Hockey Falls To Rye Despite Fierce Fightback

The St. Luke’s Hockey team was denied a place in Saturday’s FAA championship game after conceding the decisive goal with just 19 seconds remaining in Thursday’s semifinal against Rye Country Day School.

The Storm had mounted a sensational comeback against the #1 seed, clawing its way back from 1-5 down to tie the game at 5-5 with 8:10 remaining in the contest. The Puck Squad missed the chance to take the game into overtime when the Wildcats capitalized on a breakaway, scoring off a rebound after Andres Flacon ‘19 had saved the initial shot.

It was a tough way to end the game and season, after such a magnificent performance in the third period.

St. Luke’s trailed 0-2 after the first period, and, despite goals from CJ Woodberry ‘19 and Lars Ernberg ‘20 in the second, were down by three as they headed into the locker room.

The team came back onto the ice and produced an inspirational display as two goals from Jack Neafsey ‘19, either side of a Sam Boston ‘20 strike, turned the game on its head. The Storm had the momentum and pushed for the winning goal but ultimately fell short of what would have been an exceptional turnaround.

Conceding such a late goal was a difficult pill to swallow, but Head Coach Zach Brusko was proud of his team: “We grew so much as a team throughout the season and improved week by week.  We felt confident coming into the game, despite some earlier lopsided losses to Rye. While it was ultimately a disappointing outcome, the entire coaching staff could not be happier with the effort and determination the boys put forth during the game.  Rye is a great team, and we wish them the best in the final.”