DANBURY -- Freshman goalie Luiz Dibble didn't have to make too many saves in the Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury hockey team's 3-2 victory over Barlow on Saturday. But when he was tested, Dibble came up big.
Dibble made 11 saves -- including two dazzling stops in the second period and a big save on Barlow's leading scorer, Charlie Goldburg, in the final minute -- as the unbeaten Ice Cats won their seventh straight game to start the season.
"Luiz is doing a great job," IceCats coach Rusty Granacker said. "In the second period there, he came up with two really big saves for us. I really can't ask for a better goalie as a freshman. He really steps up to the plate every time we need him to.
"That save in the second period there, he grabbed it out of the air when the net was wide open," Granacker added.
One key to the IceCats' success has been the steady play of their defense, led by Nick Martin, Max Urso, Brendan Allen and Justin Sullivan.
"It definitely helps Luiz out as far as keeping the shot count down," Granacker said. "For a young goalie, that makes a big difference."
Dibble's final save of the game may not have been his most spectacular, but it may have been his most important. Goldburg -- the Barlow sniper who had scored on a breakaway in the first period -- streaked through the neutral zone with the puck, bulled his way into the IceCats' zone and snapped a quick shot to Dibble's glove side. Dibble kept his composure with the game on the line, gloved Goldburg's waist-high shot and held the puck for a whistle with 30.5 seconds remaining. The Falcons didn't get another shot on goal.
The IceCats raced out to a quick 2-0 lead just 2:34 into the game. Joshua Goldenburg scored a power-play goal 52 seconds in off passes from Jared Smenyak and Nick Martin after Goldburg took a two-minute boarding penalty 32 seconds in. Art Hauser made it 2-0 less than two minutes later when he banged home the rebound of a shot by Brendan Allen.
Barlow senior goalie Trevor Hirst played brilliantly, making 33 saves, but that early two-goal deficit was too much for the Falcons to overcome.
"I tell the guys this all the time -- you have to play from when the puck drops until the last whistle," Barlow coach Pete Maxfield said. "They didn't do that and BBD was able to capitalize on it."
Hirst, a three-year starter and a key performer in Barlow's SWC championship run last season, has been frustrating his rivals for a while now. He made 60 saves in a season-opening loss to Wilton.
"I won't miss Mr. Hirst next season," Granacker said with a smile. "He's a great goalie, but I wish him the best in college."
Goldburg's breakaway goal made it 2-1 in the first period, but the IceCats added their third goal early in the second period. Grant Smith stuffed home a loose puck off assists from Hauser and P.J. Harrington to make it 3-1 at 2:09 of the second period.
The Falcons refused to go quietly, however, and they drew within a goal early in the third period. Philip King blasted a slap shot from just inside the blue line that Dibble got a piece of, but not enough to keep it out of the net.
"All that matters is the win," Martin said. "We played strong throughout the game. We just need to make sure we put pucks in the net."
The IceCats have won their first seven games by a 33-12 margin, including a three-game trip to Maine over the holiday break. Granacker said the undefeated start wasn't a goal for the IceCats heading into the season, but they'll take it.
"Our first goal was to win eight games to get into the state tournament," Granacker said. "As far as the league goes, we know we have to win at least five or six games to guarantee ourselves a spot in the tournament."
BROOKFIELD/BETHEL/DANBURY 2 1 0 -- 3
JOEL BARLOW 1 0 1 -- 2
GOALS: BBD--Joshua Goldenburg, Art Hauser, Grant Smith; JB--Charlie Goldburg, Philip King. ASSISTS: BBD--Jared Smenyak, Nick Martin, Hauser, P.J. Harrington; JB--King, Goldburg. GOALIES: BBD--Luiz Dibble (11 saves); JB--Trevor Hirst (33 saves). RECORDS: BBD--7-0; JB--1-4.
