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Schools

Offense Struggles in Dragons Loss at CBA

Only 13 shots recorded on net for the Brick Dragons on their 4-2 loss at Christian Brothers Academy.

Playing against another top team in the Shore Conference, the boys ice hockey team knew that they would have to weather heavy pressure at times from the Christian Brothers Academy Colts.

While they certainly did – holding the Colts to four goals on 24 shots on net -- offensively they could not build a consistent counter attack of their own for multiple shifts in a row in the Dragons 4-2 loss at CBA on Wednesday night.

Brick managed two goals generating 13 shots on net, easily their lowest shot total of the year through three games.

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"We threw a lot towards the cage," said Brick head coach Bob Auriemma. "But missed the net on a ton of them."

Brick started flat in the first surrendering two goals in the opening frame, struggling to set up an early power play coming two minutes in.

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CBA opened the scoring with 10:32 still to play in the first period. A quick back door pass netted the first goal, as there was little Brick goaltender Jake Lampiasi could do to stop it.

Over the next six minutes Brick was outshot 7-1 and gave up another goal, this time off a turnover.

"You cannot turn the puck over that much against a team this good," said Auriemma. "They got a jump on us and we were getting ourselves in to trouble. When we turn the puck over like that, it allows the other team to take risks. I think we played very over cautious in the first period."

Throughout the first half of the game, Brick had little else going for them other than physicality. Brian Murphy led the charge with two memorable checks.

After falling down 3-0, the Dragons awoke offensively as Ryan Price forced a turnover as CBA tried to clear the zone. Price, the sophomore, passed the puck to senior Tyler Martin who was in all alone and beat the CBA goalie with a quick shot.

Two minutes later, Brick earned a chance to cut it to a one goal game going on the power play. Unlike their prior two opportunities, Brick moved the puck well and came close numerous times one timers but came up just short.

Minutes later, 22 seconds into a CBA power play, the Colts extended the lead to 4-1 with a seeing eye shot from the point. 

"We had a few close ones that just missed," said Auriemma. "It was a pretty basic fore check, I think some of the guys had rubber legs after playing last night too."

Coming out of the intermission Brick would start with 1:11 of power play time and needed only 16 seconds of it to score and cut the lead to two for a second time.

Brian Murphy faked a slap shot and sent a onetime pass to Price, who was low to the left side of the goal. Price's rebound landed in the crease, right at the feet of Brendan Dowd, who buried it. Brick's best opportunity to come back came at 5:54 on another power play, but CBA put the clamps on and the score would remain the same.

Brick's special teams went 1-for-5 on the man advantage and 1-for-3 killing penalties.

Obviously, putting more than 13 pucks on net is something the Dragons would like to do.

"We panicked at times," said Auriemma. "We needed to get a little more of a rush going and be quicker thinking. The times we did alright with that, the puck seemed to go off the end of our sticks and we would throw knuckleball passes."

Brick now stands at 2-1. 

The Dragons will be off the next three days, before taking on the Middletown North Lions at home at 3:30 on Sunday.

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