true Gwynedd Mercy 10, Hood 6
BOX SCOREGWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. -- A stellar second-half defensive effort was the difference as Gwynedd Mercy ran away from visiting Hood, 10-6, Saturday afternoon.
The Griffins (3-2), winners of three in a row, yielded just one goal and six shots after halftime in which they trailed, 5-4.
The offense was spearheaded by senior
Mason Risner (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) and sophomore
Tony McCraw (Lawnton, Pa./Central Dauphin East) as each scored three times. Junior
Nico Belardo (Columbus, N.J./Northern Burlington) dished out a career-high five assists.
Tai Foster found the back of the net three times for the Blazers (1-4).
Trailing 2-1, late in the first quarter, sophomore
Tommy Belmont (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) started the scoring of three-straight GM goals into the end of the second, that's when Hood countered with three in a row of their own, the last from Foster with seven seconds in the stanza for a 5-4 halftime lead.
In the second half, it was all Griffins, as the offense ripped off 30 of their 53 shots on the day, en route to a 6-0 scoring run. Jack Zuckerberg would end the streak with a goal with 1:28 left in the game.
Belmont finished with two goals while
Matt Richter (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) added a goal and a helper and
Matt Brasher (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton) also scored for GM. Hood goalie Joe McCulloh made 15 saves before being replaced in the fourth.
John Black (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) needed four saves for his second win on the season.
McCraw was 5-for-9 on faceoffs while Hood's Randolph Clark was 12-of-20 and posted a game-high total of eight groundballs. Belardo led the Griffins with six. As a team, Gwynedd caused 14 turnovers, which was third best in single-game history.
Gwynedd Mercy will welcome Western Connecticut State on Thursday in game four of their five-game home stand. Start time is slated for 4 p.m.
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