FS_031518

46 | March 15, 2018 | The frankfort station sports
frankfortstation.com
Lincoln-Way hockey falls to Waubonsie in playoffs
Chris Walker
Freelance Reporter
Sometimes you just have
to tip your helmet and say
"good game."
Unfortunately for Lincoln-Way's
hockey team,
Friday, March 9, was one of
those times.
For the fifth time this season,
and with the season
on the line in the Amateur
Hockey Association of Illinois
Varsity Combined state
playoffs, Lincoln-Way came
up short against Waubonsie,
4-0.
This wasn’t nearly as
close as the two teams' prior
meetings, which included
three games decided by a
single goal and the other a
4-2 decision.
“Every game we’ve
played against them was
very close,” Lincoln-Way
coach Kevin Galassini said.
“They executed a great game
plan. They dumped the puck,
they got it deep and just floor
checked us and we couldn’t
get out of our zone.”
Waubonsie (34-19-1)
took advantage of a power
play opportunity at the 5:04
mark in the first as William
Naffziger scored. It was the
only scoring it needed.
The Warriors extended
their lead to 2-0 with 1:44
remaining in the period
when Jack Flood and Cade
Kenyon assisted on Alex
Wilder’s finish.
“Our first two shifts of
the game we were all over
them,” Galassini said. “We
had a couple of shots that
we almost got and that
would’ve changed the
game. That’s how close
these teams are. I think
if we got a one-goal lead
early it would’ve been a
different game, but then
in the next minute we got
a penalty and they scored
and that was the game.”
Still, Lincoln-Way had to
feel it was within striking
distance, recognizing fully
well that they had played the
Warriors tough all season
long and with a little bit of
offensive firepower could
make things really interesting.
Perhaps that’s what the
players were thinking as the
final seconds ticked off in
what appeared destined to
be a scoreless second period.
It didn’t end up that way
though as Flood, Kenyon
and Wilder duplicated their
efforts just like they did late
in the first period, but this
time did it with only seven
seconds left before the end
of the second period.
“Whenever you score in
the last minute or first period
it’s just a big morale
booster,” Waubonsie coach
Jimmy Frasco said. “I think
that gave us a big boost and
kind of deflated them a bit
more.”
Lincoln-Way just couldn’t
get much going offensively
to really put any pressure on
the Warriors, whose goalie
Alex Lee only had to make
nine saves and just four after
a first period in which Lincoln-Way
did create some
opportunities. Lincoln-Way
was outshot 32-13.
“Everything was working
good for us,” Frasco said.
“Our defense was strong,
our goalkeeping was good
and our forwards moved the
puck so it was good all the
way around.
“At the end of the year
now, a couple of bad mistakes
or bounces and you’re
going home. We were just
lucky enough against a good
Lincoln-Way team. Maybe
we just wanted it a little bit
more because they played
very strong.”
Despite the sting of the
immediate end, Lincoln-
Lincoln-Way right wing Jack Bieniek takes control of the puck Friday, March 9, during the team's playoff game against
Waubonsie. Photos by Bob Klein/22nd Century Media
Way will look back on an
extremely successful season
and the program should remain
strong, although it will
lose some seniors.
“It was just two years ago
that we won only two games
and last year we finished
in the middle of the pack,”
Galassini said. “This year
we finished fourth so it’s
been a pretty big jump. Of
course, we wanted to go a
little further, but didn’t.”
And there’s always next
year.
“The program is on the
right foot,” Galassini said.
“We have six seniors, but
we’ve got some kids coming
up from JV that are pretty
good. We should have a nice
nucleus and be OK next
year."
Right defense Matt Fabish dodges two Waubonsie players on the ice.