Both NCDC and Premier teams were in Marlborough, Massachusetts participating in the USPHL Winter Showcase over the weekend.
NCDC
Friday, January 4th
Connecticut Junior Rangers (17-11-1) – 4
Syracuse Stars (12-14-2) – 2
Syracuse found themselves down 1-0 only 4:26 into the game, but Buster Larsson scored to tie things up four minutes later. It looked like the teams would head to the intermission with the game tied at one apiece until Connecticut scored with only six seconds remaining to take a 2-1 lead into the second period.
Connecticut fired 17 shots on goal in the second period to the Stars 8. Two of those shots sneaked by Stars goalie David Otter (37 saves) to increase the Rangers lead to 4-1 heading to the third. Syracuse battled back hard in the third firing 16 shots on net. The hard work eventually paid off when Cannon Green potted his sixth of the year to cut the deficit to 4-2. A late Syracuse penalty put them down a man for the final 1:20 of the game ending any hopes of a comeback.
Saturday, January 5th
South Shore Kings (11-19-1) – 1
Syracuse Stars (13-14-2) – 3
Cannon Green opened the scoring with a power-play goal only 1:22 into the game assisted by Dominik Bogdziul and Jeremy Gabriele. South Shore tied the game up seven minutes later and the period would end 1-1.
The tie was broken at the 9:21 mark of the second period when Griffen Sanom found the back of the net. Trevor Bollinger added an insurance marker with 54 seconds remaining. Nick Wiencek was in net for the win.
Sunday, January 6th
Syracuse Stars (14-14-2) – 4 (SO)
Boston Bandits (15-10-1) – 3
David Otter stopped every shot he faced in overtime and all six shooters in the shootout to help lead the Stars to victory. Syracuse found themselves down after the first period, but Sanom scored a power-play goal assisted by Buster Larsson to even the score at one. At 9:22 of the period Bogdziul was assessed a major plus a game misconduct for spearing and Kabore Dunn was given a hooking penalty putting the Stars down 5-on-3 for a full two minutes. Boston capitalized and was able to regain the lead. Syracuse would successfully kill off the remainder of Bogdziul’s major penalty.
At 4:07 of the third Tristan Hughes scored his first goal of the season assisted by Dunn and Niko Rexine. Rexine who was playing in his third game with the Stars recorded his first point of the season on the goal. Larsson put Syracuse ahead 3-2 with a power-play goal assisted by Gabriele, his third assist in two games. Boston tied it up at the 12:10 mark sending the game to overtime.
Neither team was able to score in the extra period which meant this one would be decided by a shootout! Sanom, Larsson, Dylan Rallis, Donald Borgula, and Gabriele were all stopped before Mathieu Gervais was finally able to score win the game for his team.
Premier
Friday, January 4th
Syracuse Stars (14-12-2) – 2
Carolina Eagles (15-15-1) – 3 (OT)
Syracuse was out-shot 32-18, but still managed to force overtime in their opening game of the USPHL Winter Showcase. Carolina was up 1-0 midway through the first period when Tyler Knicley scored his team leading 14th goal of the season tying the game at one. Carolina would go ahead 2-1 before the end of the period, but Ole Henrik Arnesen potted one at 8:42 of the third tying the game 2-2. Knicley assisted on the game tying goal. Carolina would score 34 seconds into overtime to earn the win. In net for Syracuse was Aleksandr Solovev who made 29 saves on 32 shots.
Saturday, January 5th
Syracuse Stars (15-12-2) – 3
Chicago Cougars (15-11-2) – 2
Tripp Clarke made 17 saves and Syracuse scored three times to win their first game of the Showcase. Knicley, Tyson Rohrer and Henry Froass all scored in the first period that saw the Stars out-shoot their opponents 16-6, and 32-19 in the game.
Midwest Blackbirds (14-17-0) – 2
Syracuse Stars (16-12-2) – 5
Syracuse once again had a strong opening period firing 15 shots on net, scoring twice. Knicley scored his 16th and 17th of the year two minutes apart to give his team a 2-0 lead. The Blackbirds were able to get one back before the end of the period, but the Stars lead was extended when Kyle Croning scored 59 seconds into the second period. The Blackbirds battled back again scoring at 2:55 of the period before Rohrer scored at 5:49 putting the Stars ahead by two goals again. Rohrer added his second of the game at 2:20 of the third. Colin Frost made 15 saves in net.
Sunday, January 6th
Atlanta Jr Kings (15-15-3)
Syracuse Stars (16-12-2)
The box score for this game wasn’t available at the time of this writing.
