HNIBnews - Vol. 28 #7

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Mission Accomplished For Malden Catholic

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MASSACHUSETTS DIVISION IA TOURNAMENT

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

3-1 Win Over Rival BC High Gives Lancers 2nd Straight 1A Crown

By Kevin Doyle • HNIB News hey did it again despite being burdened, perhaps, by more than any high schooler should have to bear. A year ago, coach Chris Serino was central to Malden Catholic's charge to the program's first Division 1A hockey championship in what he described as a "box-to-wire" run.

The Lancers secured that title with Serino. This season, with the bullseye on their back since Day One and with their former coach sidelined while being treated for a recurrence of throat cancer, the Lancers won it for him by defeating Catholic Conference rival B.C. High, 3-1, at TD Garden. Serino attended the game and, in an emotional post-game scene, joined the players and coaching staff on the Garden sheet.

"Mission accomplished. It's been a very long season mentally and physically. I thought the kids dug down in the third period and did what they had to do," said MC coach John McLean, the former MC assistant who took the reins in Serino's absence and steered MC to a 20-1-4 record, the lone loss to New Jersey State Champion Delbarton in the season’s second game "It's been a long journey mentally for these kids, for him, for the coaching staff and for the school. It means a lot for us to be able to do this for him. It's been a little bit of a roller-coaster. He (Serino) spoke to us about it at the start of the season and the juniors and seniors, who've been around the longest, took it a bit harder. We had a lot of private meetings with the kids. It's the kids team and it's Chris's team, it's not my team. We said 'let's do it for the school and do it for Chris'," McLean said.

MALDEN CATHOLIC won its second straight Mass. Division 1A title, doing it for coach Chris Serino, sidelined all season by illness. The Lancers bested BC High, 3-1 in final.

(Jamie Callery photo)

Despite their determination to become just the third were fine. Cronin's a great goalie and made some big school to win back-to-back 1A titles, the Lancers stops but Connor came up big for us tonight when he found themselves down within the game's first two had to. I'm happy for him," McLean said.

The Eagles -- who fell to MC by the same 3-1 count minutes and facing the daunting prospect of solving the Eagles' stellar junior keeper Peter Cronin (28 in tournament pool play -- broke on top with just 1:58 saves) at least twice. expired. Defenseman Sam Topham carried deep along MC's senior captain the left side and managed to Brendan Collier drew the “It means a lot for us to be able to sneak a shot from a sharp angle between Maloney and Lancers even in the secdo this for him (Chris Serino).” the near post. ond period, junior keeper MC Coach John McLean Connor Maloney (14 And so it went with MC applying increasing pressure saves) -- who transferred from B.C. High at the completion of his sophomore and Cronin turning back everything sent his way until year -- pitched a shutout for the final 58 minutes and the second period. That's when Collier collected Ryan junior Mike Iovanna delivered the game-winner with Fitzgerald's deft 2-on-1 dish from the right circle, cut less than seven minutes to go in regulation. hard across the low slot and executed a slick deke and "The turning point was just to get over our nerves, deposit, pulling the puck around the sprawling Cronin get back to business and play our hockey. In the sec- to his backhand before sliding it into the open far side.

(Continued On Page 5) ond half of the second period and the third period we

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MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

• HNIB News Northeast Top 15 •

NJ’ s Delbarton School Back In The Number 1 Spot

alk about a role reversal. Last year at this time, the only thing that separated Malden Catholic (MA) and Delbarton School (NJ) at the top of the HNIB Northeast poll was a head-to-head battle earlier that season, won by MC, which gave the Mass. Division 1A champs the nod. This season, the two teams met again, with Delbarton winning, 2-1. That win gives the five-time New Jersey Private School champs the top spot in this year’s poll, just ahead of the Lancers, who won their second straight state title in the Bay State.

That loss to Delbarton was Malden Catholic’s only defeat of the season. The Green Wave’s only loss was to Hotchkiss, a New England TEAM W L T prep school.

1. Delbarton (NJ) 29 1 0 One of Delbarton’s fiercest 2. Malden Catholic (MA) 20 1 4 rivals in New Jersey - Don 3. Don Bosco Prep (NJ) 23 4 1 Bosco Prep - finished third.

4. BC High (MA) 13 7 5 A post-season upset prevent5. St. John’s Prep (MA) 16 6 2 ed the two teams from meet6. Bp. Hendricken (RI) 20 5 1 ing in the state champi7. St. Mary’s (MA) 19 3 3 onship.

8. Randolph (NJ) 22 2 4 Mass. Division 1A runners9. Mt. St. Charles (RI) 19 6 0 up B.C. High and 1A semi10. Pinkerton Acad. (NH) 19 2 0 finalist St. John’s Prep 11. Thornton Acad. (ME) 20 1 1 close out the Top five.

12. BFA - St. Albans (VT) 19 4 0 Rhode Island’s top dogs 13. Notre Dame WH (CT) 20 3 1 Bishop Hendricken (20-514. Central Catholic (MA) 15 5 5 1) finishes the season in the 15 Burlington (MA) 18 2 6 #6 position.

HNIB NORTHEAST

#7 St Mary’s Lynn (MA) had one of its best seasons in school history and earned the #2 seed in the Mass. Division 1A tournament. Back to New Jersey for the #8 spot, where powerhouse Randolph HS won yet another Public A state title.

Rounding out the Top Ten will be Rhode Island runnerup Mt. St. Charles and New Hampshire Division I champion Pinkerton Academy.

TOP 15 POLL

HNIB News • Volume 28 Number 7 PRINTED AT GANNETT OFFSET NORWOOD, MA

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795 Turnpike St. No. Andover, MA 01845 978-682-2425 hockeynight@comcast.net www. HNIBo nl i ne. co m

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DELBARTON SCHOOL players celebrate the teamʼs fifth straight New Jersey Private School title.

(Rich Graessle photo)

- INDEX -

Mass 1A Tourney 3,5-6 Mass. 1 Tourney 8-11 Mass. D2 Tourney 12-14 Mass D3 Tourney 16-17, 87 EMass III Hockey 17-18 CMass/WMass 20-21 Mass. Girls Tourney 22-25 Boys Prep Recap 27-32 Girls Prep Recap 34-38 RI Tourney .

39-43, 87 Connecticut Tourney 46-49 NH Tourney 51-55 Maine Playoffs 57-60 Vermont Tourney 61-63 New Jersey Post-Season 69-72 EJHL Recap 74-76 AJHL Recap 77-78, 86 Metro Jr. Recap 79-80, 86 Empire League 81-82 IJHL Playoff Recap 83-84. 86

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MARCH 23, 2012

MASSACHUSETTS DIVISION 1A TOURNAMENT

• Mass Division 1A Final • Malden Catholic A Repeat Champion

HNIB NEWS

(Continued From Page 3)

The Lancers had a 23-10 edge in shots through two periods and, after killing off a B.C. High power play early in the third period, set about the business of notching the go-ahead goal. It came with 6:58 remaining when Fitzgerald's pass deflected to the high slot from where defenseman Nick Rolli was able to shove the puck past several onrushing Eagles to Iovanna.

Alone in front, he beat Cronin with a backhander to the stick side.

"Michael's been having a tough time scoring goals lately but it's not for a lack of effort. He went out there, worked hard and buried the chance he had," McLean said.

DIVISION 1A SEMIFINALS

I B.C. High 3, St. John's Prep 2

The Catholic Conference foes split a pair of two-goal games during the regular season and expectations that this meeting of the two flocks of Eagles would be close were well-founded. In the end, B.C. High derailed the Prep’s bid to return to the championship game due in large part to the play of junior goalie Peter Cronin. Although not called on to make an excessive number of saves (19), several were of the spectacular variety. BCH twice took one-goal leads on strikes

by Tom Bessinger at 7:26 of the first period and Tim Larocque at 13:04 of the second. SJP responded to tie it twice on goals from Nick Pandelena (ppg) at 11:58 of the first period and Evan LeClerc at 9:04 of the third. That 2-all tie lasted all of 29 seconds as BCH's Chris LaLiberte netted the game-winner, besting Prep's David Letarte (14 saves) with 5:27 to play, set up by Bessinger.

I Malden Catholic 4, Central Catholic 0

Central Catholic goalie Kyle Williams did everything possible to extend the best season in program history, piling up 36 saves -- including 14 during a scoreless first period. But, from the outset it was apparent the defending champion Lancers were deeper across the board and played with a single-minded determination to return to the title game for the third time in four seasons. The Lancers finally solved Williams in the second period on goals from Nick Rolli and Brendan Collier, his 24th of the year. Those goals bracketed a penalty shop save

by MC goalie Connor Maloney (15 saves) against Central's Corey Webber.

Third-period tallies from freshman Ara Nazarian and BC-bound junior Ryan Fitzgerald (two assists) put it out of reach for the Lancers.

• Bracket One •

MCʼs BRENDAN COLLIER slides backhander past BC High goalie Peter Cronin to tie the score at 1-1 in the second period.

(Jamie Callery photo)

Freshman defenseman Casey Fitzgerald's empty-netter with 4.6 seconds to play accounted for the final.

McLean said the Lancers accomplished their goal by never talking about the Super 8 throughout the season. The sole focus every night was to secure the two available two points. With 16 players projected to return next winter it would come as no surprise if MC is in the mix for a three-peat.

Ditto for B.C. High, which graduates only four and could return nearly intact with the singular goal of securing a 1A crown. This was

Malden Catholic, BC High Earn Way To Semis

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eigning champion Malden Catholic made it through pool play without incident, seeking its third 1A final appearance in four years. The Lancers opened with a 3-2 decision of play-in qualifier St. John's of Shrewsbury and, despite a 37-5 edge in shots, had to come from behind to win it on Ryan Fitzgerald's goal with 34.7 seconds to play. St. John's twice took leads on goals by Connor Bertram and Vin D'Amato while Ara Nazarian and Colin MacGillivray supplied the answers for MC. The Lancers then defeated Catholic Conference foe BC High for the second time in three meetings (tie) this season with the freshman Nazarian notching the game-winner early in the third period. Tyler Sifferlin and Brendan White had

the other MC markers while Bartley Regan found the net for BCH. They closed out round-robin play with a 7-2 smack down of Hingham, the lone public school qualifier for this year's tournament. MC's top line of Brendan Collier (two goals, two assist), Fitzgerald (hat trick, assist) and Mike Iovanna (two assists) was at its explosive best in a 10-point night.

BC High secured its first semifinal berth since winning its second straight title in 2007 by bracketing wins against Hiingham and St. John's of Shrewsbury around the loss to MC. Senior Matt Sullivan's shorthanded empty-netter with (Continued On Page 6)

the Eagles' first title game appearance since they won the second of two straight 1A titles in 2007.

However, that will be then. This is now and this one was for Chris Serino.

Mass. Division 1A Tourney Scoreboard

First Round Central Cath. 6, St. Mary’s 5 (SO) St. John’s (D) 4, Cathedral 3 (OT) BC High 4, Hingham 2 Malden Cath. 3, St. John’s (S) 2 Second Round St. John’s (D) 4, Central Cath. 3 St. Mary’s 3, Cathedral 2 (S0) Malden Cath. 3, BC High 1 Hingham 3, St. John’s (S) 2 (OT) Third Round St. John’s (D) 3, St. Mary’s 1 Central Cath. 5, Cathedral 4 (OT) Malden Cath. 7, Hingham 2 BC High 3, St. Johns’s (S) 2 (OT) Semifinals Malden Cath. 4, Central Cath. 0 BC High 3, St. John’s (D) 2 Final Malden Cath. 3, BC High 1

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MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

MASSACHUSETTS DIVISION 1A TOURNAMENT

Pioneers Suffer 3 Tough, One-Goal Losses

(Continued From Page 5) 11.2 seconds to play sealed a 4-2 win against Hingham in the first game of the tournament. The Eagles then turned back St. John's of Shrewsbury, 3-2, on Sullivan's game-winner that beat goalie Mario Pizzeri (37 saves). It was Sullivan's second goal of the day while Tom Besinger tied it at 2-2 with late power play goal. Kevin Emmerling and Jay Duquette tallied for the Pioneers.

Hingham edged St. John's in the middle game of the tournament, 3-2, in OT thanks to the heroics of Sam D'Antuono. The sophomore, who had

six regular-season goals, had a hat trick and scored the game-winner at 1:19 of extra time.

Bertram and Duquette connected for SJS. Hingham, the division's lone Independent, capped a 17-6-2 year.

For St. John's (S) the tournament proved to be a case of so near yet so far. The Pioneers, who topped Needham in the play-in round, endured three one-goal losses -- two in OT -- to finish up at 16-7-3. Sophomore goalie Pizzeri stood out on the big stage, turning back 103 of 112 shots for a gaudy .920 save percentage.

• Bracket 2 •

St. John’s, Central Move On To Semis

S

t. John's Prep negotiated its way unscathed through pool play to advance to the semifinals for the second straight year. The Eagles opened with a 4-3 OT win against Springfield Cathedral on Sam Kurker's goal at 9:21 of extra time. Andrew Brandano, Nick Pandelena and Brian Pinho also scored and Dave Letarte had 21 saves. The brothers Crinella, Frank (two) and Peter, accounted for SC's goals.

St. John's then turned back tenacious Central Catholic, 4-3 bolstered by Letarte's 31 saves. Brandano (two goals, assist), Kurker (goal, assist), Derek Osbahr (goal) and Pinho (two assists) led the attack against Central goalie Kyle Williams (21 saves). Alex Lester, Ryan Daigle and Mike Kelleher scored for Central.

Finally, in a game for North Shore bragging rights, Prep closed out St. Mary's of Lynn, 3-1, with Kurker's second of the game snapping a 1-1 tie with 3:20 to play. Pinho tacked on an insurance tally with 1:50 left while Cam O'Neill netted the Spartans' goal in the first period.

Central Catholic claimed the second semifinal slot, sandwiching wins against St. Mary's (6-5, SO) and Springfield Cathedral (5-4, OT) around the loss to St. John's. The Raiders proved opportunistic despite being outplayed by St. Mary's. Steven Merrick netted the only goal of the shootout to secure the win and CC got single goals from Michael Hovnanien, Christian Smith, Kelleher, Daigle and Corey Webber while Kyle Williams finished with 36 saves. Brendan Mageary (two), Tim Aylward, Bobby Mullins and Tommy Braswell netted St. Mary's goals.

Central benefited from a tie-breaking oddity and wound up advancing when Springfield Cathedral, needing to win by at least two goals to gain the semifinals, had to pull its goalie despite holding a 4-3 lead. Central tied it on Kelleher's empty-netter with 13 seconds to play and Jake Donahue delivered the game-winner in OT. Daigle, Christian Thompson and Nick Gorski also scored for Central. Cathedral opened a 3-0 lead on first-period goals from DJ Petruzzelli, Jordan Kozub and Frank Crinella, but couldn't close the deal against Central's back-up keeper Andrew Robbins (nine saves). Cathedral finished 10-9-6.

St. Mary's lone win came at Cathedral's expense in a 3-2 shootout. Senior captain Mageary's goal settled the penalty shot phase. St. Mary's opened a 2-0 lead less than six minutes into the game on goals by O'Neill and Mullins. Cathedral settled and eventually tied it on goals from Frank Crinella and Cullen Geary. The Catholic Central Large champion Spartans, playing in the 1A for the first time, finished at 19-3-3.

O Page 8

MARCH 23, 2012

By Kevin Doyle • HNIB News

ne would think that by the time mid-February rolls around, most teams -especially one with just a single loss through 17 games -- would have a pretty strong sense of self.

However, following a stretch of four straight ties, that was not the case with the Burlington High hockey team according to longtime coach Bob Conceison.

"On February 12th (after the fourth of those deadlocks) we didn't know which direction we were headed, didn't no where we were going to go. This is the culmination of soul-searching among our team leaders and a lot of hard work among the coaching staff and the players," Conceison said after the Middlesex Small cochampion Red Devils (18-2-6) dispatched Bay State Herget Conference runner-up Milton (194-3), 6-2, at TD Garden to win the first State championship in program history.

