Senior defenseman Zachary Fichtner tied the game 2-2 late in the second period, but 10th seed Brighton/HFL/ER scored twice in the third period to defeat seventh-seed Hilton in the first round of the Class A Section V hockey playoffs.
The Cadets used a smothering forecheck to control play through most of the first period and took a 1-0 lead after a Barons icing call gave Hilton an offensive zone draw.
Junior Griffin Bickom gathered a loose puck near the right faceoff circle and wristed in a shot at 6:18 of the first period.
Sophomore goaltender Chris Sidoti made several key saves late in the first on redirected shots and one shorthanded breakaway attempt to keep the Cadets ahead, but the Barons scored at 4:29 of the second just as a Hilton penalty expired, but before they could get a player into action to tie the game 1-1.
Brighton scored again at 12:06 of the second after sustained offensive zone pressure, but the Cadets tied it 2-2 just 54 seconds later on Fichtner’s shot from the right point over the goaltender’s glove after junior Luigi Borrelli won the draw.
The Barons took the lead for good in the first minute of the third on a breakaway and added an insurance tally at 5:19. Hilton pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker for the final 1:59, but could not convert.
“We were just sitting back on our heels rather than making things happen,” Hilton head coach Chris Monfiletto said. “We’re a team that, when we play aggressively rather than let the game come to us, are much more effective.”
Hilton seniors Ethan DeGrandis, Fichtner, Tyler Koster, Owen Manley, Jacob Sedia and Johnathan Zajac all finished their high school hockey careers.
“We have 14 sophomores and freshmen after turning over 12 guys last year. That makes it difficult for any team to rebuild. But we had arguably the best collection of seniors that we’ve ever had. The six guys leading this team were fantastic. They set a tone for what we need to do.
“I know our record doesn’t show it, but the amount of growth that we had and more importantly the camaraderie that was created by those six seniors that led this team is something that can carry on for the next few years.”
