Rutt Delivers Bandits a Trick on Halloween

Hooksett, NH – The New Hampshire Junior Monarchs enjoyed a nice Halloween treat this past Saturday when the defeated the Bridgewater Bandits 7-1 in a battle between perennial EJHL heavyweights.

The Bandits would get an early edge in momentum, as they would go on the power play twice in the first 4 minutes of the game. They would take a 1-0 lead just 2 seconds after their 2nd power play expired, but that would be the last lead they would hold in the game, and the last goal they would score. The Monarchs would take back momentum and score to even the game with 7 minutes remaining in the 1st period, when Trent Ruffolo would score his first of 2 goals off a feed from linemates Pat Doherty and Alex Gacek. The Monarchs would go ahead with just 2 seconds left on the clock when Ruffolo would score number 2, with assists going to Brooks Herrington and Trevor van Riemsdyk.

The 2nd period would be all Monarchs, as Jacob Rutt would score 2 straight goals just two and a half minutes apart. Pat Doherty would add a 3rd in the period from Gacek and Rutt. In the 3rd frame the Monarchs would put the proverbial nail in the coffin when they would score just 37 seconds into the period. The goal, a power play goal, would come off the stick of van Riemsdyk with assists going to Ruffolo and Gacek. Rutt would then put the icing on both the team’s cake and his own when he would score his 3rd goal of the game completing the hat trick and giving the Monarchs a 7-1 win.

The team will be back in action this Wednesday when they travel south to the Haverhill Valley Forum to take on the Valley Junior Warriors in a 2 pm tilt. The Monarchs return home this weekend for a 2 game series against the newly formed Philadelphia Revolution Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2:30.