HNIB MASS. DIV. I TOP 20 POLL

TEAM 1. Malden Cath.

2. B.C. High 3. St. John’s Prep 4. St. Mary’s 5. Central Cath.

6. Burlington 7. Hingham 8. Milton 9. Marshfield 10. Cathedral 11. St. John’s (S) 12. Needham 13. Natick 14. Wakefield 15. Norwood 16. Braintree 17. Chelmsford 18. Woburn 19. Westford Acad.

20. Acton-Boxboro

W 20 13 16 19 15 18 17 19 18 10 16 16 11 12 15 14 15 13 13 12

L 1 7 6 3 5 2 6 4 3 9 7 6 9 7 4 7 7 6 5 9

T 4 5 2 3 4 6 2 3 2 6 3 1 4 6 4 3 2 4 4 2

Burlington Now A Title Town HNIB NEWS

MASSACHUSETTS DIVSION I TOURNAMENT

6-2 Verdict Of Milton Nets First State Championship

BURLINGTON BRAINTRUST: Veteran head coach Bob Conceison with (l to r) Steve Mattos, Trevor Cimino, Brian Hood and captain Brett Romkey and MIAA Division I state championship trophy.

(Jamie Callery photo)

Six players scored while junior goalie David DeCastro (25 saves) anchored a stout defensive effort featuring the shot-blocking antics of defensemen Steve Mattos, Adam Crowley, Cody Crocker and Brien Diffley. The Red Devils quieted the division's highestscoring offense (126 goals) as they became the first team since 2009 to reach the Division 1 State final after getting ousted from the 1A Tournament (6-4 play-in loss to Central Catholic).

“We’ve been knocking on the door for a lot of years. We were in the Super 8 final a few years ago (2009, 6-1 loss to Catholic Memorial) but this is completely different,’’ Conceison said. “We had two strong public school (Continued On Page 9)

MILTONʼs LLOYD HILL moves toward the net with Burlington defenseman Brien Difflley hot on his trail. Red Devils won Division I state title with 6-2 win.

(Jamie Callery photo)

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(Continued From Page 8)

teams and it’s nice to play a competitive game that way. It means a lot to our program.’’

Burlington jumped the Wildcats and goalie Jay Hankard -- who, prior to the title game, had not given up more than a single goal in any post-season outing -- for a 1-0 lead just 1:31 into the game when Brian Hood made it 1-0.

That lead stood until 3:13 of the second period when Mattos' pass found Brett Romkey who, despite solid coverage by the Wildcats, zipped a backhander past Hankard's glove. The lead grew to 3-0 at the 8:13 mark when Joe

Mass. Division I Tourney Scoreboard

NORTH SECTIONAL First Round Austin Prep 4, Winchester 1 Woburn 3, St. Peter-Marian 0 Acton-Boxboro 3, Reading 1 Wakefield 3, Andover 0 Medford 3, Everett 0 Chelmsford 5, Arlington Cath. 0 Quarterfinals Acton-Boxboro 4, Woburn 3 Burlington 4, Austin Prep 3 Wakefield 3, Westford Acad. 2 Chelmsford 6, Medford 1 Semifinals Burlington 5, Acton-Boxboro 1 Wakefield 2, Chelmsford 1 (SO) Final Burlington 4, Wakefield 2 SOUTH SECTIONAL First Round Braintree 3, Duxbury 1 Natick 5, Brockton 3 Quarterfinals Milton 3, Falmouth 1 Natick 3, Needham 2 Braintree 2, Marshfield 0 Norwood 2, Barnstable 1 Semifinals Natick 1, Norwood 0 Milton 2, Braintree 0 Final Milton 3, Natick 1 STATE FINAL Burlington 6, Milton 2

MASSACHUSETTS DIVISION I TOURNAMENT

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Red Devils Claim MIAA Division I Crown

Moran won a battle on the right side and delivered a pass to the closing defenseman Crowley, who jammed the puck past Hankard.

“Especially in a hot rink, if you can beat the guys to the outside and get the pucks to the net things can happen and that happened,’’ Conceison said. “We got the puck into the crease a few times and got a couple goals that way.’’

Another aspect of Burlington's strategy was to make sure that Milton's high-powered all-senior first line of Paul Curran, Brian Higgins and Terrance Walsh, who entered the game with a combined 65 goals, was blanketed at every turn in the offensive end and forced to honor their responsibilities in the defensive end.

"Their first line is a tremendous first line and we wanted to make them work in the defensive zone. I think we accomplished that. And our defensemen, all four of them, blocked a lot of shots. It was a great tournament run for the four of them," Conceison said.

Milton gained a bit of life at 12:57 of the second period, closing to 3-1 when Lloyd Hill slipped a shot past DeCastro on Brendan Kelley's feed from behind the net. However, a late penalty blunted any momentum the Wildcats may have been building.

Indeed. Before the period was two minutes old, Burlington's lead grew to 5-1. First, Dan McMahon picked

• Division I North Final • Burlington Reigns Supreme

I Burlington 4, Wakefield 2

Top-seeded Burlington opened a 4-0 lead through two periods as it halted No. 7 Wakefield's drive to return to the TD Garden for the second straight year. The teams tied two regular-season games.

The Red Devils will play for their first State title since losing to Catholic Memorial in the 2009 1A championship game. The Devils' balance was once again on display as Trevor Cimino (goal, two assists) and CJ Grinnell (goal, assist) led the way. Joe Scali and Brett Romkey added goals while Joe Moran, Dan Metzdorf, Dan McMahon and Joe Berardi dished out helpers.

Well-fronted by a stifling defense, Burlington keeper Derek DeCastro was called on for a mere 14 saves and carried a shutout into the third period.

Warriors goalie Joe Cerulo loomed large in his high school finale, piling up 27 saves. Wakefield finished 12-66.

the rebound of a shot off the right post and slipped the puckpast Hankard. Then, at 1:16, Trevor Cimino sifted left to right across the prime scoring area and snapped a 20-footer past Hankard's glove.

Higgins brought Milton back to 5-2 shortly thereafter, but it was token resistance. The Red Devils Joe Berardi put the exclamation point on the win with an empty-netter.

So, not a bad finish to the season for a team, which little more than a month earlier seemed to have lost its sense of self. But the Red Devils rediscovered their mojo and closed 8-1-0.

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MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

MASSACHUSETTS DIVISION I TOURNAMENT

Wakefield Advances Via Shootout MASS D1 NORTH SEMIFINALS

Red Devils Cruise Past A-B

I Wakefield 2, Chelmsford 1 (SO)

The No. 7 Warriors leaned heavily on goalie Joe Cerulo and he responded with 34 saves and turned back all but one shot in the shootout. Chelmsford goalie Derek Noble very nearly matched that performance with 27 through regulation and OT before yielding a pair in the shootout. A first-period goal by Chelmsford's David DeDonato, assisted by Jon Fairbanks, stood up until the third period when Dan Cardillo knotted it on a set-up by Tyler MacDonald. Alec Brown potted the GWG in the shootout. No. 6 Chelmsford concluded a 14-7-2 campaign.

I Burlington 5, Acton-Boxboro 1 Top-ranked Burlington blitzed the Colonials with a 34-shot barrage. Joe Scali (two goals), Trevor Cimino (goal, assist) and Joe Berardi (goal, assist) led the assault against AB goalie Erik Wurman. Brian Hood also had a goal while CJ Grinnell, Adam Crowley and Dan Metzdorf contributed helpers. Meanwhile, Burlington goalie Derek DeCastro had a relatively easy time of it, facing only 17 shots. TJ Barrett netted the lone goal for AB, assisted by Ryan Barrett. The No. 12 Colonials logged out at 12-9-2.

HNIB News • Salute to the Champions

MASS D1 NORTH QUARTERFINALS

I Acton-Boxboro 4, Woburn 3

The upstart No. 12 Colonials climbed out of a two-goal hole with three thirdperiod goals to oust the No. 4 Tanners in their own building. Special teams played a huge role as Tyler McKelvie delivered the power play game-winner with 3:35 to play. Travis Hamilton (power play) and TJ Barrett (shorthanded) also scored in the third. Peter Sikalis had a first-period goal while goalie Eric Wurman had 38 saves. Woburn checked out at 13-6-4.

I Burlington 4, Austin Prep 3

After falling in a Div. 1A play-in game, the Red Devils returned to Sectional play as the top seed and used a four-goal second period to cage the Cougars.

Goals came from Joe Moran, Joe Berardi, Dan Metzdorf, and Brian Hood.

Burlington native Ryan Quinn had a pair for No. 8 Austin Prep, which finished at 11-7-5.

I Chelmsford 6, Medford 1

The No. 6 Lions devoured the No. 14 Mustangs. Matt Winter scored the eventual game-winner in the first period. Dave DeDonato had a pair of goals while Drew Dawson, Derek Hill and Tommy Bishop had one each in support of goalie Derek Noble's 17-save outing. Medford closed out at 9-13-0.

I Wakefield 3, Westford Academy 2 (OT)

Eddie Matthews delivered the game-winner for No. 7 Wakefield at 4:13 of extra time. Joseph McCarthy and Sam Carr had the Warriors' other goals while Justin Pawlowski and Jay Drapeau scored for the No. 2 Grey Ghosts, the latter's coming with 8:51 left in regulation to tie. Westford wound up at 13-5-5.

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Page 11

MASSACHUSETTS DIVISION I TOURNAMENT

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Milton Shades Bay State Rival Natick In D1 South Final

I Milton 3, Natick 1

After combining for 23 goals in two regular-season meetings (tie, Milton win), these Bay State Herget opponents both played fairly solid defense in the title game -- although Paul Curran's goal that staked Milton to a 1-0 lead just 10 seconds into the game indicated another offensive free-for-all might be in store. No. 3 Milton went up by a pair with 6:32 left in the period when Ryan McDougall ripped a slap shot past Natick goalie Derek Kwok. Brian Higgins completed the scoring at 7:27 of the second period and the defenses took over for the back half of the game. Mike Perry notched No. 9 Natick's lone goal at 4:17 of the second period, making it a 2-1 game at the time. Kwok wound up with 20 saves a the Red and Blue concluded a memorable post-season run and finished 11-9-4.

DIVISION I SOUTH QUARTERFINALS

I Braintree 2, Marshfield 0

The No. 7 Wamps ousted the defending Division One champs thanks to goals

by Cody Kingston and David Fasano in the second period. The No. 2 Rams -the last team eliminated during the Division 1A Tournament selection process -finished the year at 18-3-3.

I Natick 3, Needham 2

Ranked No. 9, the Red and Blue stunned top-seeded Needham, which returned to the South bracket after losing a Div. 1A play-in contest. Derek Kwok made 22 saves and Natick opened a 3-0 lead on second-period goals by Andrew Newis, Derek Butler and Mike Pennett. Bay State Carey champion Needham finished 16-6-1.

I Milton 3, Falmouth 1

Paul Curran scored broke a 1-all tie with 43 seconds left and Brian Higgins added an empty-netter as No. 3 Milton fought off No. 6 Falmouth. Storm Fotiu gave the Clippers a 1-0 lead early in the second period but Curran's first tied it with 30 seconds left in the period. Falmouth wound up with a 12-6-5 mark.

I Norwood 2, Barnstable 1

Kyle Dolan's power play goal with 7:15 remaining in the third period lifted No. 4 Norwood past No. 5 Barnstable. The Raiders' Max Willman gave his club a 1-0 lead midway through the first period but Andrew Alty matched that with 30 seconds left in the period. Barnstable finished at 14-5-2.

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I Natick 1, Norwood 0

The upstart No. 9 Red and Blue upset another Bay State Conference foe in the third meeting of the season between the Herget Division opponents. No. 4 Norwood won and tied the regular-season clashes, but a second-period goal by Natick's Andrew Newis stood up thanks to the play of goaltender Derek Kwok (22 saves). Jordan Davis had 16 saves for Norwood, which capped a 15-4-4 season. The Mustangs created a number of prime chances as the game wore on but couldn't solve Kwok.

I Milton 2, Braintree 0

In another all-Bay State Conference semifinal, the No. 3 Herget representative rode a 17-save performance of senior Jay Hankard past their Carey Division opponents, an identical outcome to their early-season meeting in December.

Derek Curley tallied the game-winner on the power play at 11:49 of the second period, redirecting Brian Higgins' original shot. Higgins doubled the lead at 5:32 of the third period, making Braintree pay off a turnover.

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Wilmington Holds Off Franklin For D-2 Title

Page 12

MARCH 23, 2012

T

HNIB NEWS

MASSACHUSETTS DIVISION II TOURNAMENT

Junior Owens Scores All Three Goals In 3-2 Wildcat Win

By Chris Richardson • HNIB News

wo amazing storylines led Wilmington and Franklin to the MIAA Division 2 State Championship showdown at TD Garden; Wilmington faced stiff competition all season in their new league schedule, and Franklin plowed a similar path as they did a year ago through the South as sectional champs.

Only one team's offseason could be spent celebrating however, and Wilmington earned that right behind a dynamic offensive performance from forward Cam Owens.

The junior scored all three Wildcat goals to lead Wilmington to a 3-2 win and the school’s firstever state championship. They lost to Sandwich in the 2008 MIAA D2 state final.

MASSACHUSETTS Div. II Top 20

W L 1. Wilmington 16 4 2. Franklin 19 3 3. Lynnfield 18 4 4. Mansfield 15 5 5. Winthrop 15 7 6. Boston Latin 15 3 7. Canton 15 3 8. Oliver Ames 14 5 9. Danvers 16 6 10. No. Andover 16 5 11. Saugus 13 8 12. Triton 15 5 13. No. Quincy 13 6 14. Martha’s Vine. 12 7 15. Beverly 14 6 16. Tewksbury 12 5 17. No. Attleboro 13 7 18. Lincoln-Sud. 11 8 19. Newburyport 11 6 20. Somerville 11 9

T 5 3 1 3 2 4 3 4 0 4 3 2 4 2 1 4 2 3 4 1

WILMINGTON TOOK HOME the MIAA Division II state title, the first state crown in school history, with a 3-2 win over South Sectional champion Franklin at TD Garden.

“It’s been a long haul for us,” Wilmington coach Steve Scanlon told the Lowell Sun. “We’ve been close a bunch of times. I think it is more a culmination of things. Everyone who has ever played at Wilmington High can take a piece of this title. We did a great job winning it.”

A scoreless first period saw Panthers’ netminder Mike Donadio pulling out acrobatic saves on quality scoring chances from the Wildcat attack.

Despite heavy Wilmington pressure, Donadio and Franklin's defense were able to keep the tilt scoreless into the first intermission.

Within the first ten minutes of the second period the Owens show began, with some great offensive set ups by his teammates. Owens potted the first goal on a wrister from the tops of the circles that appeared to have Donadio screened, followed by his second tally which he backhanded in on the rebound. Linemate Jake Rogers' effort to wheel the puck in off Donadio as he fell to the ice created the goal.

Franklin answered with a pair of their own to steal the momentum away from Wilmington as Cam Curley scored on a one-time tap in from Justin Miller. Following their first strike Evan Stawarz banked in a goal off of Wilmington goaltender Drew Foley with some clever work to free the puck off the back of the goal in close to tie the game at 2-2 going into the second intermission.

(C ont i nued On Page 13)

Cam Owens • Wilmington Hat Trick in State Final

Page 13

MASSACHUSETTS DIVISION II TOURNAMENT

Wildcats Sneak Past Franklin For MIAA Division II Title (Continued From Page 12)

The Panthers ultimately failed to create any sustained pressure in the Wildcats zone and left the door open for Owens and company to shine.

