On the Ice: Lancers Fall in High-Scoring Match to MKA

The Livingston Ice Hockey team failed to do the "little things" in a 9-6 loss to Montclair Kimberly Academy on Wednesday, ending their winning streak at two.

"I think we didn't focus on the little things. We didn't get bodies on guys, we didn't get players to the net going for rebounds. All the little things that we need to do to win games we didn't do," said Livingston Head Coach David Conklin.

The two teams were deadlocked after a 3-3 first period that saw a see-saw like battle with ups and downs for both sides. Much like the first period, defense was at a premium as both teams created a number of offensive chances. The MKA team broke free with two early power play goals from John Buckley and C.J Geering to put the Cougars up by two.

The Lancers answered with a surge of their own getting two big goals from forward Johny Garfinkel within a minute of each other at 8:59 and 8:45 of the second period.

"At the end of every period, and the end of every shift, we're trying to motivate our guys to get to the pucks and get bodies on them. But MKA played well there's nothing you can do," said Garfinkel.

The momentum once again would not be able to be sustained by Livingston as MKA roared back with another two-goal swing to put them up 7-5 going into the third period. Livingston tried to get back into the game off of a shorthanded goal from Cam Friedfertig, but penalties would eventually catch up to the Lancers.

"The guys know what they have to do. It's a matter of going out there and executing, that's the bottom line, and we didn't do it today," Conklin said.

Montclair started the game where they left off in their previous game scoring early with a goal from Mike Philpott with assists from Andrew Hirschorn and Mike Koval at the 13:59 mark. Montclair went on the game's first surge of offense netting three goals in the middle of the first period to put them up, but the Lancers would not be turned aside that easily. Livingston drove home two more goals off shots from Philpott and Hirschorn to tie the game at 3.

"MKA is a good team they have some good players and they played well," Conklin said.

The Lancers  drop to 4-3-1 on the season. They will head into a matchup with Mountain Lakes on Monday at 8 p.m. "We have got to work very hard in practice and keep coming at them and keep pounding away because it's not bouncing our way right now," Garfinkel said.