Seymour, Favazza Each Score Twice As Alton Wins Senior Night Hockey Game Over Highland 7-1

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EAST ALTON - Forwards Tristan Seymour and Kieran Favazza both scored twice, while Seymour also added an assist as the Alton High School hockey team won its Senior Night game, defeating Highland 7-1 in a Mississippi Valley Club Hockey Association game Tuesday night at East Alton Ice Arena.

In pregame ceremonies, Seymour and his fellow seniors --- Drayven Norton, Bryce Mouser, Shawn Grizzle, Tristan Mouser, Zach Carter and Caleb Vitali --- were honored, along with their families, for their contributions to the Redbird hockey team. The team played very well, sending the graduating seniors off in style.

"I thought there were a lot of things they did out there that I liked," said Alton head coach Mike Edwards, "there's a few things I didn't like, but for the most part, I thought it was a pretty well-played game."

Seymour scored his two goals in the first period to help set the tone, giving Alton a lead it would never relinquish, also getting a solid performance in goal from Vitali, who made 30 saves.

"Yeah it was," Edwards said. "Caleb's been one of a very good, one of our steadiest players, to be honest with you. Night in and night out, he has a great game, keeps us in a lot of games we really shouldn't be in, he's won a couple for us that we really shouldn't have won, and so, that's all you can ask of a goaltender to do for you. And as far as that, Tristan Seymour played a great game, as well as a lot of the other forwards did too."

Going into the game, Alton's mindset was a simple one that led to success on the night.

"Big thing what we try to do is pressure the puck carrier, pressure the other team," Edwards said, "get as many turnovers as we can, get pucks to the net, get a lot of traffic in front on the net. That's our big way to play, to be honest with you."

The formula has worked for the most part, as the Redbirds are now 6-9-4 after the win, and with the postseason fast approaching, Edwards and his team wants to keep things going in the right direction.

"Yeah, that's what we really want to get hot," Edwards said. "I really don't care about the regular season, about how we do, but you want to start gaining momentum towards the end, so you carry that hot hand into the playoffs."

Needless to say, Edwards would love to have the Redbirds win a MVCHA title, either in Class 1A or Class 2A, which will be decided shortly, but the main thing is that the players improve game by game.

"I'd like to win the whole thing," Edwards said with a smile. "That's our main goal, as far as that, But I just want the boys to get better every game, a little bit here and there, get better every game. Keep pressuring the puck carrier, keep pressuring the other team, and get pucks to the net. And I think if we can do that, do that with consistency, I think it'll speak for itself, and we'll end up doing really well in the playoffs. When they do that, we tend to win, and that ought to be a good point for them."

The Redbirds got off on the right foot on the power play in the first period, with Landon Gunter off for tripping. Seymour took a pass from Cayden Barton and beat Max Price to the short side at 3:27 to give Alton a 1-0 lead. Seymour then gave the Redbirds a 2-0 lead with an unassisted goal at 6:54, but the Bulldogs pulled to within 2-1 at 7:45 on a goal from Dylan Kreke, on assists from Jacob Noll and Lucas Korte. Vitali kept the Bulldogs from getting the equalizer with some good saves to keep it 2-1. Near the end of the period, Favazza scored his first goal of the night, assisted by David Saulle, to make it 3-1 for Alton after the first period.

Norton made it 4-1 at 6:27 of the second period with an unassisted goal, skating in alone to beat Price, who also played well in the Bulldog net. Then at 12:08, Favazza make it 5-1, scoring off a scramble in front, with Grizzle receiving an assist on the play. The Redbirds scored two late goals in the third period, with Barton scoring at 12:12, assisted by Favazza and Grizzle, then got the final goal at 13:30, with Bryce Mouser tipping in a shot in front, with Seymour assisting, making the final 7-1.

The Redbirds next play at the Wilson Park Ice Rink in Granite City on Thursday against Freeburg-Waterloo in a 7 p.m. face-off, then play the Bulldogs again next Tuesday in an 8:45 p.m. face-off at East Alton.

"They're a very good team," Edwards said about Freeburg-Waterloo. "If not the best team, they're one of the top two or three."

Some good games ahead for the Redbirds, and Edwards is looking forward to the upcoming challenges.

"That's true," Edwards said. "It's pretty exciting, so stay tuned," he said with a laugh.

Chris Rhodes also contributed to this story.

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