Blake edges past Blazers

The Blair Community ice hockey team is not affiliated with or sponsored by the Montgomery Blair High School athletic program or Montgomery County Public Schools. The team is an independent group of Blair students.

FEB. 6, WHEATON OUTDOOR ICE RINK—

In another disappointingly close loss in what has been a difficult season, the Blair Blazers were defeated 6-2 tonight by the Blake Bengals, bringing their record to 0-11. The team started off with strong and physically aggressive play, but lost control in the final two periods and couldn't catch up to the Blake lead.

The Bengals started off strong, scoring an almost uncontested goal just a minute into the first period to take an early lead. The Blazers responded well though, keeping the game close for the rest of the period. They kept the puck on the Blake side for the majority of the time, but their shots were off net and they were unable to score. Both teams were very physical in their coverage, with some bone-shattering checks and blocks.

In the second period, things took another turn for the worse. After an early goal by sophomore Alexander Sandberg-Bernard with an assist by senior Jesse Mueller, the Blazers seemed to fall apart. The Blake offense took control this period, far out-shooting the Blazers and dominating possession time. The Bengals scored once on a tap in after a pass from behind the net, and again on a shot that bounced off of junior Robert Ginsberg's glove, bringing the Blake lead to 3-1.

The boys in blue kept up this momentum going into the final period, scoring once again in the first couple minutes to increase their lead. The Blazers tried to get their offense going again, but couldn't muster anything. Blake scored twice more to take a 6-1 lead and put the game firmly out of Blair's reach. The Blazers refused to be discouraged though, and sophomore Johnny Slenkovich scored on an assist from senior Peter Semitekolos in the final minute to close the game.

Coach Kevin McCabe attributed the loss to the team's inexperience. "It just boils down to mental mistakes," he said. "We were playing what I like to call spectator hockey, which just comes from not playing in a lot of games." There were some positive aspects to the game though, in that Blair had more offensive pressure than they have had this season. The Blazers took 34 shots compared to Blake's 46, which is a promising statistic in a year in which Blair has ended several games with less than ten shots.

The team's next game is this Friday, Feb. 10, against Magruder at 6:15 at Wheaton Indoor.