Ice hockey: Nick Romeo nets five goals vs. BYSNS as Clarkstown gets 10th win of the season

BREWSTER — More than 400 years ago, Shakespeare penned a question about Romeo's whereabouts.

If that question were asked Saturday night at Brewster Ice Arena, the answer would, more times than not, have been, "Scoring,"

Nick Romeo, that is.

The junior forward netted five goals to lead Clarkstown to a 7-1 win over the host combined Brewster/Yorktown/Somers/North Salem (the BYSNS) squad and increased Clarkstown's season mark to 10-1-1.

Turning point

Romeo scored the game's first two goals in the first period, his second coming on a breakaway in which he roofed the puck under the crossbar.

But despite their offense repeatedly sputtering in the neutral zone due to Clarkstown's speed and swarming style of play, the BYSNS (also known as the Herd) were still very much in the game entering the second period.

In fact, the BYSNS, who are now 6-5-1, played much better in that period, generating substantially more offense.

But Sam Sobler's goal on a shot from the point through a possible screen just 2:24 into the period expanded Clarkstown's lead to a weighty 3-0.

That expanded to 4-0 on a crafty goal by Romeo. Romeo drove to the right post, then did a quick fake of going behind the net before stopping and appearing to pound the puck in off Herd keeper Ty Wingfield's skate or the back his left leg

Romeo scored again before the period ended on a breakaway off a perfect Sobler feed to expand the Clarkstown lead to 5-0.

Player of the game

Wingfield had little chance on that score as Romeo, a gifted stick-handler, made a couple of fine fakes to get the netminder moving back and forth before sticking the puck inside the left post.

Romeo, who also had two assists and took top game honors, scored his final goal burying a rebound off a Thomas Eager shot.

By the numbers

That followed Romeo's assist on an Andrew Fenninger goal on an odd-man rush.

Sobler had three assists, Tyler Hague and Fenninger both had two assists and Eager one assist.

The BYSNS were down 6-0 with 4:55 left when Sava Makarenko ruined Remy Moreno's bid for a shutout with a wrister from the right side of the net that sailed over the right-hand blocker of the dropping Moreno.

Still, the keeper had an excellent game with 25 saves, including multiple chances in tight, although his best save might have come off a deflection before his team went back the other way and netted Clarkstown's third goal.

Hart Nullet had a strong defensive game for the BYSNS. With his team down 2-0, he caught the fast-moving Romeo, denying him a breakaway chance, and Nullet also got back to break up what had been a 2-on-0 rush.

But despite the score, it was Wingfield who stood out for the Herd.

He also had 25 saves. Included were a few big stops on Hague. Among them was a huge chance just off the post. Another came on a breakaway.

Wingfield's best save, though, was a spectacular third-period, upright, spread-eagle glove save on a high, hard shot from point-blank range.

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Quotables

The win was the second for Clarkstown over the BYSNS this season, the first being 6-1 last month.

But Clarkstown wasn't taking anything for granted. Romeo said his squad came in prepared and played hard from the get-go.

Fenninger pointed to the fact Romeo "popped in a couple" early as big.

Both also cited multiple teammates as having strong games, including Sobler, who had a four-point night and seemed to be all over the ice, creating chances and taking the puck away from the Herd.

While the BYSNS are now on a four game skid after a 6-1-1 start to the season, Clarkstown coach Pete Sherlock pointed out the Herd was hamstrung Saturday, having just come out of COVID protocol. In fact, the BYSNS hadn't played since December 22.

Sherlock, who noted his own team has had to juggle things with players missing games, said he has liked his squad's "Next-man-up" mentality, attributing that to the leadership of his captains, Romeo and Fenninger.

He added Saturday the two "set the tone from the first shift."

Next up

Clarkstown is scheduled to next play Wednesday at 6:15 p.m., hosting Pearl River at the Palisades Ice Arena.

Brewster will take on Horace Greeley at 6:15 p.m. Friday at Brewster Ice Arena.

Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, ice hockey, girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at both @HaggertyNancy and at @LoHudHockey.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Ice hockey: Nick Romeo nets 5 goals to lead Clarkstown to its 10th win