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Lyons out-muscles AWF in Game 1 of Cougar Cup
Darien, IL - March 2, 2013: Lyons' Joe Power (79) brings the puck up ice vs the Renegades Hockey Team. | Steve Johnston~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: April 2, 2013 4:33PM
DARIEN — Tension, penalties and obscenities filled an already tension-filled rink for Game 1 of the 2013 Cougar Cup final, but Lyons kept its focus in a 6-4 win over AWF in Darien Saturday night.
“There’s a lot of bad blood between us,” said Lyons head coach Rick Reznick. “It started in the beginning of the season, carried over and made for an exciting game and an exciting championship series.”
Nineteen penalties were called between the two, 12 on the Renegades. The Lions weren’t use to such physical play.
“It was tough; it forced me and the other players to kind of change what we’re doing on the ice, making better passes to get past the physical,” said Lyons captain Nick Wink.
Wink put Lyons on the board first with 4 minutes, 11 seconds left in the first period.
Lyons was able to capitalize on its many power plays, as four of its goals came with man advantages. Hugh Meehan registered a hat trick on three power play goals.
“It was a chipy game,” Meehan said. “It’s been like that all year with this team, they like to play rough. They lost their composer and we capitalized on it.”
Lyons outshot AWF 37-17 and goaltender Paolo Delfini made 14 saves in the win.
“There was a lot of pressure,” said Delfini. “We’re not used to all of those penalties and five-on-threes but it made it interesting.”
David Miceli scored a short-hander for the Renegades with 3:17 left in the third but Meehan responded with his third goal before the final horn.
“When things started to click, they really started to click,” said Meehan.
Charlie Malay and Christian Feichtinger also scored for the Lions.
“ ‘Keep it simple,’ is what I’ve been trying to tell them,” said Reznick. “They try to get too fancy, overthink it and try to get a pretty play, but our game plan is that presence and to get the puck through traffic, making sure nothing is blocked and disciplined hockey. We can’t be taking penalties. The ultimate goal is disciplined hockey.”
The day of Game 2 of the Cougar Cup will be determined.
“We have to get used to the physical and stay out of the (penalty) box,” said Wink. “If we stay out of the box we have a better shot at the championship.”
Lyons
G: Hugh Meehan (3), Nick Wink (1), Charlie Malay (1), Christian Feichtinger (1).
A: Joseph Power (1), Charlie Malay (1), Nick Wink (1).
GK: Paolo Delfini (14 saves)
AWF
G: Hayden Adams (1), Patrick Gorniak (2), David Miceli (1).
A: William Bauers (2), Barett Lipinski (1), Justin Adams (1).
GK: Alex Gibbs (33 saves).
