Vikings ride offensive outburst, stingy defense to topple Holt 7-0

Francis Howell's offense founds its groove Friday night shocking the visiting Holt Indians with a 7-0 victory. Six different Vikings found the back of the net, with 12 Howell players picking up points in the St. Charles Conference matchup.

Freshman defender Mason Land scored his first career varsity goal with 9:42 left in the first period, boosting Howell to a 1-0 lead.  The goal, Land's first of two tallies on the night,  came off a pass from Junior Alex Griffith and proved to the game winning goal.

Senior Pearce King put Howell up 2-0 later in the first, putting a rebound from a Junior Jonas Blankenship shot into the Holt net with 3:07 left in the first.

The second period looked a lot like the first, as Howell's offense added another pair of tallies. Senior Assistant Captain Caleb Bridges picked up his first goal of the season with 6:35 remaining in the second.  Bridges took a pass from Danny Del Vecchio and put a wrist shot past the Holt net minder for a 3-0 lead. Senior Captain Riley Wright made it 4-0 Howell, scoring an unassisted power play goal with just 1:03 left in the middle frame.

Senior Danny Del Vecchio picked up his first goal of the season to start the third period scoring for the Vikings with 2:53 left in the period.  Del Vecchio took a Jonas Blankenship pass, burying the shot giving Howell a 5-0 lead. Mason Land added his second goal of the game, unassisted, with 1:47 left in the game, 6-0 Howell.  The final Vikings goal came with :40 remaining in the game.  Sophomore Nate Angelo found the net for his first of the season, assisted by Freshman Nolan Manzella and Senior Nicholas Trankler.

While goals were plentiful for the Vikings, Holt was not as fortunate.  Senior goalie Easton Bristow continued his shutout streak, turning away all 15 shots he faced. 

Francis Howell (2-0-0) will battle Timberland (1-1-0) in the first of back-to-back games next Tuesday, Nov. 11.  Puck drop is 8:10pm at the Wentzville Ice Arena.