Original Article

CHESTERFIELD — Hockey is a constant topic of conversation in the Carrico family. Luke Carrico is a junior forward for Lafayette's hockey team and his dad, Jim Carrico, is the team’s head coach.

Father and son had a lot to discuss Tuesday night.

Luke Carrico’s goal broke a tie in the third period and lifted Lafayette to a 3-2 win over Chaminade in a Mid-States Club Hockey Association Red Conference Challenge Cup preliminary round game at the Maryville University Hockey Center.

The win punched the Lancers’ ticket into the quarterfinals. Lafayette (9-6-3) will play Francis Howell in a best-of-3 series expected to start this weekend.

“We just like went out there and worked hard,” Luke Carrico said. “We got shots on net and we just grinded it out.”

Andrew Knapp scored a pair of goals and Samuel Rubenstein had a pair of assists for Lafayette. Konner Canova made 22 saves.

“This game was by far our best effort, all the way around so far this postseason,” Jim Carrico said. “We always preach in our locker room, whether you're player number one or player number 20, that it takes everybody, and tonight it showed for us.”

The loss, coupled with Summit’s 4-2 win over Fox, ended Chaminade’s season. The Red Devils ended the preliminary round with the same 1-2 record as Summit, but Summit advanced with a better goal differential.

“The biggest thing is that we have a really nice group of young men in that locker room and not much needs to be said right there,” Chaminade coach Joe Watson said. “They already feel it. They feel accountable for it and they would have loved to advance.”

Connor Williamson and Andrew Clarke scored for Chaminade (6-11-1). Luka Myller made 24 saves.

Luke Carrico’s eventual game-winner at 6:14 of the third ended a frenetic sequence.

“(Justin Sprague) and I came on a two on one,” Luke Carrico said. “I pass him the puck, it didn't quite get through, but then he saw me backdoor.”

The goal came moments after Conova used his stick to break up a point-blank chance for Chaminade.

“That's usually what happens in hockey, you get a big save from your goaltender and then you go down and get scored on or you go down and score,” Watson said. “Hats off to that guy and their team. Honestly, they're a great team.”

Conova made several big saves, including a couple in the game’s final seconds as a desperate Red Devils team threw everything it had at him.

“He's always calm and cool back there and doesn't get rattled,” Jim Carrico said. “We rely on him heavily.”

Lafayette needed just 56 seconds to dent the scoreboard as Knapp buried a one-timer from the slot off a Cameron Coats feed.

Chaminade got the equalizer a few minutes later on a nice pinch along the boards to foil a Lancers clearing attempt. Clarke came away with it and found Williamson, who picked out the upper corner to make it 1-1.

Knapp struck again for the Lancers late in the opening period. A pass from Drew Robinson allowed him to hit the Chaminade zone at full stride. Knapp was able to get around a Red Devils defender and roof a backhander to give the Lancers a 2-1 lead with 29.8 seconds left in the first.

“A goal late in any period is a huge devastating goal to any team,” Knapp said. “It ruins their momentum, and they have to get going to next period and try to score another one and its super hard.”

Each goalie turned away nine shots in a scoreless second period.

Myller made a diving stick save on a Luke Carrico chance and made a pair of stops during a late Lancers power play. Conova got over to stop a Williamson one-timer early in the second and again frustrated Williamson on a high-danger rush later in the frame.

Clarke tied the game 2-2 for Chaminade just 30 seconds into the third period with an unassisted goal. Clarke showed some slick hands to get around a defender before roofing a backhander.

The top 12 teams in Mid-States are placed in the Challenge Cup and are equally divided into a Red and Blue Conference based on seeding. The top four teams in the two conferences advance to the quarterfinals.

“Nose to the grindstone,” Jim Carrico said. “It's not going to get any easier. Francis Howell, they're a tough team and they’re going to come ready for us and we just have to be ready.”