EASTHAMPTON — The score was tied in the third period when Easthampton’s Matt Zuzula received a pass from his defensive partner Patrick O’Connor. Zuzula watched the puck slide across the blue line and let it bounce off the boards. Then, once the puck was set up perfectly, he fired a rocket of a slap shot into the top shelf.
“That was clutch,” said Jake Batchelder, Zuzula’s teammate. “He’s a big body and that shot was an absolute rip. There was nothing you could do to stop that one.”
The Eagles added an empty-netter to seal a 5-3 victory over Belchertown in both teams’ season opener at Lossone Rink.
Easthampton’s C.J. Tenczar set the tone early for this physical encounter with a thunderous hit at the red line seconds after the puck drop. Cody Lambert answered for Belchertown, smashing an Eagles player to the ice to end a rush.
At 9 minute, 4 seconds of the first period, the Orioles got on the board. Matthew Pacheco skated with the puck into the Easthampton zone, deked out to the right, and sent a shot toward the goal. Vaughn Gillen was in front to tip it past goalie Nate Barnes (19 saves).
In the last five seconds of the period, Pacheco had a chance to double the Orioles’ lead. He found a free patch of ice in the slot, but his wrist shot was deflected up and over the crossbar.
Two minutes into the second period, Easthampton equalized on a power play. The Eagles patiently passed it around the boards until Garren Fugiel hovered behind the net. Fugiel slipped a pass in front to O’Connor, who jammed the puck past goalie Ethan Rajpold (15 saves).
“It was sloppy but a win’s a win,” Easthampton coach Bill Grise said. “The power play looked good. I was happy to see that work out, that’s something we practice quite a bit and it paid off today.”
At 8:24 in the second, Belchertown went on the power play. Easthampton didn’t allow the Orioles to make the most of their numerical edge, clearing the puck to safety. Batchelder got on the end of one of the clearances and almost scored short-handed. The speedy junior forward toe dragged past a defender and blasted a shot, but Rajpold made the save.
Five minutes later, Gillen added his second goal, this time on an assist from Nathan Pacheco. The Orioles were on a 3-on-2 break when Nathan Pacheco slid it to Gillen, who rifled a wrist shot to the roof of the net for a 2-1 lead.
At the 2:48 mark, Belchertown was on the power play. A Gillen shot was deflected and skidded across the face of goal to Matthew Pacheco, who buried the chance and scooped the ice in celebration after putting the Orioles up 3-1.
Just six seconds later, their lead was back to the minimum. Easthampton’s Mike McColgan scored moments after the faceoff on an assist by Fugiel.
The Eagles drew level with 39 seconds left in the period. Tenczar carried the puck up the ice on a breakout before sliding it to Batchelder, who slipped it into the net for a 3-3 tie entering the third.
“I got a bunch of passes out in front,” Batchelder said. “I just kept driving to the net and ended up burying one.”
After Zuzula gave the Eagles the lead in the third, Gillen was inches away from equalizing for Belchertown as his wrist shot ricocheted off the crossbar with five minutes left. He had another chance from close range soon after, but Barnes was there to dive on the puck and smother the danger.
After Belchertown pulled their goalie, Fugiel added the insurance goal for the Eagles, firing the puck into the empty net from beyond the blue line on an assist by Jake Delisle.