Falmouth Clippers Drop Tough Ice Battle with Coyle Cassidy

RAYNHAM – If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.

Facing a grueling non-league schedule this season, the Falmouth High School boys ice hockey team (0-2) put forth a tremendous team effort Wednesday night on the road only to fall, 4-1 to 11-time Eastern Athletic Conference champion Coyle Cassidy (1-0).

The Falmouth Clippers dropped a tough, 4-1, game to Coyle Cassidy Wednesday night on the road. Next up: Catholic Memorial on Saturday, Dec. 20 at home. Sean Walsh/CCBM File Photo

The Falmouth Clippers dropped a tough, 4-1, game to Coyle Cassidy Wednesday night on the road. Next up: Catholic Memorial on Saturday, Dec. 20 at home.
Sean Walsh/CCBM File Photo

“The score wasn’t indicative of our effort,” said 2nd year Falmouth head coach Paul Moore. “It was a physical game with an up and down tempo and going into the third period tied 1-1 on the road I knew we were in a really good position.”

Falmouth senior captain Arlin Moore took a pass from junior Sam Walker at the 11:58 mark of the first period and found the back of the net to give the Clippers the momentum they wanted heading into this tough match-up, especially after a season-opening loss on the road to Acton-Boxborough on Saturday.

But just over three minutes later, Warriors’ junior forward Robbie Holyoke knotted the game at 1-1 on an unassisted goal and things got turned up a notch at the Raynham IcePlex.

“It was a great hockey game,” Coach Moore said. “But they capitalized on their opportunities and we didn’t.”

Fighting for superiority in this early-season match-up, both teams battled to a scoreless deadlock in the second period and the game remained at 1-1.

In the third period, though, it was Coyle Cassidy’s talented forward Holyoke who took advantage of a power play and he put the eventual game-winning goal in at the 7:38 mark. He was assisted by fellow junior forward Cody Perry. Down 2-1 at the 3:00-minute mark, Perry found the back of the net unassisted to seal the win.

“(Arlin) Moore, my senior captain, he really gave a great effort out there tonight,” Coach Moore said. “He’s my first line center. He had a strong game.”

Coach Moore also credited Clipper junior Marc Rocheleau with a solid all-around effort on the night as well as defenseman Chris Parkinson who was called up from the jayvee squad and may likely be on varsity to stay.

“He (Parkinson) played great,” Moore said. Moore added that Clipper goalie Nick Cline also played exceptionally well throughout.

Even so, Moore pulled his goaltender out in the final minute to try and gain some kind of advantage but it was too little, too late. Coyle Cassidy senior forward Brian Panasuk scored with 0:35 left in the game on an empty net. All totaled, Falmouth consistently put an equal or greater amount of pressure on Coyle Cassidy’s goalie throughout the night.

Falmouth had eight shots on net in the first period while the Warriors had 10, but in the second frame Falmouth outshot the hosts at a 7-2 clip. In the third period, even though Coyle Cassidy score three times, Falmouth had the edge on shots on goal, 9-8.

Falmouth’s schedule doesn’t get any easier. The Clippers face the state’s top-ranked team Catholic Memorial at home on Saturday (Dec. 20) at the Falmouth Ice Arena at 5:00 pm.

Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm.

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