The 2007 Empire State Games opened with a match between Central and Hudson Valley. >Central sought revenge for their 10-6 loss during the 2006 Games with an 11-6 win Thursday afternoon. Only two minutes into the game Hudson Valley scored the first goal of the tournament with Scott Morell scoring (assisted by Shane Ferguson). Central took their time getting into the swing of things, but once they started working as a team they scored the next seven goals (spanning two quarters).
  
Mike Fetterly scored his first goal of the game, as well as the first Central goal, with an assist from Tim Rommel. Fetterly led all scorers in the game with 4g-1a. Each of the first seven goals were scored by different players (Chris Cook, Matt Taylor, Steve Ianzito, Rob Grimm, Rommel, and Jake Smith). Smith, who scored the seventh Central goal, is a defenseman who picked up the ball on a face-off and scored the fast-break goal. Central showed strong offense during the first half with many different players demonstrating their skills. Midfielders scored four of the seven goals. Hudson Valley came back with the last two goals of the half, scoring at 3:56 and 0:14. Kevin Gordon scored the first goal while Joe Marasco scored the second. Marasco led the Hudson Valley team with three goals.
  
Marasco also scored the first goal of the third quarter with a straight in drive from the top of the box. Grimm became the first Central player to double up and score his second goal (assisted by Ianzito). This goal was followed in quick succession by Fetterly’s second goal (assisted by Zach Mulvaney). Marasco finished up the scoring in the third quarter with his third and final goal and brought the score to 9-5 Central.
  
Fetterly scored two more goals in the third quarter for Central (the first assisted by Smith and the second by Grimm). A different player assisted each of Fetterly’s four goals. Rocky Bonitatibus also scored a goal of Hudson Valley.
  
Face-off’s were a key part of today’s game. Hudson Valley’s Zach Badalucco, with a long stick, took 12 face-offs and was 66% (8/12). On the other hand, Nick Sorrillo and Tyler Granelli also took face-offs for Hudson Valley and combined for 0/9. Central’s Zach Mulvaney was 90% (9/10) and Chris Cook added 4/11 (36%). Although Badalucco had a strong day, it seemed that every face-off that was important was won by central.
  
Central and Hudson Valley, as with most teams, played both of their goalies with the change taking place at halftime. Central’s AJ Fiore and Hudson Valley’s Chris Latino started in the nets during Thursday’s game. Fiore saw 9 shots on goal and made 6s (66%) while Latino saw 11 shots on cage saving 4 (35%). The second half saw Jordan Marra of Central versus Michael Bonitatibus of Hudson Valley. Marra saw 12 shots on cage and continued with Central’s high marks, recording 9s (75%) while Bonitatibus saw 9 shots on the net with 5s (56%). Central’s two goalie combined for the day’s highest team percentage at 71.4%.
  
Overall the game was much closer in the second half of play with the score only marginally going to Central 4-3. The second half showed better shooting from both teams, as well as more team goals with 4/7 goals being assisted (while 3/10 were assisted in the first half). Even though Hudson Valley fell 11-6, both teams are capable of winning a medal in these games.

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