Kings’ rally falls short, Admirals hold on for 5-4 win

Share the Ink Link love

TYNGSBOROUGH, MA — Alvirne-Milford built a four-goal lead in the second period, then held on for a 5-4 win over South-Pelham, Saturday afternoon at Skate3 Arena.

The Admirals erupted for four goals in the first 6:35 of the second period take a 5-1 lead. It was a hole the Kings couldn’t dig themselves all the way out of.

“Yeah, when our legs finally woke up and we started playing our game, we started getting control back and started putting pucks on the net,” said South-Pelham Head Coach Jordan Sarracco. “It was really just that one, I think, just seven minutes of the second period that cost us.”

Andrew Byrne had a pair of goals for South-Pelham (2-6-0). Brandon Doughty added a goal and two assists.

Brandon Callahan had a goal and three assists for Division II Alvirne-Milford (8-3-0). Bryce Larco scored twice and added an assist.

Callahan had given Alvirne-Milford a lead in the first period but Byrne took advantage of a fortuitous bounce to tie it up with 4:40 left in the period. Doughty had broken in alone but his shot sailed wide, hit the back boards and rebounded all the way back in front of the net and onto the stick of Byrne, who chipped it over the shoulder of A-M goalie Mason Komarek (23 saves).

The first half of the second period was dominated by the Admirals. Goals by Larco and Brandon Ganas gave A-M a 3-1 lead. Both goals came off turnovers deed in the Kings’ end of ice.

”Turnovers have been a problem for us this year and those were costly,” said Sarracco.

Later in the period, Larco and Dylan Macleod scored just 25 seconds apart to make it 5-1 and it appeared the rout was on.

But South-Pelham wasn’t ready to fold their tents quite yet. Doughty stopped the bleeding, when he dug the puck off the sideboards, cut in front of the net and beat Komarek to cut the deficit to 5-2 with 7:02 left in the period.

With a shot of momentum, the Kings started to press the attack. Again, it was Doughty, streaking down the right side and beating Komarek to the blocker side. But this time the shot clanged off the post. Gavin Asimakopulos was trailing the play on the left side, controlled the rebound in the circle and scored from a tough angle to make it a two-goal game after two periods.

The Kings kept the momentum rolling in the third, keeping the Admirals skating backwards much of the period.

Finally, with 2:15 left, Byrne stole the puck along the boards, walked in front of the net and scored to make it 5-4.

South-Pelham pulled its goalie with 1:30 to play to get the extra skater. The Kings had multiple chances to tie, the best coming off the sticks of Doughty and Brandon Skelley. But Komarek came up big down the stretch.

South-Pelham is back in action, Monday at 3 p.m. at Windham (3-6-0).