With less than eight minutes left in the game it was Rogers again feeding Owens in the slot for a dart

Mass. Division II Tourney Scoreboard

NORTH SECTIONAL First Round Lynnfield 5, St. Bernard’s 1 Wilmington 6, Newburyport 2 Danvers 4, Methuen 2 No. Andover 7, Somerville 0 Boston Latin 8, Watertown 1 Winthrop 4, Tewksbury 0 Linc.-Sudbury 4, Triton 2 Saugus 5, Beverly 4 (OT) Quarterfinals Wilmington 2, Lynnfield 1 No. Andover 1, Danvers 0 Winthrop 1, Boston Latin 0 Saugus 7, Linc.-Sudbury 2 Semifinals Wilmington 2, No. Andover 0 Winthrop 6, Saugus 0 Final Wilmington 4, Winthrop 2 SOUTH SECTIONAL First Round Plymouth So. 5, Dennis-Yarm. 4 No. Quincy 4, Coyle-Cassidy 1 No. Attleboro 3, Dedham 2 (OT) Quarterfinals Franklin 4, Plymouth So. 1 Oliver Ames 3, Martha’s Vine. 1 North Quincy 3, Canton 2 (SO) Mansfield 5 No. Attleboro 1 Semifinals Franklin 4, Oliver Ames 1 Mansfield 5, No. Quincy 3 Final Franklin 5, Mansfield 2 STATE FINAL Wilmington 3, Franklin 2

of a wristshot that beat Donadio, standing up as the game winner.

Some late pressure by Franklin fizzled in the waning moments of the third as Wilmington players dove in front of shot attempts in desperation and sealed their Division II state championship.

Owens, like every high school player, said he fulfilled a dream by winning the championship on Garden ice. And, as if playing in a dream, he stole the show with a hat trick performance as well.

DIVISION II NORTH QUARTERFINALS

I Winthrop 1, Boston Latin 0

In a tight checking game the lone goal of the contest stood up as the winner as the Vikings won against a potent Wolfpack attack. Playmaking forward Dan Eruzione's first period tally eventually proved to be the game winner for his team. Winthrop netminder Steven Waites was the difference maker against Latin leading scorer Conal Lynch and company, slamming the door shut with an impressive eight stops in the third period to earn his team a semifinals bid.

I Saugus 7, Lincoln-Sudbury 2

The Sachems’ Saige Tait potted two goals and leading scorer Kurt Rodrigues put up a hat trick and assist as they won in convincing fashion against the Warriors. With the score 5-0 after the first period, L-S knew they were in trouble. Colin Defrancesco scored to make it 5-1 in the second, and that was the closest they would get as Saugus rolled to victory, setting their sights on the semifinal round. Warrior Kyle Anderson scored the only other Lincoln-Sudbury goal as time wound down in the third.

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

• Division II North Final •

Wilmington Pulls Away Late

I Wilmington 4, Winthrop 2

The streaking Vikings struck first halfway through the opening stanza with Chris Leblanc feeding Dan Eruzione for a well-executed goal, but Wilmington proved to be the stronger of the two clubs, scoring in the clutch with just minutes remaining.

Luke Foley made the tilt 1-1 after finding a redirected shot and rifling it past goalie Steven Waites. Soon after in the third Jake Rogers traded goals with Winthrop’s Bobby Clewer knotting it up at 2-2 before Wilmington's leaders put the game away.

With just 2:08 remaining in regulation, Captain Dalton Rolli cashed in a feed from linemate Cam Owens for the game-winning goal as the Wildcats rolled to a state final berth. Brendan McDonough added the exclamation point with an empty-net goal.

Wilmington goaltender Drew Foley had 19 saves, including some big stops in the third period with the game still tied.

DIVISION II NORTH SEMIFINALS

I Winthrop 6, Saugus 0

When two streaking teams met in the Sachems and the Vikings, the last thing anyone expected was a blowout, yet thats what transpired in Winthrop's favor, where special teams made the difference. A second period Sachems powerplay proved to be the deciding moment of the game. However, instead of the Sachems capitalizing on their man advantage it was the dogged pursuit of the Winthrop PK that led to a pair of shorthanded goals for the Vikings that punched their ticket to the North finals. Dan Eruzione and Mitch Paulson both scored for the Vikings in the win.

I Wilmington 2, North Andover 0

Special teams proved to be the difference once again for the Wildcats as their powerplay goal in the first held up to be the winner and propelled them to the North finals. Despite goalie Joel Daccord’s 25 saves, electric forward Cam Owens just needed one loose puck to find his tape to put home the winning goal and his teammates provided exceptional penalty killing work throughout to suppress the Scarlet Knight attack. Jake Rogers added an empty-netter to seal the deal.

Page 14

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

MASSACHUSETTS DIVISION II TOURNAMENT

• Massachusetts Division II South Final •

Franklin Returns To Garden With Win Over Mansfield

Franklin 5, Mansfield 2 The Franklin veterans from last year's squad knew what to do once they reached within one game of returning to the Garden; pounce on Mansfield right from the opening draw.

I

MASS. DIVISION II NORTH QUARTERFINALS

I Wilmington 2, Lynnfield 1

The Wildcats withstood heavy pressure from the Lynnfield forwards early to earn a one-goal win over the top-seeded Pioneers. Netminder Drew Foley proved to be the difference in the contest as he weathered a barrage of Lynnfield chances in the first, recording 12 saves. Wilmington defenseman Brian Pickett emerged as the hero scoring a goal, while Cam Owens had the other.

I North Andover 1, Danvers 0

This game was evenly matched into the final frame until the persistance of North Andover paid off and Derek Hunter pushed one past goalie Steve Wilkinson for the game winner. The Scarlet Knights took it to the Falcons all night as Danvers conceded the neutral zone entry all night but failed to counterattack successfully.

2012 Future Prospects Hockey Camps

Panthers Take All-Hockomock Final

Thats just what the Panthers did as they went up 3-0 through two frames, highlighted by a wraparound goal from Nick Bertoni and a shot through traffic from Ryan Garland. The Hornets' Brendan Murphy scored on the power play shortly after, but proved too little too late as Franklin broke through for two empty netters to seal the win and repeat as South champions.

MASS. DIVISION II SOUTH SEMIFINALS

I Mansfield 5, North Quincy 3

Despite and early 2-0 lead by North Quincy, Mansfield's attack proved to be too much as they rode freshman Erik Foley's 3-goal effort into the South final game. Brendan Murphy scored the hornet's first goal to keep them in the game and Steve Folan potted the game winner between two of Foley's strikes.

I Franklin 4, Oliver Ames 1

The Panthers collected an all-important 2-goal lead against the red hot Tigers goalie Jimmy Tierney on the way to a decisive victory. Evan Sawarz and Ryan Garland combined for the first pair of goals, while forward Cam Curley was sent in alone on a feed from Justin Magerman which he buried five-hole on Tierney.

MASS. DIVISION II SOUTH QUARTERFINALS

I North Quincy 3, Canton 2 SO

The Bulldogs imposed their will on the Raiders early getting out to a 2-0 lead, but they would see that shrink to a one-goal advantage on an Andrew Currie tally from Tom O’Brien. After the Red Raiders tied the game with the extra attacker in the third, goaltender James Dunn shined in the shootout and held his net for the victory.

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I Mansfield 5, North Attleboro 1

The Hornets dominated North Attleboro from puck drop until the final bell seeing five different names on the scoresheet on their way to the semifinal round.

The likes of Will Kelliher, Mike Blackman, Steve Folan, Brendan Murphy, and Cam Nearing all scored to win in convincing fashion.

I Franklin 5, Plymouth South 1

Plymouth South showed a lot of grit in this one, sticking with the defending South champs until the Panthers jailbreaked for four unanswered goals in the third to secure a pivotal victory in the tourney. Franklin sprung to a 2-0 lead off of goals from Mike Patjane and Nick Bertoni, only to be matched by South's Joey Colbert to make it 2-1. However freshman Justin Miller iced the win with two goals and an assist.

I Oliver Ames 3, Martha’s Vineyard 1

The Vineyarders traded goals with the Tigers in the first with MV's Colby Gouldrup tallying followed by a wrister from OA's Derek Johnson. An overturned powerplay goal, thought to be potted by Tyler Araujo, proved to sway momentum in the Tigers favor as Corey MLaughlin and Tyler Provost put two daggers in the net to advance Oliver Ames to the semis.

Page 15

MARCH 23, 2012

2011 Summer Showcase Review

TeamOne rejoices after winning 2011 HNIB Summer Showcase.

HOCKEY NIGHT IN BOSTON

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Call (978) 682-2425 Next Summer's 38th event Massachusetts/RI will take place July 27th - August 1st Northern NE (NH, ME, VT) at the Haverhill Valley Forum Connecticut Haverhill, MA (25 miles north of Boston Mid/Atlantic/New York (Beautiful Two-Rink Facility) Midwest/Great Lakes

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HNIB NEWS

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Page 16

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

MASSACHUSETTS DIVISION III TOURNAMENT

2012 MIAA DIVISION THREE STATE CHAMPS: Central Mass. kingpin Hudson High won the state Division III title with a 5-1 win over South Sectional champion Medway.

Accepting the trophy are (l to r) Tom Fahey, Brian Fahey, Alex Pantalone, coach Mike Nanartowich and Tim Murphy.

Hawks Decision Medway, 5-1, In MIAA D-3 Final

Hudson Puts Cap On Tremendous Season

T

By Terrence Doyle • HNIB News

here is only one word that can accurately define the Hawks of Hudson this season: Overpowering. And after finishing the season 22-1-1, it would be hard for anyone to argue with such a distinction.

The Hawks capped their season of dominance with a 5-1 victory over a very strong Medway club, giving them the 2012 MIAA Division III state championship.

It was Hudson’s first state title since 1978.

The Hawks have now won the last three Central Mass. titles. In the past two years, they have come up short in the CMass/WMass crossover.

Though Hudson ended up turning in a defensive effort that crippled their opponent, it was Medway that struck first.

Jake O’Rourke, Medway's allworld forward, notched his 44th goal of the season just two minutes, turning on the jets on the left side, cruising in andburying a breakaway bid. Hudson answered the bell before the break, though, when Tom Fahey scored with three minutes left to tie it at one goal a side.

Bryan Carter assisted on the goal.

From there, it was all Hudson.

After scoring once in the second on a Bryan Carter shot, and killing three Medway power plays, the Hawks took control in the third, popping three more times to bury

the Mustangs en route to the title.

Senior forward Tyler Kirby scored to put Hudson on top by two, however two-goal leads in hockey are always tenuous, so it was his second tally with five minutes remaining that sealed the deal.

As a bit of icing on the cake, Blake

I

Seymour netted one final goal for the Hawks with about a minute left in the competition.

There was nothing more that needed to be done, and Hudson bled the clock down till it read zero: zero zero, till they were officially state champions.

• Division III North/South Crossover •

Mustangs Outlast Gritty Wayland

By Terrence Doyl e • HNIB News

n a zany game that saw five lead changes over the course of the final two periods, why wouldn't a freshman with just two goals in his previous twenty five games notch the decisive tally?

Mustang newcomer Mike Boldy did just that, taking a pass from linemate Nick diCristoforo and firing it over the left shoulder of Warrior keeper Ben Boschetto to give his club the lead, 5-4. They'd never relinquish it.

(Continued On Page 17)

O

Page 17

EMASS DIVISION III TOURNAMENT

MARCH 23, 2012

• Division 3A State Championship •

HNIB NEWS

Groton-Dunstable Turns Tables On South Hadley/Holyoke

By Michael Fornabaio • HNIB News

ne team was going to suffer its first loss in the Division 3A state championship game, but Groton-Dunstable's depth helped it survive in a game of bounces.

Little-used freshman Nathan Rabbitt came off the bench to break a tie with 3:08 left and lift the Crusaders to a 4-3 win over South Hadley/Holyoke at Springfield's MassMutual Center.

"He sat on the bench all night," Crusaders coach Brian Payne said.

"I'm proud of him."

South Hadley blocked Stephen Mullins' shot, but the puck bounced to the left to Rabbitt, who hit the open side. Goalie Jason Robes (15 saves) and the Crusaders defense preserved that lead.

"The guys are a very well-disciplined group of guys," Payne said.

"They played exceptionally well all year. They were at the right spots at the right times."

Chris Menard had tied it less than two minutes earlier. Jake Knowles' shot was blocked, but Menard

recovered the puck and faked his way around Robes' left leg.

It was that kind of night: little mistakes and bounces made all the difference.

"They covered our goal-scorers,"

T

South Hadley/Holyoke coach John Houle said. "They were all over Spence (Nawrocki), Chris (Menard), Doug (Sattler)."

Payne credited his forwards' backchecking, making sure they

• D3 CMass/WMass Crossover •

Defense The Key For Hudson

By Michael Fornabaio • HNIB News

he blue lines were Hudson's, and everything from their own blue line in, that belonged to the Hawks even more.

Two quick first-period goals got Hudson the lead and sent them to the Division state final with a 3-1 win over Longmeadow at Springfield's MassMutual Center.

An outstanding defensive performance made sure Longmeadow never had a chance, something Hudson coach Mike Nanartowich got across to his team with a painful New England analogy.

"I hate to say it like this, but I told them before the New England Patriots played the Super Bowl that they were not going to win," Nanartowich said. "I told them, 'they don't have a defense.'"

Hudson did. By period, the Hawks gave up four, four and two shots.

"They've got a lot of seniors. They've been here before," Longmeadow coach Jim Joyce said. "Three lines, seven D, seven seniors, there's something to be said."

(Continued On Page 87)

• EMass III North/South Crossover •

Medway Shades Wayland In 5-4 Thriller (Continued From Page 16)

Medway actually registered the last two goals of the game, their fourth and game-tying effort coming from who else - Jake O'Rourke. It was the second time the Mustangs had battled back from a one-goal deficit to square things up.

This tilt wasn't always a wild one, though, as both teams used the first block to feel one another out, combining for just 12 shots.

Then there was the second period...

It only took Wayland fifty-two seconds to break the scoreless deadlock, Lee Junkin's rebound tally putting his Warriors up 1-0.

Medway didn't wait long to tie it up. Sophomore Mark Bittrolf's ripped slap shot beat Mike Narducci to bring things level.

Then, the squads began trading goals at a rapid pace.

Medway's Chris Heineman put the Mustangs on top for the first time with 3:18 remaining in the block.

However, Wayland's Evan Barber notched just ten seconds later to level things at two apiece.

And with only four seconds left in the stanza, Medway's Bobby Schindler broke the tie and, perhaps, Wayland's back with the go-ahead goal.

However, Wayland did not back down, getting a tally from Altan Atamer just three minutes in to draw even at three. Two minutes after that, a Shane Brady goal gave Wayland its second one-goal lead of the affair.

But it was all Medway from there on out, the Mustangs locking down defensively and getting the biggest goals in their program's history. One from a likely source in O'Rourke. One from a kid who was not a likely source entering the evening, but who may very well be from now on.

had someone in the slot to deny South Hadley chances.

South Hadley/Holyoke won two of the past three state titles while playing with the schools' order reversed. The second of those came last year, a 3-0 win over GrotonDunstable.

The Crusaders came back bigger and stronger and with more experience.

"They skated hard. They played positionally well," said Houle, adding that the Crusaders were the most-physical team that his team faced.

"They carried the puck really well. They weren't dumping it in.

They were carrying it in."

Nawrocki scored with 43.6 seconds left in the first period for the Tigers' only lead. Adam Kmetz tied it 21 seconds later after a fortunate bounce off the endboards.

Kmetz and Joey Harris traded second-period goals before C.J. Kenny gave Groton-Dunstable a lead on a power play.

