LANDON BRYAN'S HAT TRICK POWERS IRONDEQUOIT TO 6-2 SEASON-OPENING WIN
Dec 5, 2024By Ryan J. Harr
For the next several months, the Rochester Americans will once again be front and center of the local high school hockey scene as part of a weekly series that features the latest news and notes, scores and stats of select Section V games around the Greater Rochester Area.
Landon Bryan’s hat trick and a three-goal run in the third period proved to be the difference Tuesday night as the Irondequoit Eagles (1-1-0) secured a 6-2 victory over the Brighton/HFL/Eastridge Bruins (0-1-0) at Genesee Valley Ice Arena.
The Eagles, who last season suffered a loss in their season-opener and went just 1-16-3, also avenged last season’s 4-3 setback to the Bruins with the victory. The Bruins, meanwhile, suffered their first season-opener defeat in two seasons after they began the 2023-24 campaign with a 3-1-0 mark, which included a pair of victories to start the season.
Along with Bryan’s three-point outing, Douglas Velepec (1+2) and Matthew Parsons (1+1) also turned in a multi-point effort for Irondequoit. Henry Velepec (1+0), Dylan Carey (0+1), T.J. Mayer (0+1), Tommy Holve (0+1), and Matt Whalen (0+1) all registered one point each to close out the scoring. Netminder Joel Reeves earned his first victory of the season as he made 22 saves.
Emmett Landt scored twice for Brighton/HFL/Eastridge while Carson Meehan chipped in an assist. Ryan Hurwitz, who made his 1,500th career save during the game, stopped 39 of the 45 shots he faced and suffered the defeat in the crease as he made his season debut.
After generating a handful of chances in the first period and a big save on an odd-man rush by Reeves, Irondequoit opened the scoring with under six minutes left in the opening period as Carey setup Bryan for a top-shelf snipe.
Following the intermission break, the two clubs both scored twice in the second period, which included a pair of tallies by Landt.
On his first marker, Landt scored on the rush as Meehan logged the lone helper on the goal with 10:22 left in the frame.
The Eagles regained their lead before doubling it as Henry Velepec and Bryan scored at the 14:31 and 16:12 marks, respectively. Mayer and Douglas Velepec provided assists on the initial Irondequoit goal of the stanza whereas Holve earned the helper on Bryan’s shorthanded goal.
While Landt cut the lead to one in the final seconds of the second, the Eagles responded in the final frame with three straight to cap the 6-2 win.
Bryan completed the hat trick with his third of the contest as he scored off Whalen’s shot less than five minutes into the frame as Douglas Velepec and Parsons teamed up on each other’s goals 30 seconds apart.
The Eagles, who built a four-goal lead with 11 minutes left in regulation, limited the chances for Brighton/HFL/Eastridge as they took home the victory.
The Eagles will close out December on Tuesday, Dec. 17 when they face Penfield at Webster Ice Arena for a 6:00 p.m. matchup. Meanwhile, Brighton/HFL/Eastridge will take on Frontier High School on Friday, Dec. 6 for a 1:00 p.m. contest at Town Ice Arena in Hamburg.