Game Recap: Hat Tricks Bury Elmira 8-1 in Danbury

by Lexi Burkey & Doug Lattuca

DANBURY — Corey Cunningham’s second career hat trick and second four-point performance against the River Sharks this season paved the way for the Hat Tricks in an 8-1 smackdown of Elmira in the final game of Danbury’s nine-game homestand. The Hat Tricks netted two goals in the first, three in the second, and four in the third to build an 8-0 lead.

The Hat Tricks buried two goals 1:17 apart from each other. Cunningham started the scoring at 5:40 on a wrister inside the right post. At 6:57, DiNicola extended Danbury’s lead to two when he tapped in a second opportunity in tight.

The Hat Tricks pulled away in the second with three goals in a 4:30 span. Not even 1:30 in, Josh Labelle slid home a rebound off the pad of Sam LiVecchi to push the lead to three. 12 seconds after being released from the penalty box, Cunningham tallied his second goal of the night after slipping it inside the right post. At 6:09 of the middle frame, Daniel McKitrick made it 5-0 after wristing it through LiVecchi from the right circle.

A powerplay goal from Cunningham at 5:01 of the third completed the hat trick and put Danbury ahead by six. 19 seconds later, Nick DiNicola swatted the puck into the far side. With six minutes remaining, Jacob Ratcliffe sniped Danbury’s eighth goal of the night. 

Hat Tricks netminder Conor McCollum stopped 32 of 33 shots while Elmira’s tandem of LiVecchi and Frankie McClendon surrendered eight goals on 53 shots.

The Hat Tricks head on the road to face Elmira tomorrow at the First Arena. The puck drops at 6:07 p.m. 


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