Newtown vs. Pinewoods and Tonawanda Makeup Game

On Saturday night the Golden Eagles met the Pinewoods smoke on the Gil Lay Turf for their fourth matchup of the season dating back to the Kevin White Memorial.  The records go out the window as these longtime rivals always play a clean and hard fought game.

Donald Stevens (3,1) opened the scoring with a lefty goal from a tight angle.  Bobby DeFreze (2,2) followed closely with an unassisted goal off a bouncing loose ball in the middle of the offensive zone.  After a break in the scoring Tyler Strassburg (1,1) scored his goal towards the end of the first, closey followed by a goal from newcomer Josh Becker (3,1) and Donald Stevens again.  The period would end 5-0 as Cory Henry and the defense held fast.

Linden Stevens (1,4) opened the scoring for the NGE in the second period.  Kori Halftown (1,3) found the net to make it 7-1.  Leading scorer Preston Lay (2,5) added both of his goals back-to-back at the end of the second and the period would end 9-3.

Butch Jimerson Returns to the Lineup

Jake Davis (1,0) and Josh Kacprzak (0,1) ran a 2-on-1 break to perfection and Davis buried the shot to break the score into double digits for Newtown. Rudi George (1,1) added a goal a hard overhand shot. Becker and Stevens would go on to cap off their hat-tricks and DeFreze added his second of the game. Rookie LeRoy Halftown (1,1) topped off the scoring for the NGE with a low-to-high rip, making it 16-5 and sealing a well earned victory for the Golden Eagles.

Game Notes:  Cory Henry and the defense held the Smoke to just 5 goals, adding to their league leading Goals Against Average. Roy Isaac, Trace White, Levi Thomas, and Craig Stevens all contributed to another game under 6 goals.  Justin and Jonathan Gill each contributed one assist each.  Butch Jimerson played in his first game since the Kevin White Memorial after recovering from a broken hand. The team had 11 minutes in penalties.

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In a rare Wednesday night game under the lights of Logan Field, the Golden Eagles met the Tonawanda Braves on the turf to makeup a game cancelled earlier in the season.  With 29 players suited up for warmups, the NGE gave nine men the night off with a few pivotal games and playoffs right around the corner.  Clint Jones got the start but played limited minutes as Newtown opted to give their starter a rest and Cory Henry some more in-game experience.

Goals would be hard to come by this contest and the Golden Eagles did not break the ice until 10 minutes into the period.  Josh Becker (2,5) opened it up with an outside shot to make it 1-0.  Tracy White (1,2) found himself on powerplay duty for the night and capitalized with an outside shot of his own to make it 2-0 Newtown at the end of the first.

The Man-Down and Powerplay units would get their work in for both teams as penalties were called frequently, from both teams playing hard, not cheap.  Linden Stevens (3,1) added a powerplay goal off a rebound from the post.  Preston Lay (1,2) buried inside in traffic, faking and scoring while absorbing a check.  The period would end 4-1 in favor of Newtown.

The offense found the net five more times in the third to keep the Braves at bay.  Linden Stevens capped his hat-trick, Josh Becker put in one more and Tyler Strassburg (2,0) added two to make the final score 9-5 Newtown.

Game Notes:  The defense held a team to 5 goals for the second game in a row, bolstering their league leading Goals Against Average.  The Man-Down unit overcame 28 minutes in penalties.  Drew Stevens and Josh Kacprzak each added an assist. The goaltenders were excellent for both teams.

Newtown Suffers First Loss of the Season

The Golden Eagles undefeated effort was cut short this past Sunday as they met the Tuscarora Tomahawks in a makeup game at Smokin' Joe's Arena outdoor box.

After a weekend filled with rain it was hot and muggy for the contest that faced off at 5pm as the sun was shining brightly on the turf.  Newtown's offense struggled in the first and goals would be hard to come by for the unit all game.  The lone bright spot of the first period was the powerplay unit going 2 for 2, but these would be the only goals on the board as the period ended 4-2 in favor of the host team.

Trailing by as many as five, Newtown fought back but could not close the gap to less than 3 in the second.  The second period would end 9-6.  The NGE scored the opening goal of the third period to narrow the lead to two goals but that would be the closest they came.  Down 12 to 7 with six minutes on the clock Newtown began to pull goaltender Clint Jones for the extra man on offense.  Their first and second attempts were successful, scoring six on five twice in a row to cut the lead to 3.  It was too little, too late however, as the Tomahawks were content to spread the floor and run the clock out.  After two missed attempts at an empty netter the final score remained 12-9.

The Golden Eagles look to get back on the winning track this Saturday as they face their crosstown rival Pinewoods Smoke in a 7:00pm contest at the Gil Lay Arena.

Game Notes: Donald Stevens (4,1) led the way with four goals on the day. Linden Stevens (1,3), Bobby DeFreze (1,1), LeRoy Halftown (1,2), Drew Stevens (1,0) and Chancey Hill (1,2) all chipped in one a piece.  The team had 25 minutes in penalties.

Newtown vs. Allegany

This one was all Newtown from start to finish as the NGE took the win 30-6.  Nearly every player made their mark on the score sheet including goalie Neil Schindler (0,2) making his third start of the year and team captain Justin Gill (0,3) returning for his first regular season game after suffering a separated shoulder in the preseason. Starting goalie Clint Jones was in uniform but had the night off.

Preston Lay (5,2) added seven points to his league leading goal and assist totals as did Rudi George (4,3).  Rookie LeRoy Halftown (4,6) continues to play well on the left side as he led the team with a 10 point night.  Older brother Kori Halftown (3,2) and defender Jake Davis (3,3) each added a hat-trick to the effort.  

Bobby DeFreze (2,3) added two scores, as did transition man Lyle Stevens (2,2) and first-year forward Tyler Strassburg (2,1).  Roy Isaac (1,1), Levi Thomas (1,0), and Josh Kacprzak (1,2) tallied one a piece.  Donald Stevens (1,5) found the net once but added five assists and in similar fashion draw-man Linden Stevens (1,4) added one score and four helpers.

Ross John (0,1) and Morgan Montour (0,3) contributed with assists. Trace White and CJ Stevens contributed solid defensive work all night.  The last two periods were running time and the teams were shaking hands post-game by 9:30pm, making for one of the quickest contests of the year.  Allegany played hard and both teams played a clean game.

The Golden Eagles prepare this evening for a rare weeknight game tomorrow against the Tuscarora Tomahawks at Smokin' Joe's Arena in downtown Niagara Falls, NY.  The game will be played at 8:00pm in the outdoor rink, barring any weather issues.  The last time these two teams met the NGE had five players serving suspensions from the prior game but were able to pull out a 12-9 victory.  Should be another exciting match up!