Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photo

Coming off their first loss of the season to the Korah Colts on Wednesday, December 20th, the (4-1-2) St Mary’s Knights hit the ice at the John Rhodes Centre against the (0-6-2) Superior Heights Steelhawks on Friday, December 22nd in a Sault Ste Marie High School Hockey League contest.

At 3:20 of the second period, Lucas Green fires a pass from just inside the right Steelhawk blueline to Darian Pucci to lift the opening goal over Steelhawk netminder Tyler Greco’s blocker to give the Knights a 1 – 0 lead. Ethan Desmoulin fires a snapshot from the right blueline through traffic in front of Superior Heights net to be tipped by Carter Doucette at 4:24 of the third over Greco’s blocker to bring St Mary’s lead to 2 – 0. Rocco Gioia notched the contributor on Desmoulin’s goal. With 1:46 remaining in the final game of 2023 in high school hockey action, Nik Vecchio skates right to left across the front of the Steelhawk crease to slide St Mary’s third goal under a sprawling Tyler Greco to give the Knights a 3 – 0 win with Gioia registering the assists on Vecchio’s goal. St Mary’s goaltender Grant Matthewson earned the shutout in the Knights fifth win of the 2023 – 2024 season.

Knights coach Josh Dunn told Saultsports that “we were happy with certain aspects of the game, but we need to compete and play the way we can for a full forty five if we want to have success this season.”

“Very hard working effort for most of the game. A few defensive lapses and turnovers cost us tonight,” said Steelhawk coach Jamie Greco.

The Knights will now face the Korah Colts on Saultsports TV when they take to the ice at the John Rhodes Centre on Sunday, January 7th with a 5:30 p.m puck drop while the Steelhawks next opponent will be the Colts on Tuesday, January 9th for a 3:30 p.m start at the Northern Community Centre.