EMASS DIV. III Top 15 Poll

W L T 1. Medway 19 7 1 2. Wayland 14 8 3 3. Rockland 17 6 1 4. Bedford 18 5 0 5. Medfield 18 4 1 6. Pembroke 17 5 3 7. Scituate 14 6 2 8. Dartmouth 14 7 2 9. Lowell 13 7 3 10. Norwell 15 6 0 11. Rockport 13 6 1 12. Abington 12 8 3 13. Cohasset 14 4 3 14. Somerset/Berk.10 8 5 15. Lowell Cath. 13 6 2

Page 18

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

EMASS DIVISION III TOURNAMENT

• North Sectional Final •

Wayland Turns Tables On Bedford EMass. Division III Tourney Scoreboard

NORTH SECTIONAL First Round Lynn 5, Weston 3 Wayland 3, Swampscott 1 Marblehead 3, Shawsheen 2 (OT) Lowell 3, Latin Academy 1 Quarterfinals Bedford 4, Lynn 1 Rockport 2, Marblehead 0 Wayland 2, Nashoba Tech 1 Lowell 4, Lowell Catholic 3 (OT) Semifinals Bedford 6, Rockport 2 Wayland 4, Lowell 1 Final Wayland 4, Bedford 1 SOUTH SECTIONAL Preliminary Westwood 6, Mashpee 0 Somerset 4, Bishop Stang 1 Blue Hills 7, E. Bridgewater 2 Abington 5, Diman Reg. 3 Medway 6, Foxboro 1 Dover-Sher. 6, D-R/Seekonk 2 Dartmouth 6, Apponequet 0 First Round Medfield 2, Westwood 1 (SO) Scituate 7, Middleboro 1 Somerset/Berkley 5, Norwell 4 Rockland 5, Blue Hills 3 Dartmouth 2, Old Rochester 1 Pembroke 4, Dover-Sherborn 1 Medway 3, Bourne 0 Abington 3, Cohasset 1 Quarterfinals Pembroke 7, Dartmouth 4 Medfield 1, Scituate 0 (SO) Medway 6, Abington 0 Rockland 3, Somerset/Berkley 0 Semifinals Rockland 6, Medfield 2 Medway 2, Pembroke 1 (OT) Final Medway 4, Rockland 1 EMASS FINAL Medway 5, Wayland 4

I Wayland 4, Bedford 1

For the Warriors of Wayland, the D-III North sectional title game was all about revenge. And boy did they get it. Having dropped the two regular season games they played against Bedford, the odds weren't necessarily in Wayland's hands. But you know what they say; it's tough to beat a team three times in one season. Wayland got on the board first when Evan Barber's wrister found the netting at 5:49 of the first stanza. The Warriors struck for two more in the first to carry a three goal cushion into the first intermission. Bedford's Matt Piccirillo breathed new life into his Bucs when he netted with 2:22 remaining in the second after having been stifled by Wayland's sophomore net minder, Ben Boschetto, for the better part of the tilt. Bedford made a push in the third, but Boschetto stood strong, stopping all eight shots the Bucs fired his way. Warrior forward Lucas Basterache iced things with 3:46 left when he took a pass from Kevin Yun and beat Bedford goalie Abe Granger to take a commanding threegoal lead.

• South Sectional Final •

10th Seed Medway Claims Title

I Medway 4, Rockland 1

Though the Mustangs eventually won by a three-goal margin, things were tight down to the last few minutes of this South sectional final competition.

However, it was senior forward Jake O'Rourke's incredible individual effort, peeling off the half boards and beating Rockland net minder Trevor Trudeau with a back hander to put Medway on top 3-1, that settled things once and for all. It was O'Rourke's 42nd of the season, and without question his most important.

Sophomore Josh O'Toole had the first two tallies for the Mustangs, who outshot Bedford 30-11. Tim King popped for an empty netter with 1:07 remaining to solidify the victory for Medway. Rockland dictated play for long stretches in the first, and it was John Mulready who struck first, beating Mustang keeper Mike Narducci for the 1-0 lead. But it was O'Toole's offensive outburst in the second block that helped Medway regain their focus and, accordingly, dominance. Two goals in a three minute span for O'Toole and the Mustangs were suddenly poised.

EMASS III QUARTERFINAL HIGHLIGHTS

I Medfield 1, Scituate 0 (SO)

Top-seeded Medfield avoided a scare, edging the Sailors of Scituate 1-0 in a shootout thrill ride. Rob Trieber's shoot out goal was just what the doctor ordered, after his Medfield club played to a scoreless draw with Scituate through three periods and an overtime stanza. Goalie Connor Roddy was huge in net, particularly during the second period when he parried all 20 shots Scituate rifled his way. He didn't allow a goal in the shootout, either, stopping five straight breakaways.

I Lowell 4, Lowell Catholic 3 (OT)

Red Raiders forward Matt Mandeville scored with 5:12 left in overtime to catapult Lowell past Lowell Catholic, 4-3. Lowell had a 3-2 lead late, Garrett Martel drew Lowell Catholic even with a power-play strike with just 31.6 seconds remaining in regulation. Lowell also got help from Brent Sullivan (2 goals, assist) and Rory O'Connor (goal, 2 assists).

D3 NORTH SEMIFINALS

I Bedford 6, Rockport 2

The Bucs took care of the Vikings, advancing to the north sectional final game with a 6-2 drubbing. Rockport opened the scoring just 37 seconds in when Anthony Ciaramitaro took advantage of a turnover in the Bedford zone. Yet, it was all Buccaneers afterward.

Matt Piccirillo, Anthony Lespasio, Kimmo Kauppinen all got big first stanza goals, and Bedford dominated play from then on, never letting their North sectional foes back into the hockey game.

I Wayland 4, Lowell 1

The scoreboard read zeroes after one, however Wayland senior forward Shane Brady made sure that changed in the second, popping for two tallies to give his squad a bit of a cushion in this North sectional semifinal game.

Kevin Yun and Lee Junkin also netted for Wayland, while net minder Ben Boschetto was brilliant in the cage, stopping 28 of the 29 pucks Lowell fired in his direction.

D3 SOUTH SEMIFINALS

Pembroke Falls

I Medway 2, Pembroke 1 (OT)

Semifinal match ups are supposed to be hotly contested, and this was no exception. Junior winger Chris Heineman got the game-winner seven minutes into the extra block after picking off an errant Pembroke pass and skating to the top of the circle before firing a wrister into the top corner.

Heineman assisted on Medway's first goal, scored by Bobby Schindler in the first block. Goalie Mike Narducci was solid as ever, stopping 27 of 28.

I Rockland 6, Medfield 2

Fifth-seeded Rockland knocked the top dogs off in the south sectional semifinal match, 6-2. Kevin Sheehan had another marvelous performance for Rockland, netting the hat-trick.

Five goals over the course of two games? Not too bad. John Mulready set the tone early for Rockland, snatching a goal in the first minute of the game.

Page 19

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Page 20

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

CENTRAL MASS/WESTERN MASS

Hudson Rally Foils Wachusett, 5-4

A

CENTRAL MASS. DIV. 3 FINAL

By Michael Fornabaio • HNIB News

lex Pantalone scored on a rebound 3:45 into overtime to complete a Hudson comeback and give the Hawks their third consecutive Central Mass. Division 3 championship with a 5-4 win over Wachusett.

"He really busted it just to get down there and follow the shot," Hudson coach Mike Nanartowich said, as quoted in the MetroWest Daily News. "We were fortunate to get possession in their zone, and we stuck one in there."

Pantalone converted the rebound of a Blake Seymour shot with his team in the midst of a line change at the DCU Center in Worcester.

“I saw Blake Seymour fighting for it, so I trailed in front of the net,” Pantalone told the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. “Blake got the shot off and I put in the rebound. It feels unbelievable.”

Hudson's Tim Murphy tied it with 5:10 remaining

after Jeremy Bennie's second goal got a lead back for the Mountaineers late in the second period.

“I told the kids before the second period that they just woke up the bear,” Wachusett coach Matt Lane said, as quoted in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette.

“Be ready, because they’re going to come at you.”

Pantalone, Bryan Carter and Zack Graham scored in the second period to tie the game for the Hawks, who beat Shrewsbury for the Central Mass. title two years ago (Murphy scored the winning goal late in regulation) and Wachusett last year (Blake Seymour, who set up Murphy's goal this year, had a hat trick in a 5-2 win).

Jake Strasser made a bunch of big saves, among his 35 in all, in the first period for Wachusett. Jeremy Bennie got the Mountaineers' outburst going with a backhanded rebound in front. Tucker White and Colin Bennie added goals soon after to build Wachusett's lead.

CENTRAL MASS.

Top Ten Poll

TEAM

WLT

1. Hudson 23 2. Wachusett 18 3. Groton-Dunstable 22 4. Marlboro 14 5. Auburn/Millbury 13 6. Shrewsbury 10 7. Fitchburg/Monty 13 8. Algonquin 9 9. Westboro 9 10. Worcester/Leic. 17

1 5 0 6 6 10 7 8 9 4

1 0 1 2 3 1 1 4 3 1

“Shane Barry made 30 saves for Hudson to keep his team right in it.

"I feel for ... the guys on that team," Nanartowich said, as quoted in the MetroWest Daily News.

"They are a great team, and this was a great game.

Longmeadow Reclaims Title, Besting Rival Westfield WESTERN MASS. DIV. 3 FINAL

Bombers Held Three-Goal Lead Before Falling, 5-3

L

By Michael Fornabaio • HNIB News

ongmeadow came back from a three-goal deficit to beat defending Western Mass. Division 3 champion Westfield 5-3 at the Olympia in West Springfield in a rematch of last year's final.

The Lancers, state champions in 2010, reclaimed the section title with a three-goal second and two more in the third. "We wore them down," Lancers coach Jim Joyce told the Springfield Republican.

Glenn LaFountain broke a 3-3 tie with 6:24 to go in the third period from the right circle as he, Andrew Hadley and Joe Stasiowski

cycled the puck in the right corner.

The teams split three games in the regular season; the Lancers' 5-2 season-opener was the only decisive win, against Westfield's 3-2 win in January and a 3-3 tie a couple of weeks before that.

After the Bombers grabbed their lead, it looked as if they might be changing the pattern. Anthony Cagliostro scored on an early backhander after Westfield retrieved the puck behind the Lancers net and worked it to the front a couple of times.

Nick Sibilia carried the puck up the right wing to set up Sean Spohr

to make it 2-0. Connor Laraway scored from the base of the right circle in quick transition to make it 3-0.

But Charlie Kelleher (two-onone, keeping it himself on the right side), Connor McCarthy (from the front of the net after Owen Kelleher recovered a turnover behind it) and Cormac Kennedy (with eight seconds left, after a turnover at the blue line) scored later in the second period to tie it.

Brett Rabideau added a goal late in the third.

Matt Blascak made 33 saves for Westfield, while Tommy McCarthy

Lancers Won 2010 Western Mass. Crown

stopped 27 for Longmeadow.

Kelleher, Rabideau and Kennedy all added an assist for the Lancers.

WESTERN MASS.

Top Ten Poll

TEAM

1. Longmeadow 2. Westfield 3. So. Had/Holyoke 4. Ludlow 5. W. Springfield 6. Agawam 7. E. Longmeadow 8. Minnechaug 9. Wahconah 10. St. Mary’s

WLT 12 15 22 14 11 14 4 3 17 12

7 5 1 7 7 8 15 16 3 8

4 2 1 0 3 1 1 1 2 2

Page 21

CENTRAL MASS/WESTERN MASS

Hudson, Wachusett Move On - CMASS D3 SEMIFINALS -

I Hudson 3, Auburn/Millbury 1

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

• WMass D3 Semifinals •

Westfield, Longmeadow To Meet Again

I Westfield 3, West Springfield 2

Zack Graham and Tyler Kirby scored in the first period for the Hawks, who advanced once more to the regional final. Tom Fahey's power-play goal added insurance after Tyler Maher scored for the Rockets. Shane Barry made 18 saves for the Hawks; Evan Lockwood made 33 for Auburn/Millbury.

Connor Laraway scored two goals in the third period to lift the defending champions back to the Western Mass. final. Ethan Nassar and Sean Spohr had two assists apiece for the Bombers. Nick Brosseau made 28 saves for West Springfield, and the Terriers got goals from A.J. Collette and Drew Rossman.

Four goals in just over a minute in the third period turned a tie game into a Mountaineers victory and a berth in the final. Connor Bernard scored the goahead goal, and Tucker White scored twice in the rally. Ben Wickelman made 29 saves for Marlboro. Jake Strasser made 15 saves in the other net.

Longmeadow led 4-1, and Charlie Kelleher scored two of them and assisted on the others. But Thane Schinabeck scored two of the three goals that brought Ludlow back, including the tying goal in the last minute on a power play. After a scoreless overtime period, Andrew Hadley's tally decided the shootout. Tom McCarthy made 29 saves for Longmeadow. Alex Fontaine stopped 26 at the other end.

I Wachusett 6, Marlboro 4

CMASS D3 QUARTERFINALS

Marlboro Rally Sinks Algonquin

I Marlboro 5, Algonquin 2

Kyle Griffin scored two of Marlboro's four third-period goals, including the tying goal and the final empty-netter, to bring the Panthers back from a 2-1 deficit going into the second intermission. Chris Strobel and Matt Tozeski scored for Algonquin before Marlboro began its comeback.

I Hudson 6, Westboro 0

Tyler Kirby scored five goals, including two on the power play and one shorthanded, to lead the Hawks to an easy opening win. Brian Fahey added a shorthanded goal in the third. Shane Barry had to make just 11 saves.

I Auburn/Millbury 6, Fitchburg/Monty 2

Nick Scanlon had two goals and two assists, including the goal that put his team ahead for good and the goal that finished his team's outburst. Korey Wilson scored the game's first goal for Fitchburg/Monty. Six Auburn/Millbury goals later, Cory Paul scored the last.

I Wachusett 9, Shrewsbury 3

Wachusett turned a 2-2 game early in the second period into an easy win, getting two goals apiece from Jeremy Bennie and Collin Bennie to break the game open. Shrewsbury freshman goalie Chris Shelby made 39 saves, and David Belbin scored two goals.

CMASS DIV. 3A SEMIFINALS

I Groton-Dunstable 3, Nashoba 1

I Longmeadow 5, Ludlow 4 (SO)

• WMass Div. 3A Semifinals •

Agawam Rally Sinks Wahconah

I South Hadley/Holyoke 6, St. Mary's 0

A four-goal second period broke it open for South Hadley/Holyoke, back to the regional final for the fourth year in a row. Bo Kass scored two goals, Doug Sattler had a goal and two assists, and four other players had two points. Devin Hoagland earned the shutout with 15 saves. Zach Brown made 19 saves for St. Mary's.

I Agawam 5, Wahconah 3

The Brownies scored four in the third after trailing 3-1 after one to advance.

Cam Pinkham made 25 saves in the second and third periods to get the win.

Erik Wagner scored two goals, and Joe Mercadante had two assists. Nick Montperret scored twice for Wahconah.

• WMass Div. 3A Quarterfinals •

I South Hadley/Holyoke 9, Taconic-Pittsfield 2

The defending champions led just 2-1 after one period, but they put Taconic away in the last two periods to advance easily. Chris Menard scored three goals, and Spencer Nawrocki added two. Ethan Carr and John Bush scored for Taconic.

I St. Mary's 4, Greenfield 2

Zach Brown made 25 saves, and four different goal scorers helped St. Mary's build leads of 3-0 and 4-1. Mike Duclos and Cam Woodward scored in the third for Greenfield.

The top seed scored all three goals in the first period and held on behind Jason Robes' 16 saves. Allan Haynes, Stephen Mullins and Mike Noeth scored, and Justin Cole had two assists. Drew Foster scored Nashoba's only goal.

I Wahconah 5, Belchertown 1

Worcester/Leicester earned its first playoff win behind Joe McCarthy's 21 saves. Ryan O'Connor and Jake Rosinsky scored goals. Drew McLeman made 35 saves for North Middlesex, which got its only goal from Joe Tierney.

