Victor in Big Comeback Win
May 31, 2016 - SPORTSFIVE REPORT: Pittsford came into the "Big Game" ready to avenge their earlier loss and eager to prove that they could be "the top team in the country and they nearly did so. After leading for most of the game. Victor senior attackman scored three goals in a row to give the Blue Devils their second and final lead of the game.
The newly updated tournament brackets can be found on the Tournament Page or Class A - Class B - Class C.
Victor fought back after trailing 8-4 to defeated Pittsford 14-12. The Blue Devils scored seven out of eight straight goals to take the lead in the fourth quarter. As opposed to their normal games, only 4 of their 14 goals were assisted. Normally all about quick, sharp passes until they find an opening, in tonight`s contest, the majority of their goals were 1-1 drives and there was very little of their normal passes.
On the other hand, the Panthers came out strong in the first half and took a 6-4 lead at the half, which they increased to 8-5 before Victor started to fight back in the third quarter. Pittsford had 7 of their 12 goals assisted. Senior Jonathan Perotto played well for Pittsford and finished with 5g-1a for the Panthers. The game was vastly split between the beginning and the end. In the first half the Panthers were the dominate force. they controlled the tempo and were in charge offensively and defensively. The Blue Devils looked flat, their drives to cage were one dimensional and their defense was not as strong as usual. In the second half, the Panthers couldn't keep up the pace they set in the first half and Victor capitalized. The Blue Devils began to pass the ball and took control of the pacing of the game. They scored a big streak and then kept the Panthers from mounting a comeback. Pittsford only took 6 shots in the fourth quarter with 2 goals (4 on cage).
The Panthers scored the opening goal with Colby Barker assisting Perotto for his first goal. Perotto finished the game with 7 shots, 6 on cage and 5 goals (all assisted). Victor scored the next two goals with a drive from Mike DeMarco and a loose ball on the crease that was picked up and scored by Andrew Russell. The Blue Devil`s first lead only lasted 0:42 before Pittsford tied the game again at 2-2. Barker scored the first of his 3g-2a of an inside dodge. After a save from Chayse Ierlan, the ball was loose around the crease. Matt Malone picked up the ball and found Barker near the crease. He stepped into the pass and dodged around the defense to tie the game at 2. The first quarter ended with a 2-2 tied score.
In the second quarter, Pittsford began to make a move. They outscored the Blue Devils 4-2with the first two goals by long stick middie, Jared Conners, assisting Perotto on a fast-break goal and Barker scoring unassisted on a straight drive at the cage. Victor tied the game again at 4-4 after scoring back to back goals. Face-off midfielder TD Ierlan scored the next goal. After a technical win, he had the ball at the midfield line and was picked-up by All American and "Defensive Player of the Year", Jared Conners. Ierlan (also an All-American) took the ball to the cage and scored 1-1 against Conners. Two minutes later, Austin Jobson scored on another 1-1 dodge at the cage. The score was tied 4-4 with 8:19 remaining in the half. Pittsford scored the final two goals of the half to take a 6-4 lead into halftime. Jeremy Jacob and Frank Imburgia both scored unassisted goals for the Panthers.
In the early third quarter, Pittsford kept up their pressure and added two more goals. Both were scored by Perotto with assists from Barker and Conners. The first was scored during man-up and the second was scored on a slow-break. The third quarter was the highest scoring quarter with a combined 10 goals. Ryan Maloney scored the first of his 3g-2a after picking up the loose ball on the crease after a save by Alec Starr. Pittsford re-took the four goal lead with Perotto assisting Connor Fitzgerald on the ninth Panther goal. With 6:11 remaining, Pittsford led by four. The Panthers began their comeback with five of the next six goals to finish the third quarter tied 10-10.
The beginning of the fourth quarter decided the game with Victor scoring two goals to take back the lead for the first time since six minutes remaining in the first quarter. Lambert scored three back to back goals for the Blue Devils to put them back on top. The go ahead 11-10 goal was scored after a technical face-off win. He scored 0:12 into the quarter. One minute later, Maloney scored his second with an outside shot. Barker scored the penultimate Pittsford goal in attempts to re-tie the game. He scored with a dodge from the top to put the Panthers down by 1 (12-11). Victor quickly added two more and began to slow down the play. Dan Barrow and DeMarco each scored (both assisted by Maloney). The first "Keep it in" call against the Blue Devils came with 7 minutes left in the game. After the two goals, Victor led 14-11. Pittsford added one more goal with Conners scoring with a feed from Fitzgerald.
In the cage for Victor, Ierlan finished with 10 saves. For Pittsford, Starr recorded 14 saves. At the face-off draw, TD Ierlan finished at 22/30 with a team leading 15 ground balls. His play was one of the key reasons that the Blue Devils had enough ball time to force the comeback. Victor moves on to face the winner of the Class A Tournament in Section VI (Buffalo). They will play in Section VI in the first round of the state tournament on Saturday.
Class A All Tournament Team Named
From Victor: T.D. Ierlan, Max Lambert, Jack Callahan, Chayse Ierlan, Ryan Maloney (MVP).
From Pittsford: Jonathan Perotto, Colby Barker, Michael Gigantelli, Jared Conners.
From Penfield: Peter Schwab.
From Webster Schroeder:Conor Bollin.
