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WRIGHT TWP. — The Scranton Prep offense found itself out of rhythm for a long stretch of Friday night’s showdown with Crestwood.
In the final quarter, the Cavaliers found the rhythm — and found a way to remain undefeated, as well.
Trailing 5-2 heading into the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers scored three straight goals to force overtime before Liam Barrett’s game-winner gave Prep a 6-5 victory at Crestwood.
With time running out in the four-minute OT period, the Cavaliers took advantage of a Crestwood turnover and got the ball to Barrett, who found just enough daylight to rip one past Comets goalkeeper Ethan Zabroski for the win.
“We wouldn’t have been in this game without our defense,” Barrett said. “Everybody stepped up, our offense finally started to finally click and move the ball. … It wouldn’t have been possible without our defense.”
Two teams that have lit up the scoreboard for most of the season settled in and leaned on two excellent defensive performances on Friday night, with Crestwood’s defense carrying the edge for most of the way.
Through three quarters, the Comets had allowed just one even-strength goal, and kept Scranton Prep scoreless from the 7:56 mark in the second quarter all the way into the early minutes of the fourth.
Finally, an unassisted score from Will McPartland broke the drought with 10:44 to play. A few minutes later, Barrett and McPartland put a pair of goals on the board in the span of just 25 seconds.
The momentum had turned completely in the other direction as Prep tied the game at 5, and suddenly it was the Comets finding themselves unable to score.
“I think we were thinking too much early in the game. … We told the guys to go back to what we’ve been doing good all year, taking the ball up top and trying to go hard and then look to pass,” Scranton Prep coach Keith Toolan said. “We went back to our old ways.”
Crestwood’s run through the middle part of the game was powered largely by a strong showing in faceoffs from Logan Rolles, and a big game from Jack Augustine.
Augustine had four of his team’s five goals, taking the Comets from down 2-1 early to up 5-2 by the end of the third. Ty McConnell had Crestwood’s first goal of the night, and assisted on the first of Augustine’s scores.
But the Cavalier defense adjusted to Augustine, denying him the ability to turn over his shoulder and shoot, and kept Crestwood’s other scorers at bay all night.
Aiden Jordan had 14 saves for Scranton Prep, and Zabroski matched that with 14 saves of his own in net for the Comets.
“That was two defenses just going to battle,” Crestwood coach Brian Zabroski said. “We pushed them, they pushed us.”
In addition to the two goals apiece from Barrett and McPartland, Prep also got a goal each from Mackey Lynett and Quinn Lynett. The Cavaliers improved to 11-0 overall and 8-0 in WVC action with the win.
Crestwood dropped to 4-2 in conference play with the loss, both losses coming against undefeated teams after falling to Delaware Valley on April 5. The Comets will head to Abington Heights on Monday evening.