Saturday afternoon, the Liggett Knights queued up against the Roosevelt Rough Riders. It started out very promising, with the Knights looking to get their second sweep in as many weeks, but complacency struck the Knights where it hurt.
Game 1 was a close game that the Knights were able to pull away from. The final score was 4-2 and the Knights were led by senior Nicholas Cardella’s two goals, two assists performance, followed by junior Carsten Higbie’s one goal, two assist showing. The final goal for the Knights was put in by sophomore Leo Muller who finished the game with one goal and two saves.
With this 1-0 series lead, the Knights felt like they could replicate what happened in game 1. In game 2 the Rough Riders were able to put some more pressure on the Knights’ defense, but due to some amazing saves by Carsten Higbie and Nicholas Cardella with some help on clears from Leo Muller, the Knights were able to hold on and win the game 3-2. It was a test for the sometimes shaky defense, and they passed.
It was an extra boost of confidence going into a series point game 3. A server issue while joining into the game forced a couple minute long break but after that it was back to the game. Coming out of the gate, something just looked off with the Knights. They were not playing as aggressively as they had been throughout games 1 and 2 and senior Nicholas Cardella, who tends to be the leading scorer, was shut out in game 3, but ended with four total saves, his season high, showing what a defensive game it was from the Knights. It was clear the Knights were not ready for this game three matchup. Carsten Higbie was able to keep it close by netting three goals, but the Knights ultimately lost game 3 by a score of 4-3.
With two more opportunities to pick up that last win and start out the regular season 2-0, the Knights still felt confident because they knew what they could do. Right off the bat, the Knights were stuck in their own half. The Rough Riders were beating them to every ball and placing shots where only the back of the net could find them. The Knights looked defeated, like a completely different team, like a team that hadn’t just come out in games 1 and 2 dominating. The final score of game 4 was 4-1, and this setup a do or die game 5.
After blowing a 2-0 series lead, the Knights now found themselves on the verge of getting reverse swept. After game 4, you could tell the confidence of all three players was shaken and the momentum had completely shifted to the Rough Riders, who looked more prepared for this game 5. They came out of the gate scoring goal after goal to which the Knights couldn’t stop. They couldn’t even break out of their own half. By the time the score had reached 3-0, it was clear that every player on the Knights’ side had given up and was just waiting for the game to end. The Rough Riders did not stop scoring however, which led to game 5 being a whopping 7-0 defeat for the Knights.
After coming out so strong in games 1 and 2, anyone watching would have thought the Knights could finish it off. This really goes to show what momentum can do. If that server issue wouldn’t have happened, would the Rough Riders still have won? There are no excuses, though. The Knights just looked off games 3 through 5. They came out much slower and more defensive, and it looked like they were afraid of the team they had just beaten.
No team ever likes to blow a 2-0 lead and get reverse swept, but the fact is it happened. Now the Knights will have to respond. Their record now stands at 1-1, so with five matches left to play, the Knights can’t afford to do this again if they want to reach the playoffs.