Catona makes amends, delivers Ridley’s first championship

ASTON >> Ridley’s Nick Catona was sitting in the penalty box late in the third period of Thursday night’s Central League Championship against Springfield. It might as well have been the dog house.

With the Raiders down one, Catona was whistled for not one, but two infractions in the final frame. Ridley was forced to take to the comeback trail while its second-leading scorer spectated.

Raiders coach Steph Charbonneau had a message for Catona when he exited the sin bin.

“I told him when he got his second one and he came out, I said ‘You owe me now,’” Charbonneau recalled. “He knew.”

Catona made good for his coach. He assisted on Michael Giampapa’s game-tying goal with 2:06 to play in regulation.

He then delivered a sudden-death winner to give Ridley a dramatic, 4-3 victory and the school’s first Central League title.

“He fought three checks on one play,” said Charbonneau. “He kept his composure at the end.”

Catona started the play off the rush. He broke in across the blue line only to be tripped heading to the corner. Catona took another shove as he attempted to get back to his feet, but he was able to shovel the puck to Giampapa in the process. Giampapa circled the net. Catona, out of the play, snuck behind the defense.

Then the young man, as short on words as he is long on talent, started banging his stick on the ice.

“I was like ‘Mikey, Mikey. Backdoor, backdoor.’ I guess he heard me,” said Catona. “I was wide open.”

“I didn’t even see him,” added Giampapa. “There were three guys and I heard him screaming; the loudest I’ve ever heard him scream in my life.”

Giampapa slid a pass across the crease. Catona slammed it into the open net. Pandemonium. Catona led the charge into the IceWorks glass as the Raiders threw their gloves, sticks and helmets in celebration.

“It was amazing,” said Catona. “The best two teams in the league going at it. It was so fun.”

Indeed it was for those who played and those who watched. The Springfield-Ridley rivalry has quickly become the county’s best. The Cougars took the first game this season in January, the Raiders’ lone loss. Ridley got revenge two weeks later to set up Thursday’s rubber match and a replay of their 2015 playoff epic. That game went into three overtimes. And, yeah, Catona ended things then, too.

If the history wasn’t enough of a backdrop, Springfield fans upped the ante Wednesday night. As the Cougars cruised to a 5-1 semifinal win over Garnet Valley, their faithful chanted “We want Ridley! We want Ridley!”

Those shouts continued into the first period of the final until Michael Desio picked off a Katie Brown pass and buried the opening goal. The Raiders led 1-0.

But Springfield (17-3) wouldn’t stay quiet. Joe Cavaliere set up Kevin Brown on the power play to tie the score at one to close the first. Then Tyler Riddle, the 2015 Daily Times Player of the Year, took over.

Riddle had been conspicuously absent in the first two contests with the Raiders this season. He scored one goal against Ridley. He bagged 54 against everyone else.

There was no denying him in the second period, though. Riddle took a Jim Schickling pass and fired a bullet past Brendahn Brawley’s ear to give the Cougars a 2-1 lead. After Catona knotted things at two moments later, Riddle put Springfield back in front.

“Tyler Riddle. Every five inches you give him, he takes 20,” said Charbonneau. “So he’ll punish you and he did tonight.”

The Cougars held a 3-2 advantage into the third. With 10:47 to go, Riddle had a breakaway and a chance to seal Ridley’s fate. Brawley had other ideas. He rolled onto his back as Riddle moved to the backhand to keep the deficit at one.

“I just stayed with him,” explained Brawley. “I knew he was either going to take the shot or go backhand so I just sprawled out. Desperation and my guys were there to clear the rebounds.”

The Raiders still needed to find an equalizer.

“Steph was keeping us pumped up, telling us we had plenty of time,” said Giampapa. “Even with two minutes left, we had plenty of time.”

That proved true when a Springfield clear, on ice fat with snow, rolled on edge across the opposite goal line for an icing.

Giampapa won the ensuing draw. Catona shrugged off three checkers and set up his centerman in front. Tie game.

“They’re a terrific hockey team,” said Cougars coach Phil Eastman. “It’s just one of those things where they made a couple plays there at the end.”

Eastman’s best players were excellent all game. Schickling and James Spence were stalwarts on the blue line. Kevin Brown finished with a goal and an assist. And Riddle was simply sensational.

But the Raiders (19-1-1) were better when it counted. Giampapa and Catona have now combined for 147 points on the season. The silent duo spoke loudest with the game on the line.

“I wish I could have them for four more seasons,” said Charbonneau.

Catona, a senior, will graduate. Like Brawley, he was a part of a squad that’s been through it all on the path to greatness.

“It’s amazing,” said Brawley. “To go all the way from not even making the playoffs freshman year to seeing all the kids grow and adapt and coming so close last year, this is the best way to end it.”