Vilardo’s 7 goals barely enough for C-G

Cary-Grove's Mike Vilardo (center) is congratulated after scoring one of his seven second period goals in an AHAI Blackhawk Cup Combined State Tournament hockey game Saturday at The Edge in Bensenville. Cary-Grove defeated PREP, 10-8. (Jeff Krage – For the Northwest Herald)

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BENSENVILLE – Cary-Grove center Mike Vilardo plopped down on a chair, swigged on a bottle of water and did his best to explain what transpired in the previous hour-and-a-half.

“What we like to do is give our fans a good game to watch,” he said.

In that case, the Trojans accomplished their mission.

C-G spotted PREP a three-goal lead after one period, then erupted for seven second-period goals on its way to a 10-8 victory in an AHAI Blackhawk Cup Combined State Tournament hockey game Saturday at The Edge in Bensenville.

Vilardo, who played Triple-A hockey for eight years, scored seven goals and had two assists for the No. 9-seeded Trojans (21-9-4), who face No. 1 Rockford at 2:45 p.m. Saturday in a quarterfinal game.

After a lackluster first period, Vilardo got C-G going with his first of five unassisted goals 1:04 into the second period. From that point, there was no stopping the Trojans.

“We got one and got rolling and took control,” Vilardo said. “That’s the best period of hockey we’ve had all year. We had our backs against the wall, and we answered.”

Bradley Hunt scored, then Thomas Wahl scored twice as C-G poured in six goals in a span of 7:26.

“We weren’t feeling it for a while,” Wahl said. “They got a head start, then we got some momentum and got it going. It was pretty exciting. We brought the energy level up and were real pumped up.”

C-G built a 7-3 lead, but the Trojans amassed 13 penalties for the game and had 5 on 3 disadvantages five times. No. 8 PREP, which has players from Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Elk Grove and Prospect, twice had a 5-on-3 power play end and another immediately start.

Each team had five power-play goals.

“The penalty situation almost cost us the game,” C-G coach Mike Morrison said.

PREP scored three consecutive goals in the third period to cut the Trojans’ lead to 9-8 before Vilardo scored one more goal for a little breathing room.

“I’m always confident we can put the puck in the net,” Morrison said. “After the first period we weren’t pushing the panic button. We made it clear before the game this could be the last high school game for the seniors. We wanted to do it for each other and for their families. I knew we’d fight for it.”

Vilardo’s rush down ice within 2:20 remaining in the third period drew a hooking penalty and he sealed the game with a goal with 1:30 to go.

“I was nervous because penalties are a way to let teams back in games,” Vilardo said. “But I was confident because we’ve worked too hard all season to let it get away.”

PREP finished its season at 26-17-2.

“Vilardo had seven goals and two assists; that’s pretty hard to stop,” PREP coach Joe Paglia said. “We’ve battled [against C-G] all year – this is the fourth time we’ve played, and we’re 2-2. We like playing them.”