After being shut out in Elmira on Sunday, the LaSalle Vipers knew they had to respond on Wednesday night, earning a dominant 4-0 victory over the Elmira Sugar Kings in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. Facing the possibility of falling behind three games in the series, the Vipers came out with urgency and a physical edge.
Just over halfway through the first period, Max Brocklehurst got the Vipers on the board with his first of the playoffs at 10:58. The remainder of the period saw limited scoring chances but remained physical, with penalties handed out to Adriano Tonin for roughing and Kade McGeen for interference.
In the second period, LaSalle took full advantage of their special teams opportunities. A five-on-three power play gave the Vipers a prime chance to extend their lead. Grady Spicer buried the team’s second goal on the man advantage while shortly after, Matteo Vilardi added another one at 5:53, pushing the Vipers ahead 3-0. Another five-on-three opportunity resulted in Michael Cunha finding the back of the net, extending the lead to 4-0 and putting the game in LaSalle’s control. Tensions rose midway through the period, as multiple players from both sides got involved in a scrum at 11:41. The altercation led to several roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
The third period was much quieter, with just two penalties recorded, one to Elmira at 11:20 and another to Aiden Ostrovski at 14:14.
Game 4 is set for Saturday at 7:00pm at the Vollmer. With the win, the series will continue with Game 5 on Monday back in Elmira.
Article: Emma Cicovacki
Photo: Isabella Ruccolo
