The OPRF Hockey Club looked to regroup from back-to-back losses when the Huskies took on Geneva on Sunday.
Alhough, Geneva had other ideas and downed the Huskies 5-1. The Vikings were called for a holding penalty 30 seconds into the game, but were able to convert the ensuing face-off into a breakaway and a shorthanded goal.
Geneva added two more first period goals and one in the second period before the Huskies (1-5) got on the scoreboard. With one minute remaining in the second period and the Huskies on the power play, Brett Newman faked a shot and then passed to a wide open Dean Rogers, who flipped the puck into the Geneva net.
Jim Minaghan picked up the second assist on the play. However, the Huskies were unable to capitalize on six other power play opportunities during the game.
Geneva added another insurance goal in the third period.
Goalkeeper Tanner Houston stopped 28 of Geneva’s 33 shots.
On Friday night the Huskies faced off on the road against the Naperville Central Redhawks, currently ranked fifth in the state. OPRF got off to a great start, scoring on their first shot to take a 1-0, but things went downhill from there as the Huskies lost 7-1. Mike Slovak scored OPRF’s only goal of the game with a wrist shot deflected off a Naperville player three minutes into the game.
It took only 40 seconds for Naperville Central to even the score, and the Redhawks dominated the remainder of the game, outskating and outhustling the Huskies.
Senior goalie Bob Grayson was in net for the Huskies and turned aside 39 of 46 Redhawk shots.
OPRF’s fell in its first Metro Invitational tournament game to New Trier White by a 4-1 score on Oct. 11th. The MIT is a season-long tournament that will pit the Huskies against top teams from other Chicago Metro conferences, and will include a Jan. 30th rematch against New Trier.
Playing before a large crowd on their home ice, the Huskies came out strong and carried the play for much of the first period. However, it was New Trier that finished the period with a 3-0 lead, scoring twice off rebounds that the Huskies couldn’t control and once when the Huskies turned the puck over in their own zone.
The Huskies outplayed New Trier in the second period and scored their only goal when Jack Brofman backhanded in the rebound of a Slovak wrist shot from the slot. Matt McDonnell also picked up an assist on the initial pass to Slovak.
New Trier added a third period goal, again off a Huskies turnover.
Sophomore Tanner Houston was in goal for OPRF and stopped 29 of 33 shots.
The Huskies will try to get back into the Metro West race this weekend when they take on Waubonsie Valley on the road (Saturday, All Seasons Ice Rinks, 5:30 p.m.) and host the Bartlett Hawks at Ridgeland Common on Sunday at 6:10 p.m.
A press release contributed to this report.