I Agawam 2, Turners Falls 0

I Worcester/Leicester 2, North Middlesex 1

CMASS DIV. 3A QUARTERFINAL

I Nashoba 4, Grafton 1

Kevin Gilchrest scored two goals and Brandon Hennessy had three assists for Nashoba, which built a 4-0 lead before Mike Moran scored for Grafton in the third period. Mike Lengieza and Steve Saari also scored for Nashoba.

Lane Grogan and Tanner Bird had three points apiece for the Warriors, who the Berkshire Eagle noted played with eight skaters. Chris Mazeau made 28 saves. Sophomore Alex Bachand scored for Belchertown.

Cam Pinkham made 22 saves to earn the shutout as Agawam got a goal from Billy Wysocki in the first period and Seamus Curran in the second. Will Miller made 18 saves for Turners Falls.

Page 22

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

• Division I Title •

MASSACHUSETTS GIRLS HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

Arlington Catholic Turns Tables On St. Mary’s

Y

Cougars Post 3-1 Win In D-1 State Final

By Gary Demopoulos • HNIB News

ou know that old sports adage, "It's hard to beat a good team three times in one season." St. Mary's found it out the hard way in the Massachusetts Girls Division I state final.

In their two regular season meetings, the Lady Spartans owned a pair of victories over its Catholic Central League rival Arlington Catholic. In fact, St. Mary's had pretty much owned the Cougars over the last several years.

Not any more.

Playing perhaps its most solid game of the season, Arlington Catholic won the MIAA Division I state title with a 3-1 win over the Lady Spartans at TD Garden.

"It feels great," said second-year Arlington Catholic coach Maggie Taverna. "I don't have the words to describe it yet. We had a great year.

We did all the little things today."

The Cougars took a 1-0 lead after the first period, then scored a pair of goals 18 seconds apart early

ARLINGTON CATHOLIC won the 2012 MIAA Division I Girls State championship, knocking off league rival St. Maryʼs, 3-1, in title game at TD Garden.

(Gary Demopoulos photo)

MASS GIRLS DIVISION I POLL TEAM

W L T

1. Arlington Cath. 21 2. St. Mary’s 21 3. Hingham 18 4. Acton-Boxboro 19 5. Woburn 16 6. Braintree 16 7. Lexington 14 8. Chelmsford 15 9. Westford Acad. 17 10. Winthrop/Lynn 14

3 4 7 2 4 6 7 4 3 5

1 1 1 2 2 2 1 3 2 11

ARLINGTON CATHOLICʼs Natalie Flynn is stopped here by St. Maryʼs goalie Lauren Skinnion, but later scored ACʼs first goal en route to a 3-1 Cougars victory.

(Gary Demopoulos photo)

in the second period to assume control. St. Mary's got one back in the second frame, but could not get any closer.

There were no excuses from the St. Mary's side.

"They outplayed us in all three periods," said St. Mary's coach Frank Pagliuca. "We didn't show up to play today. They (AC) deserved to win. They totally outplayed us. It look like we were skating in quicksand. That's a credit to them."

It took a while for the Cougars to acclimate themselves to the task at hand. St. Mary's fired eight shots on goal in the first few minutes of the opening stanza. But, it didn't take long for AC to realize that this was a game they could win.

(Continued On Page 24)

Page 23

MASSACHUSETTS GIRLS HS TOURNAMENT

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Duxbury Finishes Unbeaten Year With Repeat Crown DIVISION II PLAYOFFS

Falmouth Puts Up Stiff Challenge, 3-1

H

By Gary Demopoulos • HNIB News

DUXBURY CAPTAINS (l to r) Lily Connolly, Martha Findley and Hannah Murphy with the 2012 MIAA Division II Girls championship hardware after hard-fought 3-1 win over Falmouth.

(Gary Demopoulos photo)

eading into the 2011/2012 season, it was pretty much a consensus that 2011 MIAA Division II state champion Duxbury would be the odds-on favorite to go the distance again, with the nucleus of solid players the Dragons had returning.

They entered the season ranked #1. And they will finish the season in the same spot. Although it wasn't easy.

Facing a determined Falmouth team in the state final, the Dragons showed their character.

They dominated the first period, but only led 10, and then saw the Clippers get their game going and skate stride-for-stride with Duxbury the rest of way.

Nursing a 2-1 third period lead, Duxbury got two outstanding saves from sophomore goalie Rachel Myette and finally were able to let out a breath when Hannah Murphy scored an emptynet goal with 5.4 seconds to play, giving them a 3-1 win and their second straight state title.

The win put the finishing touches on a justabout-perfect season. The Dragons finished 220-1; the only blemish a 2-2 late-season tie with Division I power St. Mary's.

"Falmouth really came to play, they're a great team," said Duxbury head coach Friend Weiler.

"I was really nervous at the beginning. But, the (Continued On Page 25)

MASS GIRLS DIVISION II POLL TEAM

DUXBURYʼS LIZ COLLINS fires home eventual game-winning goal in second period of the Dragonsʼ 3-1 win over Falmouth which cllinched Duxburyʼs second straight crown.

(Gary Demopoulos photo)

1. Duxbury 2. Falmouth 3. Belmont 4. Walpole 5. Norwood 6. Westwood 7. Canton 8. Dedham 9. Gardner 10. Sandwich

W LT 22 16 16 16 16 16 14 14 14 16

0 6 5 3 5 6 8 7 4 8

1 1 2 3 1 1 0 0 2 0

Page 24

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Cougars Take Down St. Maryʼs For MIAA D-1 Crown MASSACHUSETTS GIRLS HS TOURNAMENT

(Continued From Page 22)

"We had that stigma that we have never beaten them," Taverna said. "In the state championship game, that stigma leaves. We just came out and played our game."

Senior veteran Natalie Flynn put her team on the board at the 11:02

MASS. GIRLS D-I QUARTERFINALS

I St. Mary's 9, Algonquin/Hudson 1

The Lady Spartans scored four second period goals and added five more in the third for an easy 9-1 win over Algonquin/Hudson. Kaleigh Finigan led the offensive barrage with three goals and two assists, while Brittani Lanzilli and Gabrielle Crugnale each added a pair. Alison Butler and Gina Beth Manganiello also scored. Elizabeth Holmes scored for Algonquin/Hudson.

Mass Girls Div. I Tourney Scoreboard

Preliminary Round Billerica 3, Springfield Cath. 2 (OT) Winthrop/Lynn 3, Medway/Ashl. 1 Braintree 2, Arlington 1 Barnstable 6, Shrewsbury 1 Weymouth 7, Marblehead 3 Chelmsford 7, Cambridge 2 Hingham 6, Masconomet 1 Watertown 9, Wakefield 4 Algonquin/Hudson 3, Waltham 2 Franklin 4, Wayland/Weston 2 Lexington 4, Beverly 1 First Round Acton-Boxboro 4, Billerica 2 Braintree 1, Winthrop/Lynn 0 Arlington Catholic 4, Barnstable 0 Woburn 1, Lexington 0 Westford Acad. 5, Weymouth 4 Hingham 5, Chelmsford 2 St. Mary’s 6, Watertown 3 Algonquin/Hudson 6, Franklin 3 Quarterfinals Braintree 4, Acton-Boxboro 3 (OT) Arlington Cath. 3, Woburn 2 (SO) Hingham 3, Westford Acad. 1 St. Mary’s 9, Algonquin/Hudson 1 Semifinals Arlington Cath. 3, Braintree 2 (OT) St. Mary’s 4, Hingham 3 (SO) Final Arlington Catholic 3, St. Mary’s 1

I Hingham 3, Westford Academy 1

The Harborwomen survived this quarterfinal matchup, but not until Sarah Schwenzfeier scored into an empty net with three seconds left to seal a 3-1 win over Westford Academy. Jane Freda and Catherine Linehan also scored for Hingham, while Kim Lizotte had Westford's only goal.

I Braintree 4, Acton-Boxb.3 (OT)

The top-seeded Colonials held a 30 lead in this one, only to be stunned by a furious Braintree comeback, capped with Tori Machado's overtime goal three minutes into the extra session. Ally Perdios scored for the Wamps late in the second period.

Then, Jessica Hasson and Perdios tallied 17 seconds apart late in the third period to force overtime. Two goals by freshman Leah Cardarelli and one from Eleana Cardarelli had staked A/B to the 3-0 advantage.

I Arlington Cath. 3, Woburn 2 (SO)

Senior Allison Stone ended this battle with a goal in the sixth round of the shootout to give Arlington Catholic a hard-fought 3-2 win over Woburn. Natalie Flynn and Adrieana Rossini had regulation goals for the Cougars, while Kayla Smith and Hannah Sullivan countered for Woburn.

¬power

mark of the first period. She took a feed from defenseman Rebecca Zappala, sped down the left wing and slid a backhander that snuck in between the near post and the pad of St. Mary's goalie Lauren Skinnion.

Arlington Catholic's Duggan Delano was whistled for slashing 21 seconds into the second period. Toward the end of the power play, AC freshman Adriena Rossini broke free down the left wing. As she cut in on goal, a St. Mary's defender poke-checked the puck off her stick. But Rossini was able to reach out and re-direct it past Skinnion for a shorthanded tally.

The Spartans didn't even have the time to worry about being down 2-0 when Cougars' freshman defenseman Allyson Cunningham collected the puck at the blue line and fired a wrist shot on goal. Somehow, the puck squirted under Skinnion's pad and slithered into the net for a 3-0 AC lead just 2:05 into the second period.

At this juncture, Pagliuca called timeout to try and rally his troops. It seemed to work, as the Spartans showed some life. At 5:39, sophomore Brittani Lanzilli burst down the left wing, made a nice cut inside to her forehand and beat AC goalie Megan Messuri with a well-placed wrister just under the cross bar.

The Cougars got out of the second period with the 3-1 lead and instead of going into a defensive shell for the third period, they went on the offensive, putting a lot of pressure on the Spartans and keeping them hemmed in.

St. Mary's was the beneficiary of three power plays in the third period, but could not get any pucks past Messuri.

This was Arlington Catholic's second state championship. They also won it all in 2007.

MASS. GIRLS D-I SEMIFINALS

Hingham Falls In Shootout I St. Mary's 4, Hingham 3 (SO)

A goal in the fifth round of the shootout by Ann Marie Manganiello was the difference in yet another epic battle between these two heavyweights, as St. Mary's edged Hingham, 4-3, to move on to the state final at TD Garden. The Spartans led 3-1 in the third period before Sarah Schwenzfeier and Samantha Ryder scored to send the game to extra time. Ryder's tally came with just 3.7 seconds left in regulation. Jane Freda also had a regulation goal for the Harborwomen. Brittani Lanzilli, Alison Butler and Kaleigh Finigan all had goals for St. Mary's, which avenged a loss to eventual state champion Hingham in last winter's tournament.

I Arlington Catholic 3, Braintree 2 (OT)

Freshman Adrieana Rossini buried a backhander late in overtime to give Arlington Catholic a hard-fought 3-2 win over Braintree and a berth in the Division I state final. Allison Stone gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead in the second period, but the Wamps fought back to take a 2-1 advantage, thanks to goals from Brittany Yaxter and Jessica Hasson. Jessica Piracini tied it 2-2 for AC.

INTRODUCING THE NEW

STICK FOR F OR MORE INFO INFO VISIT

reebokhockey.com reebokhock ockey..com

Page 25

MASSACHUSETTS GIRLS HS TOURNAMENT

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Duxbury Holds Off Falmouth, 3-1, For MIAA Division II Title (Continued From Page 23)

the girls dug deep."

The puck rarely left the Falmouth zone in the first period, which saw the Dragons outshoot Falmouth 11-2. Murphy would get the only goal, at the 3:25 mark, when she stole an errant pass in the slot, moved in and fired a wrist shot under the pad of Falmouth freshman goaltender Madison Scavotto.

Whatever words of wisdom Falmouth coach Erin Blood gave her troops between periods worked. The Clippers came out a different team in the second period and were able to draw even relatively quickly.

Alexa Scibner moved toward the Duxbury cage and was tripped up

MASS. GIRLS DIV. II SEMIFINALS

Duxbury Holds Down Belmont

I Duxbury 3, Belmont 1

The defending state champs moved to the championship game with this solid 3-1 win over Belmont. Marisa Fichter had a first period tally for the Lady Dragons. Defenseman Martha Findley made it 2-0 in the second period and Hannah Murphy scored Duxbury's third goal. Caroline McCarthy had the lone Belmont tally.

I Falmouth 3, Westwood 2

A third period goal by Madison Hebert proved to be the difference as Falmouth advanced to the TD Garden with a 3-2 win over Westwood. The Clippers also got second period goals 14 seconds apart from Kelly Ferreira and Brenna Callahan. Kim Egizi and Liz Steuhr each had a goal for the Wolverines.

163 Main St. Reading, MA

by a Dragons' blue liner. As she went to the ice, the puck bounced off her arm over to linemate Rachel Moore, who one-timed a wrist shot low along the ice and past Myette at 3:25.

The eventual game-winning goal came at the 7:09 mark. Duxbury defenseman Martha Findley found herself deep in the offensive zone.

She carried behind the net and back out toward the blue line, when she turned and slid a cross-ice pass far post to Liz Collins, who one-timed the pass into the open side to make it 2-1 Dragons.

"That was probably the turning point of the game," Weiler said.

"Liz was right where she was supposed to be and Martha made a nice pass."

In the third period, Falmouth pressed hard for the equalizer, but

it just didn't come. On two occasions, a Clipper forward broke in alone on Myette - once by Moore and once by Kelly Ferreira - but Duxbury's sophomore netminder came up with the save to keep her team in the lead.

Duxbury's Marissa Fichter was whistled for a body check with 1:18 to play and coach Blood pulled Scavotto to give the Clippers a 6-on-4 advantage. But they never could get a solid scoring chance on Myette. Then, as Falmouth tried one last rush, Murphy blocked a clear-in in the neutral zone, broke in along and put the title-clincher in the vacated cage.

"Our goal this year was to get back here (to the state final)," Weiler said. "We had a big target on our back the whole season. It is

MASS. GIRLS DIV. II QUARTERFINALS

Falmouth Eliminates Walpole In Shootout

I Duxbury 4, Sandwich 1

Senior Colleen Leddie scored three goals to lead the top-seed Dragons to a 4-1 win over Sandwich. Marisa Fichter had Duxbury's other goal, coming in the third period. Sandwich actually had a 1-0 lead in this one, as Kristen Levesque scored in the first period for the Blue Knights.

I Belmont 5, Norwood 2

Junior Alexandra Cellucci notched a pair of goals, and added an assist, to power Belmont to a 5-2 win over Norwood. Sisters Erin and Casey McLaughlin also had goals for the Marauders, as did Erin O'Donovan.

I Falmouth 2, Walpole 1 (SO)

The Clippers got shootout goals by Kelly Ferreira and Brenna Callahan to oust second-seeded Walpole, 2-1. Goalie Madison Scavotto stopped four of five Rebel shootout attempts, and had 31 saves in the game. Ferreira had Falmouth's lone goal during regulation, while Brooke Matheson countered for Walpole.

I Westwood 3, Gardner 2

A first period goal by Kim Egizi and second period strikes from Kat Heidleberger and Kelly Healey were just enough as Westwood held off a furious third period rally and beat Gardner, 3-2. The Wolverines needed a strong third period from goalie Siobhan Burke to get the important win.

always better to be the hunter instead of the hunted. But the girls never lost their focus and never lost sight of the goal."

