×

Cardinals’ goaltender Cory Knarr makes 31 saves in win over Chagrin Falls

Staff photo / Brian Yauger Canfield’s Antonio Maroun (75) delivers a check on Chagrin Falls’ Zech Armstrong during the first period of Canfield’s 3-2 victory over the Tigers on Saturday.

BOARDMAN — When you spend a large part of the third period on the penalty kill, you’re going to need your goaltender to keep things afloat.

Lucky for Canfield, senior Cory Knarr has been the team’s anchor before.

Despite pushback from the Chagrin Falls power play, Knarr and the Cardinals held strong and gave up just one third period goal in the final seconds, in a 3-2 Canfield victory Saturday.

The Cardinal offense came out of the gates hot, with Luke Berry potting two goals in the opening four minutes. He tacked them on 19 seconds apart from each other.

The offense backed off a little after the second goal, something coach Steve Covelli is hoping gets fixed quickly because he thinks the Cardinals are better than their scores are showing.

“We start backing off and playing down to that level instead of keeping the foot on the throttle,” Covelli said. “That’s something we’re trying to correct. We keep winning these one goal games. I feel that we’re better than that.”

Berry capped off his hat trick to open up the second period.

Canfield racked up 12 penalties Saturday, seven of which came in the third period.

For a team that uses its scoring prowess to its advantage, getting stuck on the penalty kill throws a wrench into things.

“One little mistake and they’re scoring and it’s a whole different game,” Berry said. “You’ve really got to be cautious. It’s a terrible situation.”

As a netminder, the penalty kill is the most stressful part of the game. You’re down a player, and the opposing team is significantly more aggressive in the attacking zone. All the pressure is on you. Knarr handled it well, staving off 15 of the 16 third period shots on goal, and finished with 31 saves total.

“It’s rough,” Knarr said about the extended penalty kill time. “It’s a little bit scarier, I’ll be honest. There aren’t as many players out there, so you’re taking a lot more shots. You’ve just got to keep your eyes on the puck at all times.”

This is just the usual experience with Knarr in net. Penalty kill, even strength, no matter the circumstances, he’s been a wall for Canfield.

“He’s an anchor,” Covelli said. “We’re proud of what he’s doing. He doesn’t get too rattled, he doesn’t get too up, too down, he just plays his position. When you see him in there, he’s never excited. He doesn’t get excited when he makes a big stop. He’s just a man going to work.”

Canfield moves to 4-2 on the year. Beating a tough Chagrin Falls team in a heated matchup greatly helps the confidence of a team that was coming off a loss to Kent Roosevelt earlier in the week.

“Things started out a little rough in the first away game, but we’re really picking it up,” Berry said. “We’ve only got two losses, so we’re feeling good. … We came up with a loss on Thursday, so we definitely needed this win.”

The Cardinals have a quick turnaround, hosting Aurora today at 2:45. Obviously, staying out of the box is crucial.

“Got to play 5-on-5, if we can do that, we’ll win,” Covelli said. “It’s been the theme all year long. Even strength, we’re a pretty good team, but when you start putting the top guys in the penalty box, we’ve got a challenge, and that’s not fair to my goalie.

“Good thing they have a terrible memory. They’ll forget about this game and it’ll be a whole new mindset tomorrow. That’s what we need to do. Whether you win or lose, you’ve got to erase the board and play the next game.”

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.85/week.

Subscribe Today