The Central Ice Hockey team won a pair of games this week, knocking off Altoona 5-2 on Wednesday and then clubbing Bishop Guilfoyle 7-1 to improve their record to 5-4-1.
With both games being played at galactic Ice, the Central squad gave up a goal to Altoona to begin the Wednesday contest, but then came back with a pair of scores to take a 2-1 lead after the first period.
Craig Thompson (Spring Cove) scored unassisted to knot the game at 1-1 with 10:03 to play in the 15-minute period. Barely two minutes later, Adam Erlichman (Bedford) gave the Dragons the lead off an assist from Chris Carthew (Chestnut Ridge).
Jamesy Rossi tied the game for Altoona, with his second goal of the game, but Central took the momentum with the final three goals to insure the victory.
Thompson scored, once again unassisted, to push Central back into a tie after two stanzas.
In the third period, Thompson got the hat trick with an assist from Carthew at the 8:25 mark and three minutes later Jamin Solensky of Cambria Heights scored with assists from Chris Matish (Penn Cambria) and Jonathan Bishop (Tyrone).
Central goal keeper Kody Martin (Allegany County, MD) stopped 18 of 20 shots on goal from Altoona.
On Thursday, Central took just a slim 1-0 lead into the third and final period over Bishop Guilfoyle, but opened the gates to drive home six goals in the period to win going away.
Andy Shoop (Spring Cove) tallied the first two Central goals-the first with just 1:33 on the second-period clock, off an assist from Thompson, to break up a scoreless tie, then again just a half-minute into the third period with an assist from Josh Kennedy (Spring Cove).
Thompson scored the first of two goals, two minutes later with an assist from Emma McCleester (Tyrone) and Chris Carthew added another 35 seconds later with an assist from Erlichman.
Bishop Guilfoyle broke through to temporarily stop the deluge cutting their deficit to 4-1, but Central tacked on three more scores to finish the demolition.
Kennedy scored with an assist by Solensky, Thompson found the goal crease off an assist from Shoop and finally Erlichman scored off an assist by Carthew.
In goal, Martin allowed just one of 28 shots to get through.
The Dragons are off until Wednesday, Jan. 11, against Somerset, and Thursday, Jan 12, against league leader State College. Face-off for both games will be 7:50 p.m. at Galactic Ice.
