Something special is brewing in Bethlehem.
The Bethlehem hockey team has been running roughshod over the Capital District High School Hockey League. The Eagles have outscored their opponents 62-17 on their way to an 8-1 start under first-year coach Andre Rodrigue.
I knew the talent was there. It was just a matter of getting them to believe in themselves and believe in my offensive system, said Rodrigue.
What separates Bethlehem from the rest of the league is that it has two forward lines that can score goals and a strong goaltender in Alex Cooper that allows the Eagles to take chances on offense.
`Coop’s easily one of the top two goalies in the area,` said Rodrigue. `You can talk about win-loss record [6-1] and goals against average [1.53] all you want, but when push comes to shove, Coop’s stopped 94 percent of the shots that he’s faced this season.`
Cooper had one of his best performances last Tuesday when Bethlehem downed defending Section II Division I champion Shaker/Colonie 5-1. The senior netminder stopped 27 of the 28 shots he faced against one of the highest-scoring teams in the CDHSHL.
`Playing physical and focusing on the defensive side of the puck was the key to that victory,` said Rodrigue. `[Shaker/Colonie’s] top line has three of the top five goal scorers in the league, and to hold them to one goal is a tribute to our defense and Coop.`
Bethlehem’s top forward line is potent in its own right. Seniors Stephen Russo, Erik Halek and Kyle Barach have combined for 30 goals and 32 assists in the first nine games, with Russo (12 goals, 15 assists) leading the way.
`He’s an unselfish player, he works hard and he puts the team ahead of himself,` Rodrigue said of Russo. `He never takes a shift off, and that spreads like wildfire because the others see that and want to work hard.`
Russo had to be a little selfish in Bethlehem’s most recent game, an 8-3 victory over a stubborn Niskayuna/Schenectady squad last Saturday at the Schenectady County Recreational Facility in Glenville. He scored three of his five goals in the third period to help the Eagles pull away.
In other games, though, Bethlehem’s second line has been as effective as its top line. The trio of freshman Derek Barach (8 goals, 11 assists) and sophomores Sam Vincent (5 goals, 6 assists) and John Gosstola (5 goals, 6 assists) has had several big games, including a 2-goal night against Shaker/Colonie.
`It’s good to see them playing very well right now, and that’s why I’m keeping my seniors on one line ` so I can keep those guys together on a line,` said Rodrigue of his underclassmen. `It’s a unique situation having two high-powered lines.`
The scoring hasn’t been limited to Bethlehem’s top two forward lines, though. Several more players have gotten in on the act including senior forward Packy Carroll (2 goals, 6 assists) and sophomore defenseman Nick Parente, who’s scored in each of the Eagles’ last two games.
`The amount of productivity out of 15 guys is a tribute to how much talent we have,` said Rodrigue.
The teamwork the Eagles have shown in building a potent attack is a reflection of the camaraderie that the players have built as they’ve helped raise money to pay for the team’s ice time at the Bethlehem Area YMCA.
`These kids have worked hard off the ice, and it’s a great team building exercise having them go out and work at things like car washes and other fund-raising efforts,` said Rodrigue. `That’s given them a sense of ownership about this season.`
Though Bethlehem has looked good through the first half of the CDHSHL season, Rodrigue said he knows there will be more challenges ahead of the Eagles starting with Wednesday’s rematch with LaSalle ` a team they defeated 4-2 in the season opener Nov. 28 ` and continuing with CDHSHL power Saratoga Friday. There are also games against Shenendehowa, Queensbury and Glens Falls coming up in the next four weeks. Glens Falls defeated Bethlehem 4-2 Dec. 8.
`The next half of the season will say a lot about this team and how far we’ve come this season,` said Rodrigue.“