By ERIC BENEVIDES

Sports writer

WOONSOCKET — It was only a consolation game in a holiday tournament, but Mount St. Charles Academy and La Salle Academy battled each other on Wednesday afternoon as if they were playing in the third game of a best-of-three playoff series.
And both Division I teams gave the gathering at Adelard Arena an excellent performance that needed a second 7½-minute overtime session to decide the winner.
Sophomore Nicholas Bennett’s goal 50 seconds into the second OT allowed the Mounties to overcome a superb showing by La Salle netminder Joe DiBiase and wrap up the Mount St. Charles 14th annual Holiday Face-Off with a thrilling 5-4 triumph.  
“It was a great hockey game,” noted MSC coach Dave Belisle. “I thought we played well and I thought La Salle played well. It’s what you want to get out of this tournament. You wish it was the championship game, but it was still a great game and a great tournament.”
Junior Zach Samborsky had a goal and a pair of assists to lead the Mounties, who for the second afternoon in a row, dominated play for most of the game and more than doubled their opponent in the shots on goal department (49-23), only to run into a hot goaltender in DiBiase (44 saves).  
“Their goalie played extremely well,” added Belisle. “We’ve been having trouble scoring for a couple of nights in a row, where we pounded the net and ran into some very good goaltenders. But all you can do is work on it and continue to pound the net and eventually they will go in.”
DiBiase was at his finest in the first overtime session, which called for each team to skate with just four players and their goalie.

The Mounties kept the puck in the Rams’ zone for virtually the entire 7½ minutes, allowing just a harmless slap shot and taking eight shots on DiBiase, but the sophomore stayed strong between the pipes.
Bennett finally ended the drama on the Mounties’ second shot of the second overtime by taking a pass from Mike Magerman on the doorstep of the Rams’ goal and flicking a shot over DiBiase’s shoulder, a second before Bennett was checked from behind by a La Salle player and went barreling into DiBiase.    
“Nick’s been playing sensational,” said Belisle. “He took his time, he looked and waited for (DiBiase) to go down, and then he snapped it up there. It was a nice goal, and you have to give credit to our top players. When you get into overtime, you play your top 8-10 kids and you play them a lot, and those players came through.”
Unfortunately for DiBiase, he injured his neck in the collision with Bennett and fell to the ice. DiBiase lay on the ice for 10-15 minutes as the Rams’ coaching staff and paramedics tended to him before he was carted off to an ambulance and headed to Landmark Medical Center.   
“It’s very unfortunate what happened to the goalie,” added Belisle. “He played very well and I hope the boy is alright. You don’t want to see that happen to any hockey player.” 
The Rams, who were coming off a shootout defeat to St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute of Buffalo, N.Y. in Tuesday afternoon’s consolation action, netted the game’s first goal with 2:16 to play in the first period on a score by Nathaniel McDonald, but the Mounties were quick to tie the score 22 seconds late on a goal from Shamus Maloney.
Twenty-eight seconds into the second period, MSC took the lead on Trevor Plante’s goal that was set up nicely by team captain Evan Hoffman, and after La Salle tied the score on Henry Spalding’s goal at 5:44, the Mounties reclaimed their lead with 2:18 on the clock on Samborsky’s goal.
The Mounties later made it a two-goal game 2:28 into the third period on a goal by Alex Erban off a nice pass from Samborsky, but the Rams soon forced overtime when Zachary Harrison scored on a 5-on-3 power play at 3:42 and Stephen Inman whistled home a shot from the left faceoff circle at 7:26.
The Mounties had their chances to net another goal after Erban’s score before the end of regulation, but they hit the post twice in the final eight minutes and were denied by a few quality stops by DiBiase. 
“Even through they scored those two goals, I thought we dominated that period,” offered Belisle. “In the third (period) and two overtimes, I thought it was our game.”
The Mounties, who are 4-0 in Division I action, including a 4-2 win over La Salle in their second game of the season on Dec. 4, will have today and tomorrow off before returning to their Division I schedule on Saturday.
That’s when the Mounties head to Burrillville’s Levy Arena for an 8:30 p.m. duel against the Broncos, who battled the Mounties tough in their last meeting (on Dec. 26 at Adelard) before dropping a 3-2 decision.
“I’m sure they can’t wait to play us,” Belisle said with a grin. “but we’re looking forward to that game and getting back to our Rhode Island schedule.”