Ridgefield Boys Hockey Rallies For 3-3 Tie Against Glastonbury

After an apparent game-winning goal nullified in the final seconds of regulation, the Ridgefield boys hockey team was forced to settle for a 3-3 tie against Glastonbury Monday afternoon at the Winter Garden Arena.

Vinny Rella appeared to give the Tigers a 4-3 lead with under 10 seconds remaining, but the goal was waived because a Ridgefield player was called for being in the crease.

Ridgefield coach Shaun Gallagher did not object to the call.

"The player said his foot was in the crease," Gallagher said. "He feels horrible about it."

While it was a disappointing ending for the Tigers (14-4-1), they did rally from a 3-1 deficit by scoring twice early in the third period to earn the tie. Rella pulled the Tigers within 3-2 19 seconds into the stanza and Matt Hvartin tied it two minutes later.

Earlier this season, Ridgefield beat Glastonbury 5-3 at Trinity College in Hartford.

In the rematch Monday the Tigers came out strong, outshooting the Tomahawks 8-1 in the first period, but could only manage a 1-1 tie.

Ridgefield captain Aidan Scott opened the scoring with a power-play goal 2:36 into the contest.

However, Ethan Holdaway made Glastonbury’s one shot count, drawing the Tomahawks (12-4-2) even with just seven seconds left in the period.

After Drew Mozzer took a shot that landed between two Ridgefield defensemen, Holdaway picked up a loose puck, circled in front of the net and beat Tigers goaltender Eric Seel with a wraparound inside the far post.

Glastonbury carried its momentum into the second period, as Aaron Mandell  stuffed in a rebound to give the Tomahawks a 2-1 lead only 37 seconds into the stanza.

Seel thought he had made the save, but the puck snuck under his right pad. 

At 6:37 of the second, Holdaway and Mozzer hooked up again to make it 3-1, as Holdaway beat Seel after taking a nice feed from his teammate. 

 “They really gained momentum from that late first-period goal and then we gave up that early goal in the second," Gallagher said.  “They really came out flying in the second period and even when we had chances, they kept us to the outside.

"That was tough. You know you never want to give up goals at the end or beginning of a period, but our guys bounced back nicely."

Ridgefield began its comeback when Rella converted a feed from Sean Wilkinson. Rella then assisted on Hvartin's tying goal.

Ridgefield dominated the final period, outshooting Glastonbury 11-4. In the final minute of regulation, Wilkinson clanged a shot off the post.

Late in overtime, Glastonbury’s Alex Robinson nearly won it, but his shot went over the top of a wide open net.

 "I was a little upset that I didn’t put that last one away," an exhausted Robinson said.

"Robinson was a workhorse, playing most of the third period and all of the overtime," Glastonbury coach Ken Barse  added. "That was the first time I have ever seen him  gassed. That was a tough game.”

Ridgefield closes the regular season on Wednesday against St. Joseph at the Shelton Ice Rink in a game that will decide the No. 2 seed for the FCIAC playoffs.