Rachel Myette Duxbury

Mass Girls Div. II Tourney Scoreboard Preliminary Round Arch. Williams 3, Fontbonne 2 Canton 5, Ursuline Acad. 3 Marthaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vine. 5, Dennis-Yarm. 0 Notre Dame 6, Stoneham 4 Concord-Carlisle 3, Medfield 2 First Round Duxbury 9, Arch. Williams 0 Sandwich 4, Dedham 2 Norwood 4, Marthaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vine. 3 Belmont 5, Canton 4 (OT) Walpole 3, Notre Dame 0 Falmouth 2, Wellesley 1 Gardner 2, Concord-Carlisle 0 Westwood 8, Scituate 1 Quarterfinals Falmouth 2, Walpole 1 (SO) Westwood 3, Gardner 2 Duxbury 4, Sandwich 1 Belmont 5, Norwood 2 Semifinals Duxbury 3, Belmont 1 Falmouth 3, Westwood 2 Final Duxbury 3, Falmouth 1

20 Carter St. Tewksbury, MA

Page 26

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

H

By Gary Demopoulos • HNIB News

eading into the third period with a scant one-goal lead over Keller Division rival Nobles, Lawrence Academy coach Kevin Potter knew his club would have to withstand some intense pressure over the final 18 minutes if it was to hang on and win the Stuart/Corkery Elite Tournament championship.

Bolstered by some solid work by senior netminder Nate Heilbron, stopping all 11 shots he faced, the Spartans held serve in the third period and thus won the New England Elite Tournament championship with a 3-2 win.

Nobles had beat and tied Lawrence Academy in their two regular season meetings.

“I know they (Nobles) were going to pressure us every chance they got,” said Lawrence Academy coach Kevin Potter. “They were desperate and they were throwing everything at the net. I just hoped we could hang on. We had some offensive chances and I was hoping to get an insurance goal, but we couldn’t get it done.”

The Spartans (25-3-3) trailed 21 late into the second period, but forged ahead on a pair of goals just over two minutes apart, both the results of some nifty passing.

“Those two goals were huge,” Potter said. “They were two beautiful goals.”

The tying goal came at the 15:17 juncture. George Hunkele corralled a loose puck inside the offensive zone and made a neat no-look, backhand pass to Devin Tringale, who in turn found Tyler Whitney all alone at the right post. Whitney tapped it in the open side.

Then, with just 19 seconds left in the period, following a Nobles turnover, Whitney returned the favor to his linemate, sending a nolook pass to Tringale alone in front.

Tringale calmly slid the puck past Nobles goaltender Connor Maher to give Lawrence its 3-2 lead.

Page 27

BOYS PREP SCHOOL HOCKEY

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

• Stuart/Corkery Tournament •

Lawrence Reaches Summit Tringale’s Goal Gives Spartans First NE Title

LAWRENCE ACADEMY won its first New England Prep School title, defeating Keller Division rival Nobles, 3-2, in championsnhip game at the Icenter in Salem, NH. (Jamie Callery photo)

The Spartans carried the play in the first period, outshooting Nobles by a 13-5 margin. They struck first, when William Messa cruised down the left wing and left a drop pass to tri-captain Matt Baldino. On his off-wing, Baldino hit the top, far corner with a wellplaced wrister, using a Nobles defenseman as a screen.

Late in the frame, at the 16:10 mark, Nobles drew even.

Freshman Cal Burke got the goal by burying a wicked wrister from the left side after Andrew Doane threaded a nice pass through two Spartan defenders.

At 3:08 of the second period, the Bulldogs grabbed their only lead.

After exerting some offensive pressure, Max Franklin got off a nice shot. Helibron stopped it, but

the puck went right to Andrew Sleeper at the post and he banged it home to make it 2-1 in favor of Nobles.

With 1:21 to play, Nobles coach Brian Day opted to pull Maher for a sixth attacker. The Bulldogs couldn’t muster many good scoring opportunities. Heilbron tied up the puck during one flurry with 38 seconds left, but that would be it.

When the buzzer sounded, a wild celebration ensured behind the net, in front of the Lawrence Academy student body.

“The three games we put together in the playoffs were unbelievable,” Potter said. “We had great senior leadership and the team chemistry, I never had a team like this. We have a veteran team and I told them ‘don’t worry about what

Nobles is going to do, let’s just worry about what how we play.”

HNIB Boys Prep Top 15 Poll TEAM

1. Lawrence Acad.

2. Nobles 3. Salisbury 4. Phillips Exeter 5. Kimball Union 6. Avon Old Farms 7. Gunnery 8. Belmont Hill 9. Berkshire 10. Cushing 11. Holderness 12. St. Sebastian’s 13. Albany Acad.

14. Kent 15. Choate

WL T 25 23 24 22 25 19 21 21 19 18 22 17 23 15 16

3 5 4 3 4 7 8 6 8 10 9 9 12 8 8

3 1 0 5 4 1 2 4 4 3 2 2 0 4 3

Page 28

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

BOYS PREP SCHOOL HOCKEY

• MARTIN/EARL LARGE SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP •

Berkshire Works Overtime To Nip St. Sebastian’s

McGovern Goal Gives Bears 4-3 Victory

W

By Gary Demopoulos • HNIB News

BERKSHIRE CAPTAINS (l to r) Gus Harms, Kevin Rooney and Cory Wisnowski with Martin/Earl Large School championship hardware after 4-3 win over St. Sebastianʼs.

(Jamie Callery photo)

BERKSHIREʼS GREG SMART raises his stick after scoring during this scramble in front of the St. Sebastianʼs net. Goal gave the Bears a 2-0 lead in second period.

(Jamie Callery photo)

hen the Martin/Earl Large School Tournament championship game went into overtime, Berkshire coach Dan Driscoll knew his players wouldn’t be nervous.

After all, it was their eighth overtime game of the season. And, it would be their 14th one-goal game of the year.

Sure enough, just 1:25 into extra time, defenseman Bryan Gerstenfeld sent a bouncing puck in on St. Sebastian’s goalie Gord Donnelly.

The puck bounced up on Donnelly who pushed it to the side. But, Brendan McGovern was there for Berkshire. He calmly cut to the slot and fired home a bullet, giving the Bears a 4-3 win and the Large School crown, the school’s first New England title.

“They have been extra resilient all year long,” said Driscoll. “They are battle tested and have great heart.”

It was a tough loss for the Arrows, who had battled back from a 3-1 deficit to send the game to extra time.

The Bears (20-8-4) scored the only goal of the first period. Senior defenseman Gus Harms worked a nice give-and-go with Brian Brown, getting a return pass while busting down the slot. His shot slipped past Donnelly at the 15:28 mark.

Berkshire expanded its lead to 2-0 at 5:24 of the second period. Greg Smart scored it, tucking home a loose puck during a scramble after Donnelly stoned a bid by Charlie Corcoran.

The two-goal lead lasted just 28 seconds.

Corey Ronan found linemate Tommy Kelley in the high slot and Kelley snapped a wrister past Berkshire goaltender Pat Feely as the Arrows cut Berkshire’s lead to 2-1.

The Bears regained their two-goal margin a little less than three minutes later. Donnelly robbed Smart’s bid, but the puck squirted out to Berkshire defenseman Corey Wisnowski, who rifled home the rebound to make it a 3-1 ballgame. Brown also drew an assist.

(Continued On Page 30)

Page 29

I

BOYS PREP SCHOOL HOCKEY

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

PIATELLI/SIMMONS SMALL SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP

Roberto’s Heroics Give KUA The Crown

By Gary Demopoulos • HNIB News

t was late in overtime when Kimball Union’s Nick Roberto found himself with a glittering scoring chance to clinch the New England Small School title for the Wildcats, only to be stoned by Holderness goaltender Andy Munroe.

Roberto put his head in his hands as he lined up for the ensuing faceoff to the left of the Holderness cage. The puck went to the boards, where KUA’s Casey Miller stole it from a Holderness defenseman and quickly fed Roberto in front.

This time, the junior didn’t miss, firing home a high shot with 1:26 left in overtime to give Kimball Union a 3-2 win and its second Small School title in three years.

“Give all the credit to my linemate (Miller),” Roberto said. “He stole the puck. The first shot I didn’t lift it enough. I knew I had to go up high. It is a great feeling.”

The win capped an outstanding season for the Wildcats, who finished 25-4-3 and who many felt belonged in the Elite Tournament, including first-year coach Mike Levine.

“Anyone who saw us play this year would have to say we were a Top 8 team,” Levine said. “We just didn’t take care of business down the stretch. But, any time you can play for a New England title is great.”

This was the fourth time that Kimball Union and Holderness squared off this season, The Wildcats won two of the first three, including a 4-0 win a week before in the Lakes Region final.

“You know what they say, it is tough to beat a team three times,” Levine said. “I can’t say if it helped us or hurt us. Holderness is a well-

Wildcats Stave Off Rival Holderness

KIMBALL UNION WON its second Piatelli/Simmons Small School championship in the last three seasons with a 3-2 OT win over Holderness.

(Jamie Callery photo)

coached team that works really hard. I was nervous.”

After a scoreless first period, it was the Bulls who drew first blood midway through the second stanza.

Nick Renzi scored it, burying a backhander after receiving a nice feed from Bailey Walsh.

Kimball Union had been enjoying a large margin in shots on goal (25-13 through two periods), but Munroe showed he was certainly on his game. The Wildcats didn’t

break through until the 12:28 mark, when Jonathan Charbonneau took a baseball pass from defenseman John MacLeod, went in alone and flipped the puck over Munroe’s pad.

Early in the third period, KUA forged ahead 2-1. Niko Rufo collected the puck at his own blue line, sped up the wing, cut into the slot and sent one past Munroe at 1:44.

Midway through the period,

Holderness went on the power play, and toward the tail end of the man advantage, junior blueliner Gavin Bayreuther floated over to the right point, stopped, and let go a bullet of a slap shot that beat KUA netminder Ryan Lund to the near post.

Both teams had chances during the rest of regulation and during the overtime, but Munroe and Lund were equal to the task.

Page 30

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

BOYS PREP SCHOOL HOCKEY

ELITE TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS

I Lawrence Acad. 3, Salisbury 2 (OT)

Devin Tringale’s second goal of the game, early in extra play, gave Lawrence Academy a 3-2 win over top-seeded Salisbury and a berth in the Stuart/Corkery championship game. With the Spartans down 2-1 in the third period, it was Tringale who tied it up, scoring a power play tally at 12:01, assisted by Tom Newton and Conor Helfrich. George Hunkele had a first period goal for Lawrence, while both of Salisbury’s goals also came in the first stanza, by Tom Welch and Aaron Berisha.

I Nobles 5, Phillips Exeter 3

LAWRENCE ACADEMY GOALIE Nate Heilbron robs Nobles forward Colin White as defenseman Robert Klein moves in. Lawrence held on to win, 3-2.

(Jamie Callery photo)

Berkshire Takes Large School Title (Continued From Page 28)

St. Sebastian’s refused to go away, however.

O’Regan whirled out from behind the cage and was able to nudge a wrap-around just inside the post to close the margin to 3-2 as the second period came to a close.

Sensing a momentum change, the Arrows turned it on in the third period, firing 13 shots at Feely. The equalizer came off the stick of David Loughborough, who snapped home a rebound from close range during a power play at 6:59. The goal was the end result of some nice passing by Stephen Brown and Cam Askew.

The score stayed that way until McGovern’s heroics in overtime.

“This is terrific for the kids,” said Driscoll. “This team had great heart and great senior leadership. When your best players are also your best people, you have success. I am happy for them.”

Stuart/Corkery Tourney Scoreboard

Quarterfinals Salisbury 6, Cushing 0 Lawrence Acad. 5, Belmont Hill 4 Nobles 3, Avon Old Farms 2 Phillips Exeter 2, Gunnery 0 Semifinals Lawrence Acad. 3, Salisbury 2 Nobles 5, Phillips Exeter 3 Final Lawrence Acad. 3, Nobles 2

Martin/Earl Tourney Scoreboard

Quarterfinals St. Sebastian’s 3, Brunswick 2 Kent 3, Choate 2 Albany Acad. 3, St. Paul’s 2 Berkshire 4, Westminster 3 Semifinals Berkshire 3, Albany Acad. 2 St. Sebastian’s 6, Kent 3 Final Berkshire 4, St. Sebastian’s 3

The Bulldogs made it an all-Keller Division final by holding on for a 5-3 win over Phillips Exeter. Defenseman P.J. Falvey had a pair of goals, including the insurance marker at 15:47 of the third period. Successive goals by Chris Calnan, Adam Gilmour, Falvey and Max Franklin propelled Nobles to a 4-1 second period period after Alex Carlacci opened the scoring for Exeter. The Big Red then closed the gap to 4-3 on goals by Max Summermatter and defenseman Will Goss.

LARGE SCHOOL TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS

I St. Sebastian’s 6, Kent 3

The Arrows delivered the knockout punch in the first period, scoring five times in the opening stanza en route to a 6-3 win over a hot Kent team. After St. Seb’s Tommy Kelley and Kent’s Mitchell Allen traded early first period goals, the Arrows burst things open with goals by Kelley, Cam Askew, Danny O’Regan and Stephen Brown to take a commanding 5-1 lead after one. The Lions creeped back into the game with a pair of second period strikes by Andrew Silard and Ryan Rosenthal, but would get no closer. Kelley completed his hat trick with an empty-net tally that sealed the deal.

I Berkshire 3, Albany Academy 2

Senior Kevin Rooney’s goal at 5:46 of the third period snapped a 2-2 deadlock and propelled the Bears to the Large School championship game. Rooney found himself all alone on the doorstep, calmly deked the goalie and flipped home a backhander. Top-seeded Berkshire jumped to a 2-0 lead on a first period goal by Charlie Corcoran and an early second period strike by Brian Brown.

The Cadets drew even before the second period would come to a close on goals

by Tyler Hynes and Nick Devito.

SMALL SCHOOL TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS

I Holderness 5, Brooks 3

The Bulls found themselves trailing 3-2 entering the third period, but righted the ship and posted a 5-3 win over Brooks. Connor Loree tied the score at 2:08 and Drew Walsh notched the game-winner for Holderness with 2:51 to play, exploding into the offensive zone and whistling home a wrist shot. Defenseman Gavin Bayreuther scored twice, including an empty-net goal with three seconds left. Nick Renzi also had a goal for Holderness. Junior Greg Conrad scored twice for Brooks, while Andrew Bruno added a single tally. Nick Potter notched a pair of assists.

I Kimball Union 2, Dexter 0

The Wildcats controlled this game territorially and goal an early goal from Elie Vered and a late one from Nick Roberto to move to the title game and eliminate defending champion Dexter with a 2-0 win. Doyle Somerby and Casey Miller registered assists while Ryan Lund had 28 saves for KUA.

Page 31

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MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

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Page 32

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

BOYS PREP SCHOOL HOCKEY

â&#x20AC;˘ Large School Quarterfinals â&#x20AC;˘

I Berkshire 4, Westminster 3 (OT)

Kevin Rooney scored in the first minute of overtime to give Berkshire a 4-3 win over defending Large School champion Westminster. Charlie Corcoran and Greg Smart each had a goal and assist for the Bears. Bryan Gerstenfeld also scored. Chris Izmirlian and Andy Michailidis had a goal and assist each for the Martlets.

ELITE TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS

I Salisbury 6, Cushing 0

The Knights scored five times in the second period, including three on the same power play, to cruise to a 6-0 win over Cushing. John Stevens and Jason Kalinowski each scored twice for top-seed Salisbury, while Andrew Brunson and Anthony DiFruscia added single tallies. Phil Zielonka and Tom Welch and Jacob Hand each chipped in with a pair of assists.

I St. Sebastianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3, Brunswick 2 (OT)

The Arrows squandered a 2-0 advantage but survived on Cam Askewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overtime goal. Corey Ronan and Stephen Brown had first period goals for St. Sebastianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Brunswick responded with goals by Sebbi Foster and Sean MacTavish.

I Lawrence Acad. 5, Belmont Hill 4 (OT)

Down 4-2, the Spartans got third period goals 32 seconds apart from Conor Helfrich and William Messa to send the game to overtime, where Tyler Whitney notched the gamewinner in this battle of Keller Division heavyweights.

Whitney and Jacob Schechter had given Lawrence a 2-0 lead before the Hillies stormed ahead with two-goal performances from Steve Brennan and Carl Hesler.

