HYANNIS, MASS. – During the 2011-2012 FHL season, the New Jersey Outlaws have proven that they can certainly finish games when they jump out to a lead. It seems they can also play from behind as well.
Faced with a three goal deficit to the team they will meet in the first round of the playoffs, the Outlaws scored five consecutive goals to overtake the host Cape Cod Bluefins 6-4 Friday night. Matt Puntureri led the comeback with two goals for New Jersey, which sat captain Travis Kauffeldt out to get him some rest for next weekend.
With game one of the best-of-five series between the two teams set for next Friday at the Ice Vault in Wayne, this game was just as much about setting a tone than getting a victory. The Bluefins had nothing to lose and confidence to gain so they came out with all guns firing. Cape Cod out-shot New Jersey 14-9 in the first period and outscored the visitors by three.
The scoring started at the 3:45 mark of the opening period when Vincent Amigone Jr. beat Outlaws goalie Adam Dekker to give his team the early lead. Just under six minutes later, Stephen Kelley doubled the margin when he found the back of the net. When Derek Scanlon singed the twine behind Dekker at the 14:51 mark, the Bluefins had a 3-0 lead, much to the delight of many of the 487 people in attendance.
Cape Cod’s joy with the events of the first period quickly turned to dismay in the second. The Outlaws, obviously having been talked to between period by head coach and recently named FHL Coach of the Year Chris Firriolo, opened the middle stanza on fire. They got on the scoreboard just 46 seconds into the period when Anthony Battaglia scored seconds after the end of a power play. Then they put up two in the span of 1:10 midway through the stanza to tie the game. The first came at 9:54 when Matt Miller beat Bluefins goalie Adam Roy for a power play goal. The second and game-tying tally came off the stick of Puntureri at the 11:04 mark. The visitors took the lead for good late in the period when Trevor Karasiewicz scored at the 18:20 mark, sending his team to the locker room ahead 4-3.
After being out-shot 19-9 in the middle period, Cape Cod needed an answer in the third. Unfortunately for them it was the Outlaws who took advantage of the fast pace when Puntureri scored his second of the night at 6:43 to give New Jersey a two goal lead. The Bluefins answered right back as Andrew Hutton beat Dekker ten seconds after the Outlaws score, cutting the lead to one. The outcome wasn’t decided until New Jersey’s Brett Liscomb beat Roy at the 15:50 mark to create the final score.
For the game, New Jersey out-shot Cape Cod 42-39 with winning goalie Dekker making 35 saves while Roy stopped 36 in a losing effort. The Outlaws’ Karasiewicz (1 goal, 2 assists) picked up the game’s first star while teammate and newly named league MVP Jeff Winchester took the second star honors. Cape Cod’s Dan Gordon was awarded the third star for picking up three assists in the game.
Contact the author at gary.marchese@prohockeynews.com
