His second move was toward junior linemate Kalle Kuusisto, whom he wrapped up in a bear hug. It was a fitting tribute for the player whose assist set up his tally – and whose arrival in St. Mary's County has set the table for Blondino's memorable season.
A native of Finland, Kuusisto came to St. Mary's Ryken this year as an exchange student looking to improve his English as he prepares to attend law school in his home country. Kuusisto, who has played hockey since he was around 4 years old, instantly bolstered the Knights' roster, providing experience, leadership and passing ability rarely seen in Maryland Scholastic Hockey League.
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“He has great hands, good stick skills and he always knows where you are on the ice,” Blondino said of his linemate. “He always looks for me, and I’ve been able to finish a lot of his passes. But Kalle makes it all work.”
Kuusisto leads the league in scoring this season with 89 points – 61 coming on assists – and Blondino and the Knights are reaping the benefits. With seven goals on Friday, Blondino now has 61 this season, breaking the record of 59 set by DeMatha’s Danny Collins in 1998-99.
The Knights (9-5) have scored at least 10 goals in seven of their nine wins, including Friday’s 13-0 win against Bowie that saw Blondino — an Army lacrosse recruit — and Kuusisto combine for 12 goals and nine assists.
“Kalle and Nathan and have great chemistry together,” Knights coach Chris Palombi said. “When he first got here, I remember Kalle saying, ‘I like to pass. Nathan likes to score. It works well.’ And it definitely has.”
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By virtue of last week’s results St. Mary’s Ryken is out of playoff contention, as only the top two teams in each conference advance to the postseason. The Knights hope to close out strong against Leonardtown and La Plata – and they also hope to lure Kuusisto back for one more season on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.
"Hopefully he comes back next year, and if he does, we'll only get better," Blondino said. "With the confidence he brings to our team, I think we can go from being a good team to a great one next year." ...
Spalding is quickly becoming the most clutch team in the MAPHL. The second-ranked Cavaliers already have four wins by a single goal including Friday’s 3-2 victory against DeMatha, which avenged an early season defeat.
Since a 7-2 loss to Landon in early December, Spalding is 7-1-1 with one-goal victories against MAPHL rivals DeMatha and Gonzaga.
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