DeSantis Line Helps Eagles Soar, 5-2

Friday, November 19, 1999
by Alison Richards

Niagara Falls, N.Y. -- With a 5-2 Friday-night victory over the Bemidji Beavers, the Niagara Purple Eagles moved into a tie with the Beavers for first place in College Hockey America. Four out of five Niagara goals were scored by the trio of Peter DeSantis, Jay Kasperek and Kyle Martin, clearly the key players in the game.

"I contribute most of it to the line because we all have been playing as a unit, playing well together," said DeSantis. "We're just starting to click right now and keep it going."

This was the very line that Eagle coach Blaise MacDonald believed would have a breakout year. "Thank gosh they came to play, because they were clearly the only line who came to play, and they absolutely carried us for the whole game."

"And it's not by accident that they are playing well. They practice well every single day and prepare well, and I think they focus on their effort and good things are happening."

The game started evenly, with both teams showing careful puckhandling and great defensive skills.

At the 10:28 mark in the first period, Niagara scored its first goal. Martin, receiving the puck from Nate Handrahan, took at shot at the Beaver goal, tended by Adam Pavlatos. Pavlatos deflected the puck, leaving it loose in front of the goal, from which Kasperek scooped up and knocked it in.

In the second period, the Trio scored three of their goals -- the first one largely by luck.

"I was actually trying to throw a pass across the crease to Jay because he was coming out from behind the net, and I ended up getting a lucky bounce. It hit the goalie's foot and went back into the net," said DeSantis.

The third goal, the eventual game-winner, took place just alongside the Beaver goal during a power play. With players bunched up at the pipe trying to get control of the puck, it ended up sliding back towards DeSantis, who took the shot and got it in.

Five minutes later, on their own power play, the Beavers notched the first of their two goals. Mark Phenow, taking a shot from the near blue line, let the puck fly through the goalie's five-hole.

The Trio replied by getting another power-play goal. This time, Timo Makela passed the puck to DeSantis, who took a shot that Pavlatos deflected into the air, and Martin came up and knocked it into the net.

When the third period came around, the Beavers got their second goal. Phenow, again at the near blue line, took another shot. This time, Gardner took the shot in the chest, but before he could get hold of it, it bounced off of him and into the net.

In the last minute of the game, the Beavers pulled their goalie, the perfect advantage for Mikko Sivonen. On a pass from Makela, Sivonen let the puck fly from the far left circle for an easy empty-netter.

Tomorrow night, the Beavers and the Eagles will play the second half of this weekend's back-to-back series. This game will be important, too, for the winner will be in first place in the CHA.

"Tomorrow is the big game, in terms of the standing and what could happen," said MacDonald. "With the life that we gave them in the third period, I just hope our team doesn't want it easy tomorrow night, because we're going to be really licking our wounds tomorrow night if we don't play better."

Alison Richards is a CHA game reporter for U.S. College Hockey Online.