I Kent 3, Choate 2

Goals by Mike Cimba, Mitchell Allen and Perry Holcombe were enough for Kent to slip past Founders League rival Choate to advanced to the semifinal round. Bill Seligman and Mickey Foley had goals for Choate, which finished at 16-8-3.

I Albany Academy 3, St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2 (OT)

I Nobles 3, Avon Old Farms 2

Union recruit Tyler Hynes delivered at 7:31 of overtime to give the Cadets a hard-fought 3-2 win over St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Mark Knowlton had Albanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other two scores. Brendan Boyce registered a goal and assist for St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, which also got a goal from Josh Dickman.

Simmons/Piatelli Tourney Scoreboard

Quarterfinals Kimball Union 6, St. Markâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3 Holderness 4, Kents Hill 3 Brooks 5, South Kent 3 Dexter 7, Winchendon 1 Semifinals Kimball Union 2, Dexter 0 Holderness 5, Brooks 3 Final Kimball Union 3, Holderness 2

Exeter Blanks Gunnery, 2-0

I Phillips Exeter 2, Gunnery 0

HOOOSAC OSAC HO OCKEY CKEY

Nobles first line members Chris Calnan, Adam Gilmour and Colin White each had a goal as the Bulldogs advanced with a 3-2 win over Avon Old Farms.

Brennan Kee had a second period strike for the Winged Beavers and Dylan Shamburger added a goal in the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final minute with goaltender Mike Santaguida pulled for a sixth attacker.

In a defensive battle, the Big Red prevailed with a late second period goal by Alex Carlacci and an emptynetter by Brian Hart. Defenseman Will Goss assisted on both goals, while Nolan Daley earned the shutout in goal.

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Page 34

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

GIRLS PREP SCHOOL HOCKEY

Nobles Returns To Top Of The Heap DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP

W

ʻDawgs Blank Lawrence Academy, 2-0, In Finale

NOBLES put the finishing touches on a 28-0-1 season with a 2-0 win over Lawrence Academy in the New England Division I title game.

By Gary Demopoulos • HNIB News

hile parity took center stage in New England Division I Girls Hockey this winter, one team was able to stand above it.

GIRLS D-I TOP TEN POLL

1. Nobles 2. Lawrence Acad.

3. Westminster 4. Williston 5. Winchendon 6. Cushing 7. Berkshire 8. Hotchkiss 9. Northfield 10. Tabor

28 0 1 17 8 3 17 5 3 16 10 3 28 2 1 17 9 6 13 9 2 11 5 4 18 6 3 10 10 2

Nobles put an exclamation point on a fantastic 28-01 season with its sixth New England title in 12 years, first since 2009, with a 2-0 shutout win over ISL rival Lawrence Academy in the Division I title game held at Berkshire School.

The Spartans, who had dethroned two-time defending New England champion Westminster in a quarterfinal matchup, hung close with Nobles, but just wasn’t able to generate any glittering scoring bids. Junior goaltender Victoria Hansen did her best to keep LA in the game, as it was scoreless more than halfway into the contest and 1-0 late in the third period.

The win was Nobles third shutout win over Lawrence this year, having taken a pair of 3-0 victories in the regular season.

“We had a great season last year, but lost in the finals, and the girls wanted the chance to get there again,” said Nobles coach Tom Resor. “This was my deepest team in a while. We had up to four lines of kids that we could play.”

After tying Tabor 4-4 in the second game of the season, Nobles ran off 27 straight victories.

“We were able to put intense pressure on teams with our skating and puck play,” Resor said. “The level of play is so much better than it was four years ago. We play a tougher schedule as there is so much parity now in prep school hockey.”

In this one, the ‘Dawgs held a big territorial edge and had a significant advantage is shots on net, but still found themselves in a 0-0 deadlock as the end of the second period was drawing near.

With about five minutes left in the frame, Lexi Laing got the puck along the right wing boards and pushed it forward to Mary Kate Cruise to create a 2on-1 situation. Cruise drew a defenseman over and feathered a pass across to Mary Parker, who went hard to the far post and was able to deflect the pass into the cage.

(Continued on Page 35)

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GIRLS PREP SCHOOL HOCKEY

• Division II Title Game •

MARCH 23, 2012

Proctor Storms Back To Stun Middlesex

D

Hornets Rally From 3 Goals Down For 5-4 OT Win

By Gary Demopoulos • HNIB News

own by three goals after the first period to the top-seeded team that beat you by four goals during the regular season, you would think the Proctor Academy players would be down and out.

But, all they had to do was look back one day to their semifinal win over second-seeded Rivers, a team they played on February 18 and lost by a 7-3 margin.

Instead, they worked harder, eventually tying the game in the final seconds of regulation, before Michelle Holmes’ third goal of the day 12:41into overtime clinched the Hornets’ first-ever New England title, a scintillating 5-4 win over Middlesex.

“Michelle got the puck in the center slot, turned and shot it right into the upper corner,” said Proctor coach Christina Dotchin. “I am sure it is a moment our entire team will never forget.”

The first period was something the Hornets probably want to forget. Brooke Gary put Middlesex on top 1-0 at 6:24, and Cici Frattasio followed that with a pair of strikes, at 9:40 and 13:12, to give the Zebras what seemed a comfortable

PROCTOR ACADEMY COACH Christina Dotchin with captains (l to r) Nikki Gorman, Kelcey Crawford and Breanna Davis and championship hardware following 5-4 win over Middlesex to win the NE Girls Division II prep title.

3-0 lead after the first period.

It made for an intense intermission in the Proctor locker room.

“I told then that rather than getting frustrated, they needed to do what they do best - come together as a team and fight for the win,” Dotchin said. “I also told them that they were in the middle of the New England championship game and that there were 27 other teams in our league that would love the chance to fight for this win.”

The talk paid dividends, as just 1:58 into the second period, Proctor

Nobles Thwarts Lawrence For Division I Title (Continued From Page 34)

“It was one of those bang-bang goals,” Resor said.

“A great play all-around.”

Lawrence Academy (17-8-3) was able to get a bit more offensive-minded in the third period, but Nobles goalie Breanna Laing stopped all eight shots she saw.

The all-important insurance goal came with 3:05 to go. Natasha Rachlin carried the puck nearly the length of the ice, cut inside to the top of the circle and fired

home a wrist shot.

Lawrence Academy had won 11 of 12 coming into the game since the second 3-0 loss to Nobles.

“They did a terrific job getting to the finals,” Resor said. “They lost a significant amount of players from last year and (Coach) Maggie (Joyce) did a great job in the second half of the season. To beat Westminster down there shows what kind of team they had.”

HNIB NEWS

got on the scoreboard on a goal by Nikki Gorman. Middlesex answered that one pretty quickly, as Sarah Tabeek found the back of the net to make it a 4-1 game.

But before the period would come to a close, the Hornets would trim the margin to 4-3 thanks to Holmes’ first two goals, both well-placed shots up high.

It stayed that way until the late stages of the third period, when Proctor found itself at a 5-on-3 disadvantage for over a minute.

Somehow, the Hornets were able to kill off both penalties, then, once even strength, were able to pull goalie Kelcey Crawford for an extra skater.

With 26 seconds left in regulation, senior Breanna Davis fired home the equalizer to send the game into extra time at 4-4.

“It was unbelievable,” Dotchin said. “What is funny is that when I pulled Kelcey Crawford in net and put out all of our top goal scorers, I just had this feeling we could do it. I knew that our players wouldn’t give up until the buzzer sounded.

Both Crawford and Middlesex goalie Katie White (58 saves, including 18 in overtime) stopped shot after shot in the extra time, until Holmes got free in the slot and whistled a wrister over White’s glove to clinch the crown for Proctor.

GIRLS D-II PREP POLL

1. Proctor 21 11 0 2. Middlesex 21 3 0 3. Rivers 18 9 0 4. Southfield 18 6 2 5. Gunnery 11 10 4 6. Thayer 11 10 0 7. Greenwich Acad.10 11 1 8. Governors Acad. 9 8 5

put the game in your hands.

© 2011 BAUER Hockey, Inc. and its affiliates. All rights reserved. VAPOR is a registered trademark owned by Nike, Inc. and/or its affiliates and is used under exclusive license for hockey.

Page 36

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

• 2011 GIRLS SHOWCASE REVIEW •

Minnesota Returns To Championship Throne

• 2012 GIRLS’ SHOWCASE APPLICATION • • • • • • •

• Connecticut/NY__ Massachusetts Preps__ • Mid Atlantic__ Massachusetts Pub./Cath__ • Minnesota__ New England__ • Midwest__ Northeast__ • Pennsylvania__ Boston Shamrocks__ • Southeast/Gulf__ Pacific Coast/Southwest__ 18th Annual Girls Summer Showcase • August 8-11, 2012 Festivals REQUEST FOR APPLICATION & INFORMATION BROCHURE Begin In June

For the location nearest you: Call (978) 682-2425

Send To:

HNIB Girls Summer Showcase 795 Turnpike Street No. Andover, MA 01845 (978) 682-2425

Name ______________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________ City ____________________________State_______________ Zip Code ________________Phone______________________ I Will Be Entering My Fr______Soph ______Jr _______Sr _____ Year in Sept. 2012 Team/School Play For_________________________________ Position _______________________ Email Address _______________________________________

Team Minnesota gained its first HNIB Girls Summer Showcase title since 2008 with a 5-1 win over two-time defending champion Massachusetts Preps in the 2011 Girls Championship game.

Minnesota, which finished the round-robin a perfect 5-0, jumped to a 2-0 lead after the first period on a pair of goals by junior Amy Menke. Mass. Preps pulled to within 2-1 at the 13-minute mark of the second period on a strike by Casey Leveillee off a pass from Caitlyn Ryan.

But, it took Minnesota just 18 seconds to respond, when junior defenseman Paige Haley blasted one home from the right point to give Minnesota its two-goal lead back at 3-1. Sidney Morin and Claire Mancheski added third period goals for the champions, who fell to Mass. Preps in the 2010 title game by a 2-0 score.

2012 HNIB Girls Showcase will be hosted by the Valley Forum in Haverhill, MA (a beautiful, two-rink facility) • 25 Miles North of Boston

1 Mini-Practice, 4 Opening Round Games 2 Playoff Games Most hockey played in any summer festival over a four-day period.

Page 37

GIRLS PREP SCHOOL HOCKEY

• Girls Division I Semifinals •

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Nobles, Lawrence Move On Williston Blanks #2 Winchendon

I Nobles 3, Cushing 1

A Natasha Rachlin goal at the 5:30 mark of the second period proved to be the difference as Nobles returned to the New England Division I title game with a 3-1 win over Cushing. Lexi Laing’s first of two goals opened the scoring for Nobles just 20 seconds into the game, only to be answered just a minute later by Cushing’s Marissa Maccario, assisted by Caitlin Ryan. Laing closed out the scoring with an insurance tally with 5:27 to play, assisted by Mary Parker and Mary Kate Cruise.

Girls Prep Div. I Tourney Scoreboard Quarterfinals

Lawrence Acad. 2, Westminster 1 (OT)

Nobles 6, Berkshire 0 Williston 6, Winchendon 0 Cushing 1, Northfield 0 Semifinals Nobles 3, Cushing 1 Lawrence Acad. 2, Williston 1 (OT) Final Nobles 2, Lawrence Acad. 0

I Lawrence Acad. 2, Williston 1

(OT) Freshman Devan Taylor proved to be the hero for the Spartans, burying a goal at the 10-minute mark of overtime to give Lawrence a 2-1 win over Williston. Taylor also assisted on the Spartans’ other goal, scored by Jaclyn Gordon (Kendra Maci also assisted) in the third period. Williston send the game to overtime on a rebound goal by Alex Starzyk, assisted by Sam Fallon and Alicia Barry, with 5:40 left in regulation.

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GIRLS D-1 QUARTERFINALS

I Nobles 6, Berkshire 0

Senior Mary Parker showed why she was the Divsion 1 MVP, scoring four goals to power top-seeded Nobles to a 6-0 blanking of Berkshire. Mary Kate Cruise and Danielle Brown also had goals for the ‘Dawgs. Brianna Laing made 11 saves for the shutout. Jeanne Morin had 48 saves for Berkshire.

I Cushing 1, Northfield 0

The Hoggers gave it their all in the school’s first post-season game since 1989, but came up just a goal short. The game stood at 0-0 into the waning moments of the third period when Cushing’s Morgan Reed slipped home a backhander for the game’s only score.

I Williston 6, Winchedon 0

After losing to Winchendon less than a week earlier, the Wildcats turned the tables in a big way, with a 6-0 win and a trip to the semifinals for the first time in school history. Kathryn Tomaselli scored three goals to pace the Williston attack. Sam Fallon, Alex Starzyk and Christina Zalewski also scored for the Wildcats.

Page 38

MARCH 23, 2012

Proctor 3, Rivers 1

HNIB NEWS

GIRLS PREP SCHOOL HOCKEY

GIRLS DIVISION II SEMIFINALS

The Hornets avenged a 7-3 regular season loss to Rivers with a solid 3-1 win over the second-seeded Red Wings. Michelle Holmes and Nikki Gorman staked Proctor to a 2-0 lead after one. Ellie DeCaprio brought Rivers to within one with a second period goal, while Proctor’s insurance tally came in the third period of the stick of Rylee Norton. Kim Gosselin chipped in with two assists

Rivers Eliminated

Middlesex 3, Gunnery 1

Maddie Winslow notched a pair of goals, and Jordan Juron had the other as the Zebras advanced to the Division II championship game with a 3-1 win over Gunnery.

DIVISION II QUARTERFINALS

Proctor 6, Thayer 1

A four-goal, second period explosion broke open a close game and sent Proctor to this quarterfinal victory. Nikki Gorman, Michelle Holmes, Sam Pion and Kim Gosselin all scored for the Hornets in that second period surge.

Senior Breanna Davis had the other two Proctor goals, one in each of the first and third periods.

Middlesex 3, Greenwich Acad. 2

The top-seeded Zebras were pushed to the limit by Greenwich, but were able to hold on for a 3-2 win. Senior Jordan Juron scored two goals for Middlesex and assisted on the third, a breakaway tally by Maddie Winslow.

Janka Hlinka and Eva Rosencrans dented the twine for Greenwich.

Gunnery 3, Kingswood 0

The Highlanders posted a solid win in this quarterfinal matchup. Sarah Hughson had a first period goal for Gunnery. Kaitlyn Paiva scored 10 seconds into the second stanza, and Katie Quinlan added a second period tally as well. Goalie Sam Walther was solid when she had to be.

Defenseman Isabela Bagi had a pair of assists for the winners.

Rivers 2, Southfield 1 (3OT)

In the longest game of the post-season, junior Maggie Walsh ended the marathon with a goal in the overtime, assisted by Taylor Cross and Janelle Ferrara, as Rivers ousted Southfield, 2-1. Elizabeth Hitti of Rivers and Southfield’s Georgia Leahy traded first period goals.

Abby Burke made 19 saves for Rivers, while Southfield’s Jess Thulin turned back 47 Red Wing shots.

Girls Prep Div. II Tourney Scoreboard Quarterfinals Rivers 2, Southfield 1 (3 OT) Middlesex 3, Greenwich Acad. 2 Proctor 6, Thayer 1 Gunnery 3, Kingswood 0 Semifinals Proctor 3, Rivers 1 Middlesex 3, Gunnery 1 Final Proctor 5, Middlesex 4 (OT)

Page 39

RHODE ISLAND HOCKEY

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Hendricken Dethrones Mount In Classic Series

M

BISHOP HENDRICKEN is the new top dog in Rhode Island HS Hockey after defeating Mt. St. Charles, 5-2, in the rubber game of the best-of-three championship series. (Kevin Ryder photo)

By Kevin Ryder • HNIB News

ount Saint Charles seemed poised for another comeback from the brink of elimination. The Mount magic that has led to 42 state hockey titles seemed ready to cast another spell at Providence College’s Schneider Arena.

