MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury Union High School boys’ hockey team suffered its first loss earlier in the week in the final of the Tigers’ Fletcher “Buster” Brush Holiday Classic Hockey Tournament, but bounced back on Saturday night to defeat visiting Burlington, 6-2.
At 7-1-1, the Tigers trail only undefeated Woodstock in the Division II standings. The Tigers play at Burr & Burton and U-32 this week, on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively.
On Saturday, Tyler Crowningshield recorded a hat trick in the 6-2 win over Burlington (1-6). Andrew Gleason, Colton Leno and Josh Girard picked up the other goals for the Tigers, and goalie Doug DeLorenzo stopped 15 shots. Seahorse goalie Leo Nerback made 25 saves.
On Thursday, the Tigers faced Lake Placid in their tournament’s title game, and Lake Placid rallied for a 3-1 win. The Tigers took a 1-0 first-period lead on a Crowningshield goal, but the Blue Bombers’ Chris Williams sparked a three-goal third-period rally with a goal and two assists. MUHS goalie Sawyer Ryan stopped 17 shots, while Kamm Cassidy made 15 saves for Lake Placid. Lake Placid had defeated Burr & Burton, 6-0, in the opening round on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, the Tigers rallied to edge Northeast Clinton, 3-2, in the first round. After the visitors took a 1-0 first period lead, Leno tied the game at 12:25 of the second, with assists from Tyler Giorgio and Henry Hodde. But Clinton regained the lead with 14 seconds left in the period and led, 2-1, entering the third.
Crowningshield’s unassisted goal at 5:28 of the third knotted the score, and Gleason supplied the game-winner on a power play at 9:28, with Leno and Hodde assisting. DeLorenzo made 17 saves, while Clinton’s Ryan Roberts stopped 24 shots.