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Patrick Giles shines as Landon cruises past Gonzaga for another MAPHL title Patrick Giles shines as Landon cruises past Gonzaga for another MAPHL title
(about 1 hour later)
Before Landon and Gonzaga took the ice for Friday night’s Mid-Atlantic Prep Hockey League championship, the echoes of two proud student sections shook the Gardens Ice House in Laurel to its core. As the teams emerged from their locker rooms and the puck dropped, the frenzy intensified.Before Landon and Gonzaga took the ice for Friday night’s Mid-Atlantic Prep Hockey League championship, the echoes of two proud student sections shook the Gardens Ice House in Laurel to its core. As the teams emerged from their locker rooms and the puck dropped, the frenzy intensified.
But Landon sophomore Patrick Giles eats, sleeps, and breathes hockey. No amount of pressure or distractions can take his focus away from his best skill: putting pucks in the net.But Landon sophomore Patrick Giles eats, sleeps, and breathes hockey. No amount of pressure or distractions can take his focus away from his best skill: putting pucks in the net.
With his offensive arsenal of speed, stick handling and ice vision on full display, Giles netted a hat trick less than halfway into the game to send half of the crowd into a stunned silence and the rest into raucous jubilation as the top-ranked Bears cruised to their second straight MAPHL title with an 8-1 win.With his offensive arsenal of speed, stick handling and ice vision on full display, Giles netted a hat trick less than halfway into the game to send half of the crowd into a stunned silence and the rest into raucous jubilation as the top-ranked Bears cruised to their second straight MAPHL title with an 8-1 win.
“This game was hyped, but at the end of the day it’s just a game. You’ve got to breathe, you’ve got to relax,” said Giles, who is committed to Boston College. “You’ve got to get in a finishing mind-set. You have to know you’re going to get those goals. Throughout the day I’m watching NHL clips. I try to do what they do.”“This game was hyped, but at the end of the day it’s just a game. You’ve got to breathe, you’ve got to relax,” said Giles, who is committed to Boston College. “You’ve got to get in a finishing mind-set. You have to know you’re going to get those goals. Throughout the day I’m watching NHL clips. I try to do what they do.”
Giles’s scoring barrage started on the penalty kill. With Landon leading 1-0, he beat Gonzaga’s defense to a clearance and fooled Gonzaga sophomore goaltender Jalen Greene for a short-handed goal. Two minutes later, he picked the puck up in his own end, skated directly toward Gonzaga’s net, and roofed a wrist shot under pressure from three purple-clad defenders. After Giles tapped in a rebound, Landon (21-2) led 4-0 with 10 minutes to play in the second period. Giles’s scoring barrage started on the penalty kill. With Landon leading 1-0, he beat Gonzaga’s defense to a clearance and fooled Gonzaga sophomore goaltender Jalen Greene for a shorthanded goal. Two minutes later, he picked the puck up in his own end, skated directly toward Gonzaga’s net, and roofed a wrist shot under pressure from three purple-clad defenders. After Giles tapped in a rebound, Landon (21-2) led 4-0 with 10 minutes to play in the second period.
“Once we got that first one we knew we had to get the next one, and the next one, and the next one,” said Giles who finished with three goals and two assists. “They didn’t give up at all, but we kept pushing.”“Once we got that first one we knew we had to get the next one, and the next one, and the next one,” said Giles who finished with three goals and two assists. “They didn’t give up at all, but we kept pushing.”
For No. 4 Gonzaga (20-9-4), the lack of offensive production had nothing to do with a lack of chances. Trailing 3-0, senior captain Mackie Wheeler’s blistering slap shot beat Landon senior goaltender Jack Concannon (30 saves), hit the cross bar, and deflected toward the goal line. But the referee waved no goal.For No. 4 Gonzaga (20-9-4), the lack of offensive production had nothing to do with a lack of chances. Trailing 3-0, senior captain Mackie Wheeler’s blistering slap shot beat Landon senior goaltender Jack Concannon (30 saves), hit the cross bar, and deflected toward the goal line. But the referee waved no goal.
Through two periods, Landon committed six two-minute minor penalties and held a 21-20 advantage in shots, but still led 6-0.Through two periods, Landon committed six two-minute minor penalties and held a 21-20 advantage in shots, but still led 6-0.
“Concannon always shows up at the right moment. He’s the best competitor I know,” said Landon senior captain Michael Soraci, who finished with a goal and an assist. “We were prepared. Their offense is crazy good, but we knew their power play; we knew their forecheck. We knew what they were going to do.”“Concannon always shows up at the right moment. He’s the best competitor I know,” said Landon senior captain Michael Soraci, who finished with a goal and an assist. “We were prepared. Their offense is crazy good, but we knew their power play; we knew their forecheck. We knew what they were going to do.”
In a 7-4 loss to Gonzaga on Jan. 8, Landon was outscored 5-0 in the third period. On Friday, Landon kept the Eagles at a comfortable distance and earned its fourth MAPHL title in the past seven seasons. Gonzaga won the other three MAPHL titles during that span.In a 7-4 loss to Gonzaga on Jan. 8, Landon was outscored 5-0 in the third period. On Friday, Landon kept the Eagles at a comfortable distance and earned its fourth MAPHL title in the past seven seasons. Gonzaga won the other three MAPHL titles during that span.