Massena takes 5-4 OT win over Salmon; Shamrocks avenge by beating TI

By Andy Gardner

The Massena Raiders and Salmon River Shamrocks played a neck-and-neck hockey game that went into overtime and Massena clinched 5-4.

After a scoreless first period, both teams rattled off two goals in the middle stanza and then two more each in the third frame before Massena's Mikey Kuhn fired in the game-winner in overtime. Raiders goalie Ben Rogers lent a big hand to their win, finishing the tilt with tally of 39 saves. Salmon River goalie Ryan Oakes Jr. made 18 saves.

Alex Oakes scored the first goal of the game for Salmon River, on a shorthanded play 1:12 into the second period. Cobie Cree assisted. Just over two minutes later, Brendan Finnegan scored for Massena with assists from Zack Monacelli and Patrick Barclay. At 6:00, Barclay scored and pushed the Raiders out to a 2-1 lead. The Salmon River response came from Oakes at 10:38 on a play set up by Evan Collette and Tim Cook Jr.

Returning to the ice for the third period, Kuhn scored Massena's third marker, returning them to a one-goal lead, at 4:25 with helpers from Nicholas Morrell and Caleb D'Arienzo. Jared Showen tied the game again with the third goal for the 'Rocks at 11:30 with an assist credited to Cook Jr. Then, with 44 seconds left in the period, Oakes gave Salmon River a 4-3 lead after getting the puck from Cook Jr. and Showen.

The lead would be short lived. Morrell brought the game to a 4-all tie just 22 seconds later with an assist from Garrett Engstrom. After 4:55 of scoreless OT, Kuhn scored the game-winning goal on a play set up by Morrell and Nicholas Linstad.

Two nights later, the Shamrocks avenged the lost with a road win over hosts Thousand Islands. Salmon River scored all of their markers in the middle frame en route to a 3-1 decision.

"I feel we've played well the last two weeks. Just some tough bounces. Tonight we made the bounces. Our defense stepped up against some quality forwards. Proud of our effort," Salmon River Coach Tim Cook Sr. said following the game.

After a scoreless first period, Cobie Cree opened the scoreboard with 4:46 left in the second with assists from Jared Showen and Kade Cook. Just over two minutes later, Stone Chubb scored the eventual game-winner on a play set up by Tim Cook Jr. and Luke Miller. With 44 seconds left in the stanza, Alex Oakes punched in the insurance goal with a helper from Tim Cook Jr. Owen Johnson scored for TI with 5:32 remaining in the third period. Ryan Oakes Jr. turned aside 20 shots in the Salmon River crease. Clayton Hall made 29 saves for Thousand Islands.

Massena went on to break even in two weekend games against Albany Academy and St. Joseph's at Massena Arena.

They beat Albany Academy 5-2 on Friday, Jan. 25. Nicholas Linstad put the Raiders out to a 1-0 lead 3:47 into the first period with an assist from Ryan Frost. Albany's Owen Hebert tied the game about five minutes later with William Lenkowitz and Cam Finley picking up helpers. Mac Frazier, 8:22 into the second period, gave Albany their only lead and final goal of the game on an unassisted play. Mikey Kuhn tied the game at 9:40 with assists from Frost and Connor Terry. The game-winning goal came off the stick of Linstad at 13:24 with an assist from Caleb D'Arienzo. Morrell and Linstad both scored in the third period. Connor Terry assisted the former. Helpers on the latter came from Kuhn and Aidan Rufa.

Massena goalie Dakota Allen made 15 saves. Albany netminder Emma McIntyre fashioned 19 stops.

The next night, Massena lost to St. Joseph's 10-0. Statistics were not immediately available.