Original Article

MARYLAND HEIGHTS — Lafayette forward Justin Sprague was mad all week.

With a week in between games, the Lancers were left to stew about the drubbing they took against CBC their last time out.

Sprague took his frustration out on Vianney, recording a hat trick as part of a four-point night in leading Lafayette to a 8-1 win in a Mid-States Club Hockey Association Municipal Division game at the Centene Community Ice Center on Friday night.

“All week I wanted to come back and get some goals and get a win, especially against the Challenge Cup champions,” Sprague said. “It’s a pretty big one.”

The win was extra special for the Lancers as Vianney eliminated them last year in the playoffs and beat them earlier this season.

Shane Robinson also scored three times and had an assist and Samuel Rubenstein had two goals and two assists for Lafayette (7-5-3). Konner Canova made 23 saves.

“Coming down the stretch run we want to get ready for the playoffs and be ready to go first night of the playoffs and play the best hockey we can play,” Lafayette coach Jim Carrico said. “This is a start.”

Evan Welker scored and Kyle Smarko made 27 saves in his varsity debut for the Golden Griffins.

Vianney (4-6-2) was playing without its top two scorers John Dapron and Gianluca Boccardi, as well as its standout goalie Isaac Mejia Troop. It was also without head coach Brian McGlynn.

The Golden Griffins are in the stretch of three games in three days, something assistant coach Kevin McGlynn wasn’t pleased about. This weekend is a big club hockey weekend meaning many top players aren’t available.

“Traditionally the league has not scheduled games during Martin Luther King weekend,” Kevin McGlynn said. “They scheduled us three games in three nights during this weekend with all our players gone. And this is the third time this year already we played three games in a three-day weekend, no other team in our division has had to do that. It's not fair to these kids.”

Robinson gave Lafayette the lead just 76 seconds into the contest, burying a one-timer from the slot off a perfect feed from Cameron Coats from behind the net. It was the first of three assists on the night for Coats.

Sprague made it 2-0 Lancers at the 6:27 mark of the first, scoring his team-high 17th of the season. Crisp passing by Rubenstein and Spencer Xu set up the goal.

“The start of the game pretty much determines pace and motivation, how the team mentally plays,” Sprague said. “I would say that getting the job done early is a big thing.”

Robinson showed off his speed 58 seconds later splitting the Vianney defense off a Coats pass and going upper corner with a quick wrister.

Rubenstein’s power play goal at 4:54 of the second period made it 4-0 Lafayette. Rubenstein was able to poke home a rebound of a Logan Bayless shot for his first power play goal of the season.

“Sam's an important part of this team with two goals and two assists and him and Justin, we need them,” Carrico said. “I tell the guys every night, we come to play our best players have to be our best players and our seniors have to be our seniors.”

Sprague put the game away with his second of the game with 6:17 left in the second. The Lancers sniper showed off his speed to get behind the Vianney defense and his hands with a quick backhand-forehand combination.

Rubenstein roofed a wrister just under the crossbar 11 seconds into the third for Lafayette.

Sprague completed the hat trick midway through the frame and Robinson completed his with 5:26 left.

“First hat trick of the year, felt really good,” Robinson said. “Looking for more.”

Welker got Vianney on the board with 6:04 left with his third of the season off a Brodie Appelbaum feed.