Late Goals Help Cougar Hockey Earn Sweep of Rochester

(Howell, MI)-- There was some plenty of drama in each game against Rochester this weekend, but a late Cougar goal helped give Cleary the series sweep over the Rochester Warriors in WHAC play.

In Game 1 at 140 Ice Den:  Cleary would get on the board first when Jonny Gardiner put one in the back of the net, with assists from Ben Gledhow and Zach Eakes, to help Cleary take an early 1-0 lead.  Rochester would answer 7 minutes later to tie the game at 1-1, and that score would hold for the rest of the period.  Rochester would take the lead for the first time after a Cougar turnover led to a fast break opportunity that Liam Kocur was unable to stop.  Fortunately for Cleary, Ben Gledhow answered that goal with one of his own, with assists from Jonny Gardiner and Zach Eakes to make it 2-2.  It looked like Cleary would have a golden opportunity to finish the 2nd period with a lead after earning a power play, but another turnover led to a Warrior fast break and shorthanded goal to take a 3-2 lead.  Colby Krupp would not let that stand for long when he answered 20 seconds later, with assists from Zach Perry and Alessandro Nicastro, to tie the game 3-3 heading into the final period.
Zack Wiener gave Cleary the lead to start the 3rd period on an unassisted goal with just over 10 minutes left in the game, but Rochester would answer back once again just a couple minutes later to equalize at 4-4.  With just over 3 minutes left in the game, Ben Gledhow was able to break through and score the game winner, with the assist from Zack Wiener, and Cleary was able to hold on to the victory with a final score of 5-4.
Liam Kocur earned his first win of the season in goal, making 15 saves on 19 shots.  Cleary put 58 shots on frame in the game.

In Game 2 at Fraser Hockeyland:  Rochester got things going with the only goal of the first period just 6 minutes into game action, and Julian Chau answered in the second period, with an assist from Aden Michael, to tie the game at 1-1 after 2 periods of play.  Ben Gledhow would give Cleary the lead 4 minutes into the third period, with assists from Zach Eakes and Zack Wiener, but Rochester would answer once again with 7 minutes left in the game.  Cleary would rack up the pressure, and it would pay off down the stretch as Colby Krupp would slot the game winner into the net, with an assist from Dalton Cummings, with just under a minute left to play.  Zack Wiener would add an insurance and empty net goal with 1 second left to secure the victory for the Cougars, who put 54 shots on goal in the game.
Koby Kebbe earned his first win of the season, making 23 saves on 25 shots faced.

Cleary improves to 3-7 overall, 2-6 in WHACtion, and will be in action this Friday at 140 Ice Den, and Saturday at the Farmington Hills Ice Arena, when they take on the Lawrence Tech Blue Devils.  Both games will start at 5:30 PM.