Okay, the score was a little misleading.  Four minutes into the second quarter LM’s Garrett Gile scored a nice goal off a top left wing spin dodge, hitting the top left corner to make it 5-3 LHP, and frankly LHP was fortunate to be in the lead at that point given how many great looks Lake Mary had gotten to that point but missed the net on. But from that point on LM would be shut out and LHP would cruise to the victory. A look at the stats would surprise those not in attendance.  LM held the 15-5 edge in faceoffs.  Out shot LHP 39-35.  Just three more turnovers. But one glaring issue.  Of the 39 shots only 16 were on goal.  And in the first half at least half a dozen were open clear looks from inside ten yards that mostly should have been buried. And that was the ball game. Really a shame . . . but it’s high school and stuff happens.     And LHP again displayed a maturity in how they handled the situation. Take advantage of your opportunities and advance. Occam’s Razor today. But a great season for Lake Mary . . . another program taking their spot among the elite.   LHP put five shots on net in the first and scored on four of them to take a 4-0 lead after the first period.  Don Eidson opened the scoring at 9:54 on a right alley dodge, as he stopped, turned left and hit the low corner with the shot and just 27 seconds later Jackson Colling picked up a rebound in front and had a mostly open net to place it in for 2-0.  Conner Aniello then extended it to 3-0 at 5:55 on a move from right GLE up the alley, face dodging to the crease and hitting the top left corner.  Then Reid Thedford made it 4-0 on a delayed penalty call as he came out from left behind up the wing and finding the short side hip high at 4:01 to end the first.     LM’s Ben Carbone got them on the board 15 seconds into the second as he took advantage of a faceoff win and a face dodge, coming down the middle to hit the low left side to make it 4-1.  Aniello answered back at 9:43 as he curled from the left side to the crease and going low with the shot.  Charlie Ragault cut the lead to three on the EMO, as Tyeler Castillo’s up toip feed found him on the left wing and he hit the low left corner at 8:56 and then at 8:07 the above-mentioned Gile goal made it 5-3.  But 40 seconds later Colling took back momentum for LHP as he cut in from the top left to the middle and his 15-yard bullet hit the low right corner for 6-3 and at 5:06 Thedford and Aniello teamed up to send LHP to the half with the 7-3 lead as Aniello found Thedford on the left wing from up top and Thedford found the low left corner to close out the half. After a quiet first four minutes of the third quarter LHP went on a three goal, thirty-seven second run to basically put the game out of reach.  Thedford with a right wing dodge to the middle at 7:39, Will Walker cutting to the middle from the left wing at 7:15 and Kyle Richbourg cutting down the middle and taking Aniello’s pass from right behind at 7:20.  Thedford and Tiger Graham teamed up at 5:41 as the pass went from Graham at right GLE to the left crease and Thedford was all alone.  Jake Zerevitz finished it up with 59 seconds left off a rebound in front as LHP took advantage of their only solid faceoff quarter to lead 12-3 after three. The fourth quarter saw LHP finish up with two goals as Zerevitz scored on the crease at 10:04 and Walker scored off a spin move up top at 8:14 and LHP goalie Austin Farwell recorded 8 second half saves as LM’s shooting frustrations played out.     Now on to Saturday night and a matchup with state #1 St. Thomas, as the Highlanders look for their fourth title in five years and this game looks like it could be one for the record books as STA has run the table so far this year.  The two teams played very early in the season and STA held on for an 11-10 win in Ft. Lauderdale in that one, so expect fireworks tonight!  If you are in the area, please come out! For the Lake Mary seniors, as always, good luck with your futures and thanks for all the hard work you have put in!   Game Statistics:   Faceoffs:  LM 15 – LHP 5 Shots:  LM 39-35 Shots on Goal:  LHP 22-16 Turnovers:  LM 16 – LHP 13 Penalties:  LHP 5 – LM 2   Individual Statistics   LHP Reid Thedford  4G Conner Aniello  2G/2A Jackson Colling, Will Walker and Jake Zerevitz  2G each Kyle Richbourg  1G/1A Tiger Graham  1A   LM Ben Carbone, Charlie Ragault and Garrett Gile  1G each Tyeler Castillo  1A   Austin Farwell had 13 saves for LHP and Chandler Harrison had 8 saves for LM   Thanks to Coach Spaulding and Coach Robinson for talking to me before and after the game