Alan Rickli lacked all the standard characteristics of a new guy.
Bishop Machebeuf’s freshman goalie had control over the net, confidence, and a clear understanding that he needed help from his teammates to succeed.
In his fourth appearance for the Buffaloes, Rickli posted his and the team’s first shutout of the year in a 4-0 win over Palmer.
“There were a couple slippery moments, but otherwise I had the game,” said Rickli, who tallied 17 saves. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. I can make it as long as I keep up the hard work.”
The Buffaloes (8-7) put Palmer in a quick hole with a goals by Ty Wagner and Jesse Gasbarro in the first six minutes of the game.
Wagner added another goal with a head-on attack early in the second and assisted on a Max Prendergast goal to close out the game in the third.
“I think I got lucky,” Wagner said. “I had two good shots that just trickled in. It was a good game for the whole team, and it was fun.”
Palmer goaltender Cody Smith had 25 saves on 29 shots as the Terrors fell to 7-5.
Palmer came into Saturday’s game having lost just one conference game, and Machebeuf coach Al Quintana said a dominant win at this point of the season could boost his squad in the final weeks before the playoffs.
“It’s nice when we play three whole periods,” Quintana said. “We have struggled in the conference. . . . It was nice to see us put it together in this big game against Palmer.”
Rickli isn’t satisfied — he is already focused on the team’s next task.
“We need to come out and win the next two games to have a better shot at the playoffs,” he said.
Palmer 0 0 0 — 0
Bishop Machebeuf 2 1 1 — 4
First period — 1, BM, Wagner (Prendergast, Gasbarro), 4:05; 2, BM, Gasbarro (Prendergast, Venter), 5:48. Penalties — Round, BM (boarding), 2:07; Doersch, P (hooking), 3:18; Wakeham, BM (elbowing), 6:55; Duffy, BM (holding), 11:34.
Second period — 3, BM, Wagner (Wakeham, Gasbarro), 1:12. Penalties — Subka, P (interference), :12; Duffy, BM (interference), 3:00; Fuller, P (interference), 3:40; Gasbarro, BM (slashing), 4:10; M. Kay, P (holding), 5:12; McInnis, P (interference), 7:50; Gasbarro, BM (interference), 10:10.
Third period — 4, BM, Prendergast (Wagner), 10:59. Penalties — Duffy, BM (roughing), 6:10; Vaczi, BM (unsportsmanlike conduct), 12:21; M. Kay, P (interference), 12:21; Subka, P (high-sticking), 13:48; M. Kay (goalie interference), 17:00.
Shots on goal — Palmer 5-9-3 — 17; Bishop Machebeuf 13-12-4 — 29. Saves — Palmer (Smith) 11-11-3 — 25; Bishop Machebeuf (Rickli) 5-9-3 — 17. Power-play opportunities — Palmer 0-for-7; Bishop Machebeuf 0-for-6.
