WARD MELVILLE 15      WALT WHITMAN 2

APRIL 23, 1999

Umbrellas everywhere. Money being collected for the Ward Melville Dome. Cold, ugly, slippery, and the hope that no one gets hurt. Whitman was pumped even though they were late and had limited warm ups (10 minutes). The game begins and the first goal goes to Whitman after their goalie stops a few quality shots at his end. Hmmm. Get back to it. Stops a few more. Hmmmmmm. Whitman scores goal number two to go up 2-0 against their obliging hosts. Nick Mayer scores the first Melville goal to cut the deficit to one goal. (Cut the what?). Whitman takes the first quarter 2-1 !!!

Matty Mo' (Monfett) takes a hard shot for the equalizer to open the second period. Willy P. found his range and rang the bell. Lots of slippin and slidin'. (Chris Passavia went down on the wet turf before the first goal was scored). Stick pockets were sagging, passes were flying, but the boys kept working to get it under control. More saves and sliding help create a couple of breaks on goal but Kunkel stuff's them. They never should have gotten there but Kunkel stones a few shooters on the doorstep.

Drew Casino (9 for 9) and Chris Biel (8 for 10) did an outstanding job on faceoffs, and the middies cranked in a few more goals along the way. After Nick and Willy scored the middies poured in 4 more! A quick stick from Mayer nets his second; Casino, Raboy, Gerry gunned their shots into the corners and Chris Biel buried a burner from outside for the first goal of his energized senior year. On one clear Chris Passavia sped the length of the field beating no less than three men and fed a passing sequence which culminated in a perfectly executed fast break with all defenders out of position and the finishing shot into a gaping net. (Well... maybe a slight hesitation.) Another great game by Matt Monfett and Chris Passavia keeping the opposition on edge at both ends of the field. Nice work from Nick Belvedere picking off passes and stripping the ball in style.

Some excitement towards the latter part of the game when Willy P. drives to the goal and looses his footing near the crease and is laid out in the mud, tosses a one hand shovel to Matty Mo who sends it home with a clean finish. Mike Magro, playing on the attack line with Billy Pohmer and Steve Cartier, scored again for his second goal of the season. New middie lines of Mark Petruzzi (who plays on the man-down midi line), Will O'Dwyer (face-offs), Matt Jungers, Jared Funt, Ian Applegate, and John Cleaver worked the ball well. Chris Mele did a nice job on long stick. Sophomore goalie Nick Gentilesco made a save on a late Whitman fast break and charged up the field with a release at the last moment to senior attackman Billy Pohmer who buries the shot for his first goal of the season (to go with his three assists) and secures Nick's first varsity assist. A neat finish on a muddy track.

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