Hamden’s Maxx Ricci makes a save in the hockey game between Ridgefield and Hamden at the Winter Garden, Ridgefield on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2019. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
RIDGEFIELD — Special teams took center stage on Saturday night at the Winter Garden as Ridgefield scored two power-play goals in the third period to pull away for a 4-1 win over Hamden.
“It was great to get a couple power play goals,” Ridgefield forward Will Stewart said.
Stewart scored the first one early in the third and Kevin McNicholas iced the game with less than a minute to go.
“Unfortunately, most of our guys that play shorthanded, play power play, play regular shifts,” Hamden coach Todd Hall said. “When something like that occurs, you’re really driving your guys into the ice.”
PP goal by Ridgefield’s Will Stewart makes its 3-1 Ridgefield leading Hamden with 9:50 left #cthk pic.twitter.com/8hO447peC5
— Pete Paguaga (@PetePaguaga) January 5, 2020
Both teams combined for 13 penalties, seven on Ridgefield and six on Hamden.
Ridgefield’s penalty kill allowed just one goal — from Bryce Riccitelli — in the second period.
“It all started with our goaltender,” Ridgefield coach Shaun Gallagher said. “Matt Silliman played a great game.”
The defense kept Silliman’s crease clean during the penalty kills.
“I think our penalty kill was really nice,” Silliman said. “We dumped the puck at least five or six each kill and it really worked to our benefit.”
Ridgefield jumped up to a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals from Michael Conciatore and Eric Pereira. Overall the Tigers had four different goal scorers in the win.
Bryce Riccitelli gets Hamden on the board with this PP goal with 5 mins left in 2nd #cthk
Ridgefield 2, Hamden 1 pic.twitter.com/FSqijVFpk3
— Pete Paguaga (@PetePaguaga) January 5, 2020
“They share the puck well, with a lot new guys we’re going to have a lot of goal scorers step up at different times,” Gallagher said. “They want to score, they want the puck.”
The win over Hamden is Ridgefield’s third straight win, after starting the season with two losses, but it’s the Tigers’ first win over a Division I opponent this year.
“We definitely have a lot of respect for Hamden,” Gallagher said. “Their coaching staff, every year they’re going to be good and they are goo.d To pick up a win against Hamden makes it nice.”
PLAYER OF GAME
Ridgefield’s Matt Silliman. The junior goalie stood on his head while playing a man down for a good part of the game.
QUOTABLE
“It always hurts, you can’t give a team like that a 2-0 lead off that bat. You’re just clawing to get even again. I thought we did respond well in the second, I thought (goalie) Maxx (Ricci) played really well, really solid.”
RIDGEFIELD 4, HAMDEN 1
Ridgefield2 0 2 — 4
Hamden0 1 0 — 1
R — Michael Conciatore (Kevin McNicholas)
;
R — Eric Pereira (Conciatore and Cornelius van Wees)
;
H — Bryce Riccitelli (Robert Celentano)
;
R — Will Stewart (unassisted)
;
