Cougar Hockey Suffers Pair of Defeats to Rockets

(Howell, MI)--The Cleary Cougars hockey team had one final series left to play in the 2021-22 season, but were unable to earn a victory, as the Toledo Rockets swept the season finale over two games.

In Game 1 in Toledo:  Toledo used an early power play to propel themselves to six consecutive goals to start the game, taking a 4-0 lead into the 1st intermission, and scoring the first two goals in the second period to claim a 6-0 lead.  Wes Smith would get the Cougars on the board, when he slotted one home, assisted by Zack Wiener and Cam Thomas to cut into the deficit with plenty of time remaining.  Cleary would add one more with just four minutes left in the second period when Ben Gledhow scored, assisted by Jonny Gardiner, to make it 6-2, but that would be as close as the Cougars would come, and neither team scored in the final 20 minutes of play.
Liam Kocur took the loss in net, while Tyler Krasofsky made 26 saves on 28 to finish the game.  

In Game 2 at 140 Ice Den:  The Rockets once again struck first, scoring the first 4 goals, including one short-handed goal into the second period.  After a Rocket penalty, Aden Michael struck on a beautiful move to fool the goalie, with assists from Devon Campbell and Riley Finlay, to inch closer to the Rockets.  Jonny Gardiner added his first goal of the game just two minutes later, when he connected on a pass from Erik Wafer to make it 4-2.  One minute later, Alessandro Nicastro intercepted a pass, fired a shot, got his own rebound, and then beat the goalie to score making it a 4-3 Toledo lead.  With three minutes left in the second period, and on another power play, Zack Wiener struck, with assists from Gardiner and Ben Gledhow, to tie the game.  That score would remain into the third period.  Just 30 seconds into the final twenty minutes, Toledo retook the lead, but Jonny Gardiner would score twice over the next four minutes, with assists from Erik Wafer on his second goal, and Cam Thomas and Zack Wiener on the third goal, to give Cleary the lead at 6-5.  Cleary's lead would disappear when Toledo scored on a power play with six minutes left in the game, and the Rockets would seal the deal with the go-ahead goal with just over three minutes remaining in the game.  Cleary would pull goalie Koby Kebbe, but could not find the equalizer, and the Rockets would hold on to win 7-6.

Koby Kebbe made 15 saves on 22 shots in goal to take the loss for the Cougars.  Jonny Gardiner's three goals give him his second career hat trick.  He is also the second Cougar to score a hat trick this season after Ben Gledhow accomplished that feat earlier this season, and it is the third hat trick in program history.

Cleary finishes the season with a 7-22 record.