BRIGHTON/HFL OUTLASTS FAIRPORT IN HIGH SCHOOL GAME OF THE WEEK

Jan 11, 2023

Over the next several weeks, the Rochester Americans will be front and center on the local high school hockey scene as part of a weekly series that will feature the latest news and notes, scores and stats of select Section V games around the Greater Rochester Area. 

 

This week’s edition of the High School Game of the Week featured the Brighton/HFL Bruins (8-5-0) and Fairport Red Raiders (3-6-3) Tuesday night at Rochester Ice Center. The teams combined for a five-goal opening period before the Bruins hung on for a 4-3 victory.

 

Brighton/HFL’s leading scorer Nolan Gangarosa (1+1) added to his point total as both he and Peter Burslem scored a goal to go with an assist for a multi-point effort. Trevor Reese and Shawn Oelheim both lit the lamp while Carter Gangarosa, Braydn Trybuskiewicz and Matthew Brassie all chipped in an assist in the win.

 

Bruins goaltender Ryan Hurwitz earned his third win in his last four outings and eighth overall of the campaign as he stopped 23 of the 26 shots he faced.

 

Alex Goldan (2+0) and Ryan Alexander (0+2) both registered multi-point performances for Fairport. Nate Russo (1+0), Marc Hillier (0+1), Axel Black (0+1), Cody Kaiser (0+1) and Mitchell Monte (0+1) all recorded points.

 

Netminder Connor McRae (2-5-2) made 24 saves but suffered his fourth defeat in the crease for Fairport.

 

In the first period, Reese gave Brighton/HFL a quick 1-0 lead as he opened the scoring 58 seconds into the frame from Nolan Gangarosa and Brassie while the trio entered the zone on an odd-man rush.

 

McRae made a few timely saves to keep it a 1-0 score before Goldan scored twice in a span of 30 seconds to give Fairport a 2-1 lead at the 5:10 mark of the period.

 

Kaiser earned the lone helper on Goldan’s first of the contest while Alexander and Black earned the assists on his second.

 

The scoring frenzy continued nearly 70 seconds later as Nolan Gangarosa evened the score at two as he teamed up with Trybuskiewicz with just under 10 minutes to play in the stanza.

 

Near the end of the period, during which the team’s combined for four goals in seven minutes, Burslem gave the Bruins a 3-2 advantage going into the intermission break as he beat Russo with just 1:16 to play.

 

Brighton used the late-period momentum as well as the quick-strike scoring, doubling its lead just 19 seconds into the middle frame when Oelheim finished off a feed from Burslem and Carter Gangarosa.

Despite the game getting physical as the teams combined for six penalties, the score remained 4-2 going into the final 17 minutes of play.

 

Fairport came out in the third period and cut the deficit to one as Russo tallied his second of the night from Marc Hilier and Alexander three minutes into period.

 

Over the course of the final 13 minutes of regulation, both goaltenders kept the score 4-3 and despite one final push by the Raiders, Brighton/HFL hung on for the 4-3 victory.

 

Fairport will look to snap its two-game skid when they face-off with Spartan Hockey for a noon matchup on Saturday, Jan. 14. Brighton/HFL, meanwhile, will travel to Lakeshore Ice Arena for a 4:45 p.m. puck drop against Greece Storm on Friday, Jan. 13.

 

Next week’s High School’s Game of the Week will feature Churchville and Irondequoit on Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena.

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