With the game tied, 4-4, in the waning moments of regulation, Jesuit Dallas scored two goals in 19 seconds to take control and ultimately capture its third straight Texas Amateur Hockey Association (TAHA) Division I Pure State Championship with a 6-4 win over Allen on Monday at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. Earning the seventh state title in program history, the Rangers continue a stellar run atop the pure division with their third consecutive series win over Allen.
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Freshman
Noah Pinkall scored the go-ahead goal, sending a wrist shot that went off the blocker of Allen goalie Nicolas Gould and into the air, landing behind Gould and sneaking past the goal like to give Jesuit a one-goal advantage. Moments later, junior
Santiago Diaz found freshman
Charlie McCarthy on a breakaway chance, and the freshman responded with a wrist shot that hit the back of the net to give the Rangers a 6-4 lead in the final moments of the game.
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McCarthy finished the game with two goals while Diaz scored a goal and picked up three assists. Overall, five members of the team scored in the contest as junior
Jack Sweda and senior
Austin Gass picked up goals for the team. Senior
William Carney racked up 20 saves in goal, senior
Seth Dragojevic assisted on a pair of tallies, and the back line duo of senior Jay McCown, sophomore
Ryan Virkar and freshman
Jack Bowdich completed the scoresheet by picking up one assist apiece.
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Jesuit trailed Allen, 4-3, in the second period before Gass scored with 9:22 remaining in the period to send the game into the third tied, 4-4, setting the stage for the team's late game heroics. McCarthy's first goal came with 5:04 remaining in the first after Allen opened the scoring, as the freshman was able to put home a goal after a stellar front line play that included assists by Diaz and Dragojevic. Sweda scored with 1:38 left in the first on a power play chance, rocketing home a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle to give the Rangers their first lead of the game.
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Diaz scored in the second off of a cross-crease feed by Dragojevic, but back-to-back goals by Allen put the Eagles in position to force a decisive third game before the Ranger comeback erased those aspirations.
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With the win, the Rangers have won 14 of their last 15 games against the Eagles, and have swept Allen in the TAHA Tournament in two out of the last three seasons.