The Hendricken Hawks fell to the La Salle Academy Rams 4-3 in the inaugural Ed Walsh Memorial Game at Thayer Arena on Friday night.

Hendricken head coach James Creamer felt that his defenseman Matt Rickard, played one of the best games of the year. Rickard assisted all three goals for the Hawks.

Senior Wyatt Alberigo was in net for Hendricken and senior Taylor Peltier for La Salle.

“She played excellent,” Creamer said of the La Salle goaltender.  “I thought their whole team played hard and they always do. They’re well-coached, they play hard and they compete all the time.”

The teams went eight minutes and 21 seconds before any lamps were lit. First, Hawks’ forward Michael Vendetti fired wide and then Rickard’s slap shot missed the goal. When teammate Tyler Brown did get a shot on net, it was blocked by Peltier.

La Salle came down the other end, but a one-timer from forward Ryan Schwender was stopped when Alberigo went into the butterfly position. Soon after, Alberigo stopped another shot, this one from La Salle’s Evan McGreen.

Next, Hendricken captain Brandon Waterman dished to Rickard, but Peltier blocked Rickard’s attempt with 7:11 to play in the opening period.

Then, both offenses went on a scoring spree.

First, La Salle forward Logan Liljeberg had a shot stopped, but Schwender would grab the rebound and score on a wraparound to take a 1-0 lead with 6:39 left.

Nineteen seconds later, Hendricken responded when captain Reilly Miller took a pass from Rickard and went on a fast break and tied the game at 1.

Then, with 4:21 left in the first period, Hendricken’s Brown took a pass from Rickard and scored with a slap shot to give the Hawks a 2-1 edge.

The first period scoring would continue.

Twenty-three seconds later, La Salle tied the game when McGreen scored off a pass from forward Drew Edwards.

La Salle had a couple chances to take the lead, but shots from Ethan Robson and Jackson Orton were blocked by the Hendricken defensemen. Hawks’ forward Pat Creamer grabbed the puck and headed for a fast break, but La Salle defenseman Jacob Durocher interfered with Pat Creamer and was thrown in the penalty box.

While on the power play, the Hawks’ Miller missed high and Andrew Hopgood had a shot blocked, but eventually Pat Creamer scored in front off a wrister with 1:06 left in the first period to take a 3-2 lead.

Early in the second, La Salle had a man advantage when Hendricken was penalized for having too many men on the ice. The Hawks were still able to get in the attacking zone, though, but Hopgood’s shot on net was denied by Peltier. La Salle then, went into the attacking zone only for Durocher to miss wide on two shots.

Hendricken’s Pat Creamer then skated down the ice on a breakaway, but his shot went off the crossbar with 9:13 left to play in the second.

Next, the Hawks went on the power play, but Miller missed and defenseman Peter Krekorian had the rebound swallowed up by Peltier. Then, Hopgood had a shot sail high over the net.

With 1:26 left to play in the period, captain Matt Manown tied it for La Salle on assists from Edwards and Robson.

After two periods the teams were knotted at 3.

Peltier was a stone wall for La Salle in the final frame. She started off the third period with a sensational save on Miller. Soon after, the Hawks had a chance from Waterman, but his shot was stabbed by Peltier before he was struck from behind by La Salle defenseman Liam Peterson. Peterson was tossed in the bin for cross checking.

With 12:21 left to play in regulation, the Hawks went on the attack. However, a shot from Creamer was stopped by Peltier and a shot from Miller went wide.

The Hawks’ Waterman had an opportunity in front, but once again Peltier came up with a big stop. Then, Peltier made another spectacular save on a slap shot by Pat Creamer with 7:52 to play. Next, Waterman had a chance on a wraparound, but that too was denied by the La Salle goaltender.

With 4:42 left, a wrister from Hendricken’s Daniel Cavanagh was blocked by Peltier.

With just under four minutes to play, Hendricken’s Brown was called for tripping, leaving the Hawks shorthanded. That would prove to be their demise. La Salle forward Matt Ernster lit the lamp with 3:28 to play to take a 4-3 lead.  

The Hawks would suffer another devastating penalty in the final minutes when Waterman was called for interference.

Still, the Hawks had a couple chances to tie it, but shots from Pat Creamer and Hopgood were denied by Peltier. By the time they got back to full strength, it was too late.

With the win, La Salle was awarded the first Ed Walsh Memorial trophy.

Peltier faced 17 shots-on-net while Hendricken’s Alberigo faced 12.

The Hendricken head coach felt that his team played well enough to win.

“It probably could have gone any way at one point, but they capitalized on the power play at the end and deserve to win,” James Creamer said.

The Hendricken coach was happy with his team’s fight despite the loss. He felt that Miller, Cavanagh and Hopgood all played well. Hopgood played his first game back since being out with mono.

“We are in a spot now where we got a bunch of guys that are down and we gotta start putting things together and we’re just not finding ways to win at this point,” James Creamer said.