HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—The performance was not flamboyant or flashy. This season’s version of the La Salle Explorers don’t play hockey that way. But it was a textbook display of efficiency.
Six different players scored goals as the Explorers shut out Hun School 6-0 Wednesday afternoon in an APAC encounter at Hatfield Ice. The defending Class AAA Flyers Cup and state champions are a perfect 7-0 this season, 3-0 in conference play.
The Raiders are 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
Charlie Kennedy gave La Salle a lead 7:08 into the opening period and the Explorers built on their advantage from there, adding three goals in the second period and two more in the third.
Kennedy a senior, said he and his teammate were confident scoring opportunities would come, if they worked for them.
“It takes a lot of hard work,” he said. “And you’ve got to be consistent, get some shots on net. You’ve got to drive the net hard You’ve got to be there, you’ve got to communicate. And, if we do all that, that will end up in our favor. We’ve got to continue to be persistent in that way.”
Senior Dean Carvalho scored one goal and set up another.
“I think the third period was definitely our strongest,” he said. “We finished out strong. The first two there were lapses at points in our D-zone but we tightened it up and found a way to come out with a win.”
Ryan Wiley, Patrick Brace, Grant LaGreca, and Michael Zarzycki also added goals for the Explorers. Whatever shortcomings plagued them were not immediately noticeable, certainly not to Hun School coach Eric Szeker.
“That’s a good team on the other side,” he said. “Credit to them, they came out, they were ready to play. They were moving the puck well today and got some good goals.”
The hosts broke the game open with three goals in the second half of the second period from Ryan Wiley, Patrick Brace, and Grant LeGreca. Carvalho and Michael Zarzycki added goals in the third frame.
Lost amidst all this was the work of Raider goaltender Julian Arsenault, who faced 51 shots and stopped 45 of them.
“Julian’s an incredible kid,” Szeker said. “He battled today for us in a little bit of a one-sided game. He gave us a great opportunity but defensively, we kept up a little bit too much on the inside.”
“(Arsenault) was good tonight,” Carvalho said. “There were a lot of shots we put in his chest there were some really good saves that he made, point blank. He did a good job.”
Kennedy was pleased with the Explorers level of consistency for the full 51 minutes.
‘“It felt good,” he said. “We had a little bit of a slow start but eventually got it going, got the right mindset going, and then really came up in the third period with the quality of goals that they were.
“We ended on a good note.”
Hun School 0 0 0—0
La Salle 1 3 2—6
First-period goal: Charlie Kennedy (L) from Dean Carvalho and Alex Fusaro, 7:52
Second-period goals: Ryan Wiley (L) from Will Carpenter and Logan Dicus, 8:21; Patrick Brace (L) unassisted, 14:51; Grant LaGreca (L) from Will Gregorio and Michael Zarzycki, 15:47
Third-period goal; Dean Carvalho (L) from Julian Tarsi and Declan Kelly, 11:43; Zarzycki (L) from Will Carpenter and Jake Rossi, 16:25
Shots; Hun School 32, La Salle 51; Saves: Julia Arsenault (HS) 45, Jake Rossi (L) 32
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