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Midview spoils Canfield hockey season opener
By Greg Gulas
BOARDMAN
Nick Verlotti and Bryan Weaver each scored two goals and added two assists to lead Midview to a 4-1 win over Canfield in the Greater Cleveland High School Hockey League season opener for both schools Saturday at Deep Freeze Ice Arena.
“We took too many penalties today,” said assistant coach Joe Villano, filling in for head coach Chris Richards, who had a family commitment. “It’s undisciplined play and we spoke about it between periods. They called the game tight, but it’s our responsibility as coaches and players to see how the game is going to make sure that we play accordingly.
“A good penalty is one where you use it to break up a scoring opportunity, but all of our penalties weren’t good penalties. They occurred in parts of the ice where there was no danger. We worked hard, won a lot of pucks but were undisciplined. We played the entire game shorthanded.”
Weaver got the initial goal of the season for the Middies (1-0) at 7:10 of the opening period off a crisp Verlotti pass.
Canfield (0-1) knotted the game at a goal apiece when Stone Elias’ shot sailed past Middies goalie Braden Rapp at 4:24 of the opening frame.
It turned out being their only score of the game.
“They just wrapped it around the boards. I picked it up, waited for something to happen, no one came to me, so I came around the net and shot it,” Elias said. “Luckily, I got a good bounce and it went in.
“We had a lot of penalties, so we have to stay out of the box. We just couldn’t move the puck and bury it after the first period.”
Verlotti’s first goal 3:24 into the second period gave the Middies a 2-1 lead heading to the final 15 minutes of action.
His second goal at 13:34 of third period increased their lead to 3-1.
“We were a little shorthanded today and I thought we did a really nice job of resting when we had to, then getting the puck deep and making them go 200 feet,” Middies head coach Rick Verlotti said. “I thought the kids played really well. We were literally playing six kids there today and it was exciting to see us be able to win the game.
“Bryan is one of our captains, I’ve coached him since he was eight or nine years old and he just does a fantastic job. Nick does pretty much what we ask him to do and just does a nice all-around job for us.”
Weaver’s second goal of the game with 1:48 remaining made it three unanswered for the Middies.
“We took far too many penalties and there was a lot of sloppiness on our part,” said Canfield’s Vince Hepola. “We need to get better, focus more during practice and keep our bodies in position so we’re not hitting people the wrong way. We need to work on the little things and our self-control, just doing the right things. We didn’t do that today.”
Midview held a 22-16 shot advantage with Rapp stopping 15 Cardinal shots for his first victory of the campaign.