Knights March Past North Reading 4-2

Behind a one goal and three assist performance by sophomore winger Jake Silk, the improved to 2-1 on the season by taking down North Reading at Burbank Ice Arena in Reading.

Up 3-1 in the third period, the Knights relinquished momentum after a goal by North Reading's Billy Sexton.

With 52 seconds remaining the game, Silk and his line-mate, junior Cody Aponas, sprinted into the Hornets' zone on a two on one. Silk held the puck and ripped a high shot on the near side to beat Hornets goalie Keith Linhane and clinch the win.

Silk factored in all four of North Andover's goals.

"Obviously the points are great," said his head coach Peter Marfione, in his first year at the helm. "He's a good all around player, he's improving every day and he wants to improve."

North Andover recovered from a loss 3-2 against last year's Division II State Runner-Ups Newburyport, and attained momentum heading into an upcoming tournament in Haverhill .

"We're pleased; we still got a lot to work on, but we're definitely happy we got the win tonight," said Marfione. "That's a big win going into the tournament so we're excited," he added.

North Andover grasped control of this one early as Jake Silk had the puck deep on the North Reading half wall during the first period. He slipped a perfect centering pass to fellow sophomore Derek Hunter who was all alone in front of the crease. Hunter deked to his backhand and scored three minutes and six seconds into the contest.

North Reading answered back with 4:37 left in the first. Hornets' right winger Cam Knight made a centering pass from behind the net to center Eric Sokolski who elevated his shot to the top right shelf beating Knights freshman goalie Joel Daccord to his glove side.

In the second period a high sticking penalty by North Reading's Jeremy Buckley put North Andover on the power-play, and the Knights capitalized to take a 2-1 lead two minutes and 43 seconds into the second.

It was Silk again who made a short backhanded pass to sophomore Daniel Rivet who flipped it in to put North Andover on top 2-1.

North Reading was banished to the box again, late in the second when defenseman Eric Valenti went for tripping.

North Andover took advantage once more. Behind the Hornet net, Rivet passed to junior captain Michael Cusack who potted it on the wraparound with only 40 seconds left in the period.

Billy Sexton brought the Hornets back with 8:05 left in the third period by rifling a shot with pinpoint accuracy into the top shelf over the blocker of Daccord to bring North Reading within one. The goal put a charge into the Hornet bench.

"Right after that goal there was an energy level that came right through the bench," said Hornets head coach John Giuliotti. "There wasn't a lot of energy earlier in the game," he said.

The Hornets were fired up but in the final minute, Silk's ripper into the top shelf iced the game and ruined North Readings 2010-11 home opener and sending the Hornets to an 0-2 start to the season.

The Scarlet Knight skaters take the ice next against Wilmington at the Veteran's Memorial Rink in Haverhill.

"We're going to have to put together three solid periods to get passed Wilmington, and that's the goal," said Marfione.

The Scarlet Knights and Wildcats will do battle on Wednesday evening at 5p.m. with the winner earning a spot in the finals against either Lexington or Marlborough the following day.