in the first period, and when Conor Murphy connected just 17 seconds later, it was quickly a 2-0 game. Before the first was over, BBD got one back, as Creaturo scored, with Stephen Hallock and Art Hauser assisting.

The Pelicans made it 3-1 when Tim Burns scored with 10:44 remaining in the second, but the Cats answered immediately. Right off the ensuing face-off, a mere six seconds later, Hauser scored, and it remained a one-goal game entering the third.

There was just a single tally in the third, but it was an impressive one, as, with Immaculate on the power play, Nick Martin broke loose to score an unassisted short-handed goal. When neither team scored in the next 11 minutes, it was on to overtime. Steven Sieget gave his team the deciding goal, scoring with Smenyak and Nick Martin assisting in the extra period, for the 4-3 final.

Luiz Dibble served in net for the Cats, making 18 saves, with the Pelicans’ Taylor Dobbs saving 35 shots.

Next up for the Ice Cats is a match at Masuk on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. Over the last two seasons, the Panthers have beaten the Cats three times. Back on Jan. 16, Masuk won by a 6-0 score, and BBD dropped a 3-0 decision last year in the first round of the State Division III Tournament. There was also a 4-2 loss last February.

“The Masuk game will be a good test to see where we are,” said Granacker. “We lost to them last time and haven’t scored on them in two games. There’s a chance we’ll see them in SWC’s or states, so we have to figure out how to beat them.”

By John Saward, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Published: 11:50 p.m., Wednesday, January 13, 2010

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