Chagrin Falls vs. Orange hockey: Westendorf, Newton show way in Tigers' gritty 2-0 late-night Blue East win
Dec. 4—Shorter on the bench than usual and short on margin for error in turn Dec. 3 against Orange, Chagrin Falls needed some key figures to stand tall and help guide the way in a late-night clash at The Pond.
Henry Westendorf and Nathaniel Newton had no issue filling that bill for the Tigers.
Westendorf netted both goals, including a vital short-handed tally in the first period, and Newton was brilliant between the pipes in a 38-save shutout as Chagrin recorded a 2-0 GCHSHL Blue East victory.
Tigers coach Craig Hoberman was elated with his team's work under challenging circumstances.
"It was a great win for us," Hoberman said. "It was our first game this season that, I would say, we played three complete periods of hockey. So that is a big win in our book. We were short-handed tonight. We had some injuries and illness tonight, so everybody had to step up, from the top of the squad to everyone else.
"Everyone really had a great game. Nathaniel, 38 saves and a shutout, is amazing. Being a league game, it's our first league win, which is obviously important for us. Starting with Henry as a captain, he really got everyone focused and motivated and showed his leadership out there."
By his high standard, Westendorf did not have his most efficient evening in the offensive zone, with some breakaway chances that went uncharacteristically begging. But the senior forward, as Hoberman alluded, delivered the embodiment of a captain's performance, compartmentalizing that aspect to lead in all zones with grit and delivering the go-ahead goal in the first and the icer late in the third anyway.
With Newton on form with a pair of 13-save periods through two, Westendorf gave that the boost required on the scoreboard late in the opening period.
The Lions were on the power play, but Westendorf managed a chipper through the neutral zone, skated in and did well with a snappy wrister stickside for a 1-0 lead.
"I just saw the whole left side was open," Westendorf said. "And it was the same thing for the second goal, just leaving the left side open, which was working for me. I kept trying it."
Chagrin was outshot, 26-9, through two. But Westendorf's shorty and Newton staying dialed in made it stand.
Newton logged a quality glove stop on Max Sigel at 12:28 of the second and also turned away Dillon Fellinger at 13:54 to keep it a 1-0 game heading into the third.
"We don't give him enough credit," Westendorf said of Newton. "He saved our butts out there. He had a great performance. Only being a sophomore, it's really nice having a goalie like that."
That sophomore understands, though, at an early juncture of his career the boost that high-volume save periods can provide.
"Being able to just be the hype man, even though I'm not actually out there around them on the bench, I'm just happy to be doing my part," Newton said. "And I'm just glad I got all of those saves."
The Tigers began to find their footing better in the offensive zone in the third with 15 shots despite having to go on the penalty kill twice early.
But Chagrin still found itself in a 1-0 game deep into the third.
Newton stymied Russel Tye with his glove at 11:03, then made a body block on Brandon Lurie at 11:39.
Westendorf found the goal to put the game on ice, though, with 1:34 left on a turnover and snapper.
After accepting glove taps from the bench, and being the heady captain he is, Westendorf skated to his goaltender and gave him a nod, the icing on a job well done from both — and from the whole squad, for that matter, when it was needed.
"I think we really stepped up to the plate today, and we really gave it our all," Westendorf said. "I think that was one of the best three periods of hockey we've played in terms of intensity."
