Playoff hockey is back! This time, it’s a first-round matchup between the 16th-seeded Naperville Hockey Club and the 17th-seeded LZMW Yeti. Naperville Hockey Club goaltender Sam Carleton looks to improve his save percentage from .889, and Landon Connolly continues his march towards a 40-point campaign on the season. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
NHC Takes the Lead
The start of the game sees both teams fighting for momentum, but it’s Naperville getting the scoring started. Brayden Rock finds Joseph Ferro on the right-wing side, with Ferro sending it into the net for the 1-0 lead with under 4 minutes left in the first period.
With less than a minute left in the period, Rock has a shot at a goal of his own. With a great setup pass from Jacob Kistler, it’s another NHC score! That’s all of the scoring action through the first 2 periods of play, with Naperville Hockey Club leading the game 2-0.
Jumping ahead to the third period, Connor Eilers finds Landon Connolly behind the net and executes a perfect ‘Michigan’ goal to extend the Naperville lead to 3-0 with 14 minutes left to play.
Here Come the Yeti
But the Yeti claw their way back in. Langdon Stokien passes to an open Brody Bautista with a one-timer goal, bringing Naperville’s lead down to 2 with 11 minutes left in regulation.
Nearly two minutes later, the Yeti put another goal on the board! This time, Bautista returns the favor, with a shot on goal rebounded by Stokien, who chips the puck into the back of the net. Yetis have momentum, with the score now 3-2 with 9:25 left in the third period.
Naperville Hockey Club Closes out the Win
In the final moments of the game, the Yeti stayed aggressive and put pressure on the goal, but Naperville closed out the game with stout defense and 44 saves by Carleton. The Naperville Hockey Club takes victory in this first-round matchup with a final score of 3-2.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!
