It’s that time of the year as the high school hockey season kicks off. Zach Pearce and the Warriors Hockey Club are coming off winning the programs 2nd State Championship and their title defense begins against Benet Academy.
First Period
The Warriors are on a power play a few minutes into the game. Tony Campise uses his blazing speed to split the defense and then snaps the shot past Liam Casto for the 1st Warrior goal of the season.
WV looks to add to the lead shortly after. Will Troy centers one for Ethan Wipff, but Casto makes the stop.
Midway through the 1st, the Red Wings are still trailing by 1. JT Kelly’s shot doesn’t get through, but the Warriors can’t clear and Tyler Kozminski hammers the one timer off the stick of Mason Kosowski to tie the game at 1 and that’s the score heading to the 2nd.
Second Period
Early in the 2nd, the Red Wings get a 3 on 2 break and despite some crisp passing, Justin Howard comes up with a huge save on Sam Tumbali to keep the game tied.
11 and a half to go in the 2nd and the Warriors offense wakes up. Zach Pearce goes the entire length of the ice, stick handling through the entire defense and with the D focused on him, he finds Ethan Wipff with the open net to give WV a 2-1 advantage.
Pearce is definitely seeing the ice great in this one as he goes with a backwards pass to Will Troy and he buries it past Casto to make it a 2 goal game. The MVP of the State Championship game has clearly picked up right where last season left off.
5 minutes later the Red Wings go back to work. The wrap around from Tommy MacDonald won’t go, but Kosowski is there to bury the rebound and we are off to the 3rd period with the Warriors leading 3-2.
Third Period
Benet is working with a 2 man advantage early on in the 3rd. JT Kelly receives the rubber at the point, then walks in, but the shot is saved by Justin Howard and the Warriors are able to kill off both penalties.
Under 4 to play in the 3rd, the Warriors turn the puck over leading to a breakaway for Christiano Dibenedetto, but the 1 on 1 with Howard is denied by the netminder.
A minute 40 in change to play and Zach Pearce picks up his 3rd assist as he creates a 2 on 1 break for WV and Nolan Cummings slams home the dagger as the Warriors Hockey Club open up the season with a W as New Trier Green awaits in their next game.
Be sure to check out other boys highlights from throughout the week
