Schenectady
Kyle Rentz is hardly big in stature, so hearing La Salle hockey coach Tim Flanigan describing him as someone who “stood tall” seemed odd. It also happened to be an accurate description of the diminutive sophomore backup goalie’s standout work Monday evening.
Rentz, facing a late 5-on-3 power-play chance from West Seneca, turned aside point-blank shots from forwards Mike Velasquez and Ian Barker to help complete the Cadets’ 5-0 victory in the opening round of the 2016 Mohawks Hockey Tournament from Union College’s Messa Rink.
“Kyle played really great and sealed it off at the end,” Flanigan said. “He deserved the shutout and I am glad he got it.”
“It is a hard scenario to be in 5-on-3, especially in the third period,” Rentz said. “You always try to do your best and whatever you can to make the saves.”
“It was really good to see him get his first varsity shutout,” La Salle senior forward Kevin Mainello said. “He hasn’t got the chances to play yet, but we know he can play when we need him.”
La Salle will meet Essex Junction, a 7-0 winner against Niskayuna/Schenectady, at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday for the title. The Cadets (7-0-2) have now won six straight games.
“They are really good. It will be a big test for us to play another good out-of-section team,” said Mainello, who delivered two goals and one assist Monday.
“We’re playing really well,” Flanigan said. “We’re playing stingy in the defensive zone. When we do that, we get good breaks and we have some guys that can score when we get chances. We don’t have to overwork or overpressure to get our scoring chances.”
La Salle eased into a comfort zone midway through the first period before scoring a pair of goals. First, senior forward Sam Mulson deflected home a centering feed from the blue line by junior forward Christian Rudd. Mainello later collected his fourth goal of the season when the Cadets avoided a short-handed breakaway and swept in 4-on-1 against West Seneca senior goalie Dan Browne. Mainello’s wrist shot beat Browne over his right shoulder.
“I went through a bit of a drought. Every hockey player goes through it,” Mainello said. “The shot really was a split-second decision.”
“Getting that early lead always helps settle you in,” said Rentz, who finished with 20 saves. “It helped boost us and dropped (West Seneca) down a little.”
La Salle senior forward Logan DiScanio, who registered three hat tricks in a four-game span, set up Mainello’s second goal of the game with 5:00 left in the second period. DiScanio spun around and rifled a cross-ice feed to a wide-open Mainello, who went top shelf again for his fifth goal of the season.
The Cadets continued to pressure Browne and made it 4-0 in the third period when Mainello set up DiScanio to convert a 5-on-3 power play opportunity. Junior forward Ryan Murray scored on a breakaway with 3:01 remaining and La Salle was assessed two penalties after the goal for excessive celebration.
West Seneca, however, could not solve Rentz in that scenario and finished 0-for-5 on the power play.
La Salle came into Monday’s contest riding high on the strength of one-goal wins last week over Shenendehowa and Burnt Hills/Ballston Spa.
“That was probably the biggest tests of the year so far. The close games are always the important ones. You need to win those to be champions,” Mainello said.
jallen@timesunion.com • 518-454-5062 • @TUSidelines