The 4-2 Patriots faced Bethesda Chevy Chase on Dec. 13. BCC is currently ranked third in the Montgomery County standings, and the team knew what was a stake before taking the ice.
Ten minutes into the game, junior defenseman Daniel Tomachevsky scored the first goal, assisted by junior forward Brett Strauss. Minutes later, the Barons scored a goal to knot the game up at 1-1. The score was 1-1 at the end of the first period. The Patriots outshot BCC 10-5 in that period. Sophomore forward Jack Yielding got it going in the second, scoring seven minutes in, and giving Strauss his second assist of the night.
Seconds later the Barons scored, making it a 2-2 game.
After conceding a second goal, the Patriots did not look back. Sophomore forward Nathan Barrow led the way with two goals, and junior center Nick Billingsley found the back of the net as well. The final score was 5-3, ending in a Patriots victory.
The next game was on Dec. 20 versus Walt Whitman. The game was chippy and physical. Each team had two penalties in a scoreless first period. The Patriots’ power play was incredible; they didn’t give up a shot on goal. The second period wasn’t much different. The Patriots drew another two penalties early. The first goal of the game came from sophomore forward Eric Shumunis. Less than two minutes later, the Vikings scored to tie the game at 1-1.
Late in the second period, Barrow scored a short handed goal unassisted. Three minutes later, Strauss received a pass from senior forward Scotty Collinson and found the back of the net for a powerplay score, giving the Patriots a 3-1 lead. The third period was less offensive than the last. The Patriots had three penalties and the Vikings had two.
Neither team scored in the third. The Patriots maintained their lead and won 3-1.
The Patriots played the Damascus Hornets on Jan. 3. The Patriots came out hot, with a goal from Strauss. Minutes later the Hornets responded with a goal to tie it up at 1-1.
There were no goals for the remainder of the period. The second period consisted of one Hornets goal; the score at the end of the second was 2-1.
In the third the Patriots went on a three-goal run to take the lead, thanks to Collinson, Billingsley and Strauss. After taking a 4-2 lead, the Patriots did not slow down. Billingsley netted a second goal, and a goal from Barrow gave the Patriots a 6-2 lead. The Patriots went defensive after this, to maintain their four-goal lead. Damascus scored two more goals, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the four goal deficit. The Patriots won 6-4.
The Patriots currently sit second in MoCo standings.
The next game was on January 10 against Churchill which ended with a 3-3 tie. After the game via Facebook, Collinson said “for all who came tonight, thank you! That’s what Wootton hockey is all about,”.
