Friday - Valley over NYC 12-5

July 25, 2008 - In the first game of the second day of competition Hudson Valley defeated NYC 12-5. Valley controlled the ball for most of the game.

Joe Marasco scored the first goal with a straight drive from the clear. He ended the game leading all scorers with 4g-1a. A majority of the Valley goals came from straight drives to the goal with one-on-one dodges against defensive players. NYC`s first goal came 0:04 after the expiration of a Valley penalty when Forest Sonnenfeldt dodged three men to put the ball in the back of the net. Sonnenfeld finished the game with two goals.

Valley led 6-1 after the first quarter. The second and fourth quarters saw ties (1-1 in the second and 2-2 in the fourth) and The Valley won the third 3-1. The lone NYC goal in the third quarter was scored when HV goalie Michael Bonitatibus intercepted the ball near the crease and then on his own clear was intercepted by Andrew Fiore. Fiore then brought the ball back for the unsettled goal.

Special teams continued to be an important factor in the game. There were four man-up goals in the game (two for each team) on a total of 13 penalties. Hudson Valley's Cole McCormack continued his strength at the face-off winning 11/17. McCormack gives Valley a significant advantage, giving them the ball a higher percentage of the time when he wins the face-offs. Of McCormack's 11 wins, 5 were on technicals and of the six losses only 1 was on a technical.

In the cage, both teams split goalies at the half. Sam Grinberg (NYC) and Luke Hggerty (Valley) started in the cages for their respective teams. Grinberg finished with 3s/7ga and Haggarty with 3s/2ga (60%). During the second half, Grant Tomashoff (NYC) and Bonitatibus took over the duties between the pipes. Tomashoff finished with 2s/5ga and Bonitatibus recorded 4s/3ga (57%).

The Valley led in most statistical categories; Valley 31 shots with 16 on cage, NYC 21 shots with 12 on cage; Valley 29 ground balls, NYC 19; Valley 7 takes, NYC 6 takes.

Nicholas Stanley (4) and Andrew Fiore (3) led NYC in ground balls. Ben Litwask (5) and Dan Keough (4) led for Hudson Valley.

Scoring for Hudson Valley were Marasco (4g-1a), Rob Santangelo (3g), Perrelle (2g), John Ranagan (1g), Garry (1g), John Brandofino (1g), Connor Brown (1a) and Shawn Honovich (1a).

Scoring for NYC were Sonnenfeldt (2g), Fiore (2g), Nicholas Stanley (2a), Hamamoto (1g) and Musikant (1a).