EAST ALTON – East Alton-Wood River's hockey team faced a difficult opponent on New Year's Day in Freeburg/Waterloo.
Freeburg/Waterloo had a pretty good one Friday, thanks to two-goal games Parker McDonald and Jack Lugge as the Raging Bulldogs blanked the Oilers 8-0 at East Alton Ice Arena.
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“It's a season of ups and downs,” said Oiler assistant coach Craig McHatton of the game. “We've shown some signs of a lot of potential where we think we can make a run at the playoffs, but we have to find a way to get the guys to play more consistently every game and give 100 percent every game.”
The Bulldogs were ready to play, McHatton felt, even before the opening faceoff. “Coach (Nicholas) Dreyer gets his guys prepared for every game,” McHatton said, “and they start in warmups ready to play.”
That they were; it only took Freeburg 15 seconds to take the lead, getting a goal from Adam Phelps on an assist from Scott Nanney, then following 90 seconds later when McDonald lit the lamp from assists from Jacob Pitt and Austin Patton. The lead went out to 3-0 in Freeburg's favor when Jack Lugge scored on a McDonald assist, and then expanded to 4-0 when, on a power play, McDonald scored again on assists from Lugge and Frankie Libera.
Three more goals for the Bulldogs came in the second period when Pitt scored from McDonald and Patton; Lugge goaled off a helper from Brendan Miller; and Patton scored on a power play, with assists going to Pitt and Phelps. Miller scored the final Freeburg goal about midway through the third period with an assist from Lugge.
Freeburg/Waterloo had 25 shots on goal for the game, while the Oilers could only manage 16.
The Oilers play Granite City at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday at East Alton In both teams' final game before the division of the teams for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs.
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