2008 Woodie Awards
Stonewall Smith and MIH sweep Lakers, slide to within one point of first in AHL
Pat Pickens
Issue date: 2/2/06 Section: Sports
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Smith, who also stopped 54 shots in 2003 versus Providence College, was dumbfounded by his accomplishment.
"I can't believe it," the New Jersey Devils draft product said when told of the number of shots he stopped. "I thought I got like 35 or 36."
Final shot total for Saturday night was Mercyhurst 55 and Sacred Heart 24.
"He is unbelievable," Senior captain Noel Henck of Brentwood, N.H., said. "It is almost unfair to the teams we play that we have a goalie that good."
Henck was not alone in his praise of Smith. He was one of about 600 people at the Milford Ice Pavilion who could not believe some of the saves.
The game didn't begin as Smith would have hoped, however. Mercyhurst got on the board first at the 8:03 mark of the first period with a goal by Ben Cottreau. The puck was put in front by Scott Champagne, and both SHU and Mercyhurst players dug for it until Cottreau finally put it past Smith to make it 1-0.
It did not remain that way for long.
Junior Pierre Luc O'Brien of Nicolet, QC scored just 1:56 later to tie the game at one. O'Brien received a pass from Bear Trapp and threw it towards the front of the net. It hit a Mercyhurst defender and beat goalie Mike Ella.
"I really think we responded well after that first goal," said coach Shaun Hannah. "We had good jump in our legs after that goal, and we scrapped and clawed for everything we got."
O'Brien also set up the game winning goal.
After Dave Borelli was shipped to the penalty box for boarding, O'Brien delivered a tap-in pass to Senior Rocco Molinaro of Dearborn, M.I. Molinaro put it past Ella to make it 2-1 at 11:56.
"That was a great pass from [O'Brien]," Molinaro said. "He made a great play and I was just on the doorstep to finish it off."
Then the Sacred Heart defense and Smith took over. The Pioneers' killed 10 power plays, including six in the second period alone.
"They called it tight tonight," Hannah said. "We have to be better and smarter in staying out of the box, but our guys stepped up and made plays on the penalty kill."