After missing last week's games, the Knights Rocket League team was faced with two games on Saturday, April 25th. Things got even more complicated when Leo Muller was not able to play in the first series of the day, meaning the Knights were calling on their sub, junior Sam Sword, to step up.
The first match of the day was against the CW Cardinals. Right out of the gate, the Knights looked strong with their sub, and Sam proved he was ready to go. In his first game of the year, he led the team in scoring, netting four goals on five shots. The Knights won game 1 by a score of 7-1 behind Sam’s four goals, with senior Nicholas Cardella’s one goal, three assists, five saves and junior Carsten Higbie’s two goals, two assists, one save performances also helping the cause.
Game 2 once again was a controlling victory for the Knights, winning by a score of 6-3. Sword cooled off this game, but still remained involved, tallying one assist and one save in the game. Nicholas Cardella and Carsten Higbie led the game in scoring, both scoring three goals each.
Sweeps seem to be a theme for the Knights, whether they are on the winning or losing side, and in game 3 they wanted another. The Cardinals were able to step up. Despite a late comeback attempt by the Knights, they fell 4-3 in game 3. Each player on the Knights had one goal, and Carsten Higbie tallied another two assists and one save to go along with it. The Knights defense simply fell flat, but they lost the game on kickoffs. The Cardinals were able to score two easy goals right off the kickoff.
The Knights did not want a game 5. The feeling of being reverse swept stuck with them from their last game. They entered game 4 with the intent of making this a 3-1 series win, and that is what they did. The Knights took game 4 by a score of 4-3, on the back of Nicholas Cardella’s two goals, two saves performance, Carsten Higbie’s two goals, 1 assist performance, and Sam Sword’s 2 assists, 1 save performance.
It was the finish they needed for the first series of the day. At this time, sophomore, and starter, Leo Muller was ready to warm up for the second game of the day. Sam Sword really energized the Knights in that game and provided the spark they needed to get back on track. After the game, he said, “I feel pretty good. Coming off a 3-1 win, only 1 loss in my career.”
The second series of the day had the Knights facing the Crusaders. It was clear after game 1, the Knights were not ready for the offensive surge and speed that they were up against. The Knights fell in game 1 by a score of 5-1, with Nicholas Cardella netting the only goal for the Knights, while Leo Muller and Carsten Higbie had one save each.
Game 2 the Knights came out aggressively and with a vengeance, but lacking consistency. They ended up losing game 2 by a score of 2-3, which was very disappointing for them. They had come out for the first four minutes of the game beating the Crusaders to every ball and having offensive pressure the entire game, but in the last minute the Crusaders were able to break out of their half and bury three goals. Nicholas Cardella and Carsten Higbie led the Knights in game 2 with one goal, one assist, and one save each, but it was not enough.
Once again, the Knights found themselves with brooms lurking. In a do or die game 3, the Knights played their best game of the season. They caught the Crusaders by surprise, and they had no answer. The Knights forced a game 4, with a whopping 7-2 victory. Nicholas Cardella led the way with four goals and two assists, while Leo Muller followed suit with one goal, four assists, and one save, and Carsten Higbie stayed on the scoreboard with two goals.
The Knights had all the momentum now, but got a little ahead of themselves. They had a game 5 on their mind, but forgot about game 4. Due to that, they were not able to replicate the success they had, and fell in game 4 by a score of 5-2. Nicholas Cardella and Carsten Higbie both netted one goal in the series finale.
The Knights record now stands at 2-2 with three games left to play. There is no clear number to make playoffs, but the Knights are expecting to need to win at least 2 to make it, plus they want a positive record in their first season together. If they can replicate the offensive pressure they had in game 3 against the Crusaders, they can do it.