NSA vs Albany

By Mattia Laudi

National Sports Academy Mountaineers played on Friday  26th at Albany versus the Albany American, recently reinforced by adding 6 Swedish players to their roster, for their 17th game of the 2011-2012 IJHL season.

The Americans started really strong from the opener drop with a physical play, taking advantage of their good size, and skating realy hard in the offensive zone.

Albany Americans logo

A good work in the defensive zone allows the Mountaineers to respond with quick counterattack thanks to the speed of their forward, allows the NSA team to tie the first period 0-0.

The second period starts better for the Mountaineers, with a better approach in the offensive zone and a good forecheck that procures a penalty for the Americans, well exploited by Tyler Watts thet scores the first goal of the game at 28:31.

After six minutes later a deflection of Kevin Valenti on a shot from the point of Tyler Randig brings the score 2-0 for the Mountaineers.

At 16.31 the Americans get closer with a power play goal scored by Jens Karlsson, that gives energy to Albany to try the comeback, but the second period ends with the score of 2-1 for the NSA, that can go to rest in the locker room with a little advantage.

The third period starts positive for NSA that after 4 minutes scores a goal with Kevin Valenti that snipes from the top of the circles and brings the Mountaineers ahead with two goals of discrepancy.

Patrick Heyes, NSA forward

Other two goals for the NSA by Tylor Widenmaier and Patrick Heyes abate the game, with an important W for the NSA that still leads the conference with 31 points and 17 games played.

After the game coach Simmons seemed pretty happy for the victory but he gave some advices to the team:” That’s a good W for us” he said” but we have to start playing our game and our system since the first minute of the game.”

Next game for the NSA against the Eastern Kodiaks, is going to be a big challenge for the players, that have to protect their leading status.