Agawam Skates Past Taconic in Thunder's Home Opener

PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- In the second minute of the third period Wednesday, Alex Jerebtsov scored to put Taconic on the board and make it a 3-1 game against Agawam.

 

The visitors then scored six seconds later off the ensuing faceoff, and any hopes of a Thunder comeback melted as Agawam skated off with a 7-1 win at the Boys and Girls Club.

 

"That was a back breaker right there," Taconic coach Matt Risley said. "You know, it's early in the season. We've got to get our legs underneath us and understand the concept of team play and hopefully we get that and move forward."

 

Evan Connery scored a pair of goals, and Landon Ashford and Vinny Montagna each had a goal an assist as Agawam (2-1) got its second win in Berkshire County in five days.

 

Taconic (0-1-1) dominated the first period, earning an 8-2 advantage in shots on goal and earning three power play opportunities to none for Agawam.

 

"Good effort in the first period -- moving the puck around, getting some shots," Risley said. "A little unlucky. I think we were unlucky with puck bounces in front of the net as well. But everything looked good, and it was close.

 

"After we gave up a couple, it looked like the effort went down a little bit, but we've got to learn to fight through stuff like that."

 

Connery scored the game's first goal in the 20th minute on the power play. Agawam got its second second-period goal with 3.5 seconds left when Cole Buffum set up Connery to make it a two-goal margin going into the second intermission.

 

Things could have been worse.

 

Taconic keeper Hunter Shepardson made 13 of his 22 saves in the second period to limit the damage.

 

But Ashford scored for Agawam in the first minute of the third period, and it looked like Taconic could be headed to a shutout.

 

That is when Jerebtsov came up big for Taconic, scoring on the doorstep with an assist from Ryan Johansen to get the margin back to two goals with 13:04 on the clock.

 

Any momentum was seized right back by Agawam's Aiden Pisano, who scored an unassisted goal six seconds later to start a run of four unanswered goals for the visitors to end the game.

 

Risley said the outcome was all about effort for Taconic.

 

"You look at the first period, we're 0-0, and from there ... you've got to put a complete game in," he said. "You can't play one good period and two bad periods. It's about playing a complete game."

 

Taconic will look to pick up its first win on Tuesday when it travels for a holiday matinee against Agawam.