Senior Nicholas Cardella spent his first day out of high school on the pitch with his fellow Knights on Saturday, May 9, facing off against Monsignor Farrell. Both teams entered the match with very different seasons. For the Knights, they were looking to secure a winning season in their first year of existence, and for Monsignor Farrell, they were looking to pick up their first win.
Game 1 is always about feeling out your opponent to see what kind of game you have to play, and for the Knights, they played pretty sloppy, but still got the win. All three players for the Knights seemed to be out of position a lot and overall played a slow paced game. They were able to take home the game 1 win by a score of 2-0 behind the dynamic duo of senior Nicholas Cardella and sophomore Leo Muller. Both players ended the game one with one goal and one assist, while junior Carsten Higbie was their rock on defense, tallying one save on Farrell’s one shot.
Game 2 felt a lot closer. Monsignor Farrell made some post game adjustments and was able to get on the board this game, even keeping the Knights on edge at the end with their pressure. Ultimately, the Knights held on by a score of 3-2. Nicholas Cardella finished game 2 with two goals and one assist, while Carsten Higbie got on the board netting one goal and another save.
For the sixth time in as many games, the Knights found themselves in a sweeping situation. At this point it’s normal for them. In game 3, the Knights stepped up their offense. We have seen the Knights’ offense overpower teams in almost every series thus far, but Monsignor Farrell had not faced it until game 3. The Knights had full control, pressuring the ball every chance they got and not letting Monsignor Farrell escape their own half. The final score was 5-1 in favor of the Knights. Nicholas Cardella stepped up in a big way, scoring four goals and saving one shot, while Carsten Higbie netted one goal and one assist, but both players wouldn’t have been able to do so without Leo Muller’s three assists and one save.
This series was a team effort by the Knights, and despite not looking their best, they got the win and that is ultimately what will be remembered. There is a lot to learn from and maybe an extra practice this coming week will help, but in the meantime, the Knights have secured a winning record. Currently, they stand at a record of 4-2 with a +8 game differential with only one game left in the regular season. Thus far the Knights haven’t found themselves on a winning or losing streak of more than one, so finally stringing together multiple wins in a row gives some confidence going into next week and playoffs should they make it.