Great Neck Wolverine fans were hopeful for a win, but they knew this would be a tough game against last year’s champs.
And that’s what they got as the Wolverines fell to East Williston Wildcats 8-6.
“I’m proud my team didn’t give up when the score was 4-8,” Wolverines assistant Coach Scott Zelniker said.
Keeping a positive attitude, Zelniker said that although the Wolverines did lose this game, there “will to win will prevail.”
It was a hard fought game, which resulted in many penalties on both sides; Great Neck with nine and East Williston totaling at five.
Great Neck showed no signs of quitting. In the first period Great Neck scored first and at 1:31 East Williston’s Engbarth scored, tying the teams at 2-2.
Engbarth scored again in the middle of the second period putting East Williston in the lead. Great Neck tried to make a comeback when Ryan King scored an unassisted goal.
East Williston scored with 4:15 remaining in the second period, and then again with 19 seconds left, to give them a 5-3 lead at the end of the second period.
The discouraging score of the second period may have set the Wolverines back in the third period, when East Williston scored twice.
Wolverines Jordan Domnitch brought the teams hope up with a goal in the second period, lifting the spirits of the team.
With 6:59 left of the third period, East Williston’s Breslin scored with an assist from Engbarth, making the score 8-4. The Wolverines showed their true character when the intimidating score did not lead them to give up as they pushed hard to the end.
Great Neck’s Zelniker scored at 5:37. Number 26, Shapiromade scored the final goal at 3:05 off the stick of Domnitch and Rutkin. Leaving the final score at 8-6 East Williston.
The Wolverines parents and fans were not disappointed in the losing of the game as much as the amount of penalties the players received.