But the magic would be overpowered by a strong game three performance from Hendricken. And, unlike the semifinals, when the Mount was able to bounce back and win the next two games, there would be no comeback.

Led by the stellar play of junior goalie William Palmer, Hendricken took home the state title with a 52 victory in the third and deciding game, winning the title for the first time in five years after dropping three of the last four title series to the Mounties.

“We have such great respect for the Belisles and their program,” said Hendricken head coach James Creamer.

“We are thrilled to win any state championship, but any time you meet up with them, they are first class, their teams play the right way, they play hard from start to finish. It means a little something [extra] to beat them, but it’s because of the way they go about things.”

“It’s one of the reasons I came to Hendricken; I

wanted to beat Mount in the finals,” said Palmer, who was named the Most Valuable Player after making 18 saves in the deciding game. “It’s a great feeling.”

For the Mounties, it was their sixth playoff game in a span of 11 days, which included two overtime wins over LaSalle in the semifinals and a 4-3 overtime loss in the opening game of the finals to the Hawks. It simply was a matter of the Mounties running out of gas at the end.

“There was no question that it was important for us to get the lead [in game three],” said MSC co-coach David Belisle. “There’s only so many times you can come back from being down.”

It looked like the comebacks would keep coming for MSC early in the deciding game of the series with the Hawks. After Hendricken’s Paul Filippone beat Mount goalie Brian Larence for a 1-0 lead at the 11:26 mark of the first period, Mount stormed right back. Just 49 seconds later, the Mounties tied the game when Steven Donahue stole a potential clearing pass, skated into the offensive zone and had the puck poked off his stick.

But teammate Timothy Allen corralled the loose puck and pushed a shot between Palmer’s legs for the equalizer.

The Hawks would take the lead for good less than 90 seconds later when David Mitchell stole a pass, skated in alone and rifled a shot past Larence (15 saves) and into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead with 1:16 left in the period.

Despite having just a one goal lead, the Hawks dominated play through much of the first period, holding Mount without a shot for the opening eight minutes while producing a number of scoring opportunities, including solid attempts from Andrew Fera, Matthew Creamer and Robert Buehrer, each of which was stopped by Larence, who was the main reason Mount trailed by just one goal after the opening 15 minutes.

“It was their fast start, not our slow start,” said Belisle. “I give them all the credit. They went at us, banged us and played hard physically and worse us right down from the get go. That was the difference, their physical play.”

“We talked about how important it was to get a good start against them,” said Creamer. “They are a great team and we needed to have the effort we had to win. Without that, it could’ve gone the other way.”

(Continued On Page 40)

HNIB RHODE ISLAND TOP TEN POLL TEAM

1. Hendricken 2. Mt. St. Charles 3. LaSalle 4. Burrillville 5. Moses Brown 6. Barrington 7. Coventry 8. Prout 9. Smithfield 10. Cranston West

WL T 20 19 14 15 11 12 25 16 8 5

5 6 6 8 11 10 2 4 12 12

1 0 1 0 1 2 0 2 1 2

Page 40

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

RHODE ISLAND HOCKEY

Game 3 Win Gives Bishop Hendricken State Title (Continued From Page 39)

Hendricken started to distance itself from Mount in the opening minutes of the second period. Just 90 seconds into the period, coming off the penalty kill, Mitchell skated into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1 breakaway and slid a pass across the ice to Filippone, who fired a shot over the glove of Larence and into the net for a 3-1 lead.

The lead grew to 4-1 43 seconds later after a scramble for a loose puck behind the MSC cage. With Buehrer and Creamer battling the Mount defense for the puck, Buehrer was able to gain momentary control and get the puck to Finan, who faked to one side of the net, then came around the back to the near side. With Larence in a butterfly position to protect both posts, Finan lifted the puck over his left pad and into the top shelf of the net for a three-goal advantage.

Mount Saint Charles would close the gap before the end of the second. Nick Bennett got a pass from Tyler Scroggins at the left point, skated to the center position and blasted a rocket past Palmer to trim the deficit to 4-2 at the 5:53 mark.

The Mounties kept the pressure on the Hawks at the end of the second period, but Palmer helped keep the score at 4-2. The junior goalie made two big saves with two minutes left in the period, one from flat on his back, to keep MSC out of the net. That, combined with the defensive effort the Hawks put forth in the third period when they didn’t even allow a shot on goal during a 5-on-3 power play for MSC, helped seal the win.

“Mount is so dynamic and can jump on you at any moment,” said Creamer. “We’ve given up twogoal leads to them all year. We knew they were going to come, and we did a great job.

“That is such a good team over there that we needed to have a solid 45 minutes [in game three], and I think we did,” Creamer continued.

“That start was so important. To have that momentum early really helped us.”

Mount forced the third game with a victory in the middle game of the series. The Mounties never trailed in the game, as Brian Belisle scored the first goal of the contest at the 7:15 mark of the first period.

After the Hawks tied the score mid-

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way through the second period on a tally from Daniel Nolte, MSC struck back quickly, taking the lead back just 23 seconds later when Ryan Berard scored off the faceoff win by Brian Campbell for a 2-1 lead.

The advantage grew to 3-1 in the third period when Donahue scored just 72 seconds in on a rebound off a shot from Brandon Borges. The Hawks were able to close the gap to 3-2 at the 4:19 mark when Filippone fired a wrist shot past Larence on a power play as he was being dragged down by a defender.

Larence made the lead stand up, stopping 13 shots in the third period alone, including a great chance

by Mitchell, who broke in clean from center ice.

In the opening game, MSC was clinging to a 3-2 lead late in the first game when Mitchell found the back of the net, beating Larence over the left side at the 13:34 mark of the third period. The two teams remained tied into the first overtime when Filippone sent the Hawks home victorious with 53 seconds left in the first overtime for the 4-3 victory.

“It hasn’t really set in yet,” said Palmer. “As soon as we get back to the locker room and realize what we’ve done, it will be great.

Beating Mount in the state championship is what I’ve dreamed of.”

• State Championship Division Semifinals •

Hawks Subdue Stubborn Broncos

Mount Rallies To Oust LaSalle I After struggling against LaSalle Academy all season long, Mount Saint Charles

came through when it counted, coming back from dropping the first game of the series to sweep the final two games, both being decided in double overtime.

The Rams took the opener 2-1, thanks to a pair of goals from Bryan Lemos.

In the second game, MSC jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, only to see LaSalle fight back to tie the game early in the third period. But the Mounties were able to tally the lone goal during extra time, a tally from Nick Bennett at 5:58 of the second overtime for a 3-2 victory. In the second game, Brandon Borges did the honors in the second extra period, scoring just nine seconds in for a 4-3 win.

Brian Belisle led the way in the series for the Mount with four goals and an assist, Borges had a pair of goals, Ryan Berard had three assists and Brian Campbell and Callan Morisseau each had two assists. Brian Larence was a monster in net, stopping 87 shots in the series. For the Rams, Lemos scored three goals and added an assist, Robert Fox scored a pair of goals, Jason Delisle tallied a goal and three assists, Joseph Manown had a goal and Tyler Walsh stopped 127 shots between the pipes.

I Bishop Hendricken got all it bargained for in their semifinal series with Burrillville, eventually dispatching the Broncos in two games. The Hawks didn’t secure the opener until a late goal in the third period from Paul Filippone gave them a 4-2 victory. In the second game, the Broncos jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second period before the Hawks rallied for three unanswered goals to take the series.

Matthew Creamer led the way for the Hawks with three goals and an assist, Justin Finan and Robert Buehrer each had a goal and three assists, Filippone had a goal and an assist and William Palmer made 37 saves in net during the series.

For the Broncos, Mitchell Lafond and Patrick Callanan each had a goal and an assist, Zachary Keach and Drew Buxton each scored a goal and Jacob Toback stopped 60 shots in net in the two games.

Page 41

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MARCH 23, 2012

RHODE ISLAND HOCKEY

HNIB NEWS

Farrington, Moses Brown Sweep To D-1 Crown DIVISION I TITLE

By Kevin Ryder • HNIB News

ed by four goals from junior forward Nathan Farrington, Moses Brown captured the Division 1 crown with a sweep of Barrington at Scheider Arena with 6-4 and 4-2 wins.

This division crown was contested among the teams that finished the season in fifth through eighth place in the state’s top division and took the place of the Division 1A playoff series that had been played the previous few seasons.

In the opener, George Panichas and William Donahue got the scoring started for the Quakers, netting goals at the start and end of the first period to stake them to a 2-0 lead. Barrington battled back in the second period, using goals from Colin Fay and Alex Corvi to knot the score at 2-2.

MB retook the lead less than a minute after Corvi’s tally when Mitchell Maloof beat Barrington goalie Christopher Calitri for a 3-2 lead.

Ethan Studley made sure the lead was short-lived, netting the tying goal with 53 seconds left in the second period – and a minute after Maloof’s goal – to tie the score at 3-3 after two periods. Studley helped Barrington take the lead early in the third period, netting a power-play goal for a 4-3

• Division I Semifinals •

lead at the 1:12 mark.

It would be all Moses Brown from there, as the Quakers rattled off three straight goals to end the game, Farrington netting two of the goals and Trevor Kacz adding the other. Farrington’s second goal was an empty netter that sealed the win in the final minute.

Moses Brown got off to a fast start in the second game, getting goals from Maloof and Stephen Warde to take a 2-0 lead after the first period.

Barrington scored the lone goal of the second period, a power-play tally from John Kraunelis, to cut the deficit in half heading into the third period.

In the third period, Farrington again scored a pair of goals, including one just 20 seconds into the period, to secure the win. The Eagles did add a goal by Studley to cut the deficit to 3-2 at the 1:25 mark, but Farrington put the game out of reach with his fourth goal of the series at 7:32 of the period.

For his efforts in the series, Farrington was named the Most Valuable Player.

Quakers Rebound For Series Win Barrington Blanks Cranston West

I After dropping the opener of the series, Moses Brown stormed back to win the

next two games in dominating fashion to take the best-of-three series over Smithfield. The Sentinels took early control of the series, winning the opener 1-0 behind the solid play of Matthew Mattson in net, who stopped all 18 shots he faced for the shutout. The lone goal came from Robert Pagliarini just 57 seconds into the second period off an assist from Jeff Langellier.

The Quakers bounced back to win the second game, posting a 2-0 shutout behind Charles Simmons in net (22 saves) and goals from Trevor Kacz and Henry Russell. The third game saw Moses Brown jump out to leads of 2-0 and 5-1 in cruising to a 5-2 win.

For the series, Russell scored a pair of goals for the Quakers, William Farnham had a goal and two assists, Nathan Farrington, Colton King and Stephen Warde each scored a goal and had an assist, while Conor Friend stopped 37 shots in net in winning two games. Langellier led the Sentinels with a goal and two assists and Mattson stopped 76 shots in the three games.

I Dominating would be the word to describe Barrington in its semifinal series

with Cranston West. The Eagles didn’t allow a goal in the six periods played between the two teams, sweeping both games in shutout fashion.

Christopher Calitri stopped all 46 shots he saw in the two games, including 26 in the second game that propelled the Eagles to the Division 1 finals. Ethan Studley scored a pair of goals, both in the opener, to lead the way for Barrington, while Colin Fay had a goal and an assist, Nicholas Vastano and John Kraunelis each tallied a goal and Joseph Lombardi had a pair of assists.

For the Falcons, Derek Hagopian stopped 39 shots in net in the two games.

" 9 /,

NORWICH NO RW I C H UNIVERSITY, U N I V E R S I T Y, N ORT T H F I E L D, V T NORTHFIELD, VT

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DARTMOUTH D A R T M O U T H COLLEGE, C O LLE G E , HAN OV E R , NH NH HANOVER,

BOARDING B BOA OA RDING R D I N G SESSIONS SE S SI O N S SESSION SESSION 1

DATES DATES

B OA R D I N G SESSIONS BOARDING SE S SIIONS SESSI ION S

AGES AGES

June 24-June 10-17 June 24 2 4-June June 29 29 10 1 0 -1 17 7

SESSION S ESSION ES SSION

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CO-ED C CO O - ED E D DAY DAY AY CAMPS C CAM A MPS MPS SESSION S SESS ESSION

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FULL F ULL D DAY AY W WEEK EEK 1

July J Ju uly 9-13 9-13 -13

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July J uly 16 16-20 6 -2 20 0

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Page 42

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MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

RHODE ISLAND HOCKEY

• Division II Championship Series •

Coventry Sweeps To Second Straight Title

By Kevin Ryder • HNIB News

he old adage is that defense wins championships. The Coventry hockey team proved that in the Division 2 playoffs, allowing just one goal in the finals and just three goals in their final five playoff games, sweeping past The Prout School for the championship hardware at Schneider Arena.

It was the second straight state title for Coventry, who entered the playoffs as the state’s highest scoring offensive team, but used a strong defensive effort and exceptional starting goaltending to skate away with the state title.

“They’re all special,” said Coventry head coach Ken Bird of his second straight championship win. “You enjoy them all because you never know if you’ll have another one. I know we’ll have a good crew coming back [next

year], but you just never know. You work hard every day and take advantage of what you get.”

The defense in the two-game sweep of Prout was backboned by sophomore goaltenders Vincent Zannella and Stephen Schmitt, who each saw action in one game of the finals, splitting the time as they had throughout the season. During the regular season, each played nine league games, compiling a combined .78 goals against average along the way. In the finals, Schmitt made 12 saves in a 2-0 game one shutout, while Zannella made 18 saves in the title-clinching 6-1 win in the second game.

But the solid play of the defense doesn’t mean the offense didn’t come to play. In the clinching 6-1 win in game two, Coventry jumped out to a 3-1 lead by the end of the first period and coasted from there, paced by a hat trick from junior

forward Mike Pesola, who was named the Most Valuable Player for his efforts. The hat trick was so efficient that Pesola netted one goal in each period, and added an assist on the first goal of the game for good measure.

“A dream come true in the championship game,” Pesola said of his hat trick. “But I would like to thank my line mates, it was all them.

They got me the passes. It was great, a great team effort. We moved the puck and played great as a team.”

“He’s had one big game in each series, and they were huge games,” said Bird. “Even [game one] he played fantastic, the puck just didn’t go in; [game two] it did. He’s a shooter, and he can put the puck away.”

Coventry got on the board early in the first period when Corey Rogers found the back of the net

just 56 seconds into the contest.

The goal was setup by a shot on net from teammate Brian Skorski that Prout goalie Zane Morgan pushed wide with his leg pad, but the rebound went directly to Rogers, who buried the shot between the post and Morgan’s leg for the goal.

Prout answered with a goal at the 2:43 mark to knot the game at 1-1.

Nyle Sockbeson fired a shot on net that Zannella made the initial stop on, but the rebound went directly to Andrew Horsfield, who fired a shot into the open net for the score.

Coventry took the lead for good at the 5:11 mark of the period when Conner DiPetro sent a pass from the near boards to Jacob Harrington in front of the net and Harrington easily buried a shot into a wide open net for a 2-1 lead.

Pesola scored his first goal of the contest at the 11:16 mark to push (Continued On Page 87)

Prout Needs 3 To Move On

RI DIVISION II SEMIFINALS

I It took three games, but The Prout School got a return trip to the state title series with a dominating 5-1 win in the decisive game of the semifinals against Portsmouth. The win came after a shootout loss in the second game of the series, which forced the winner-take-all contest. The Crusaders cruised in the opener, winning 9-5 behind two-goal efforts from Dean Bogda and Matthew Peacock.

Portsmouth actually jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the game, but Prout tied the score before the end of the first period and put the game away with a 5-goal second period.

In the second game, Prout forced overtime with a goal in the final minute of regulation. After two scoreless overtime sessions, Portsmouth’s Matt Alexander found the back of the net as the final skater in the sudden-death shootout, sending the Patriots to the win. In the deciding game, Prout built a 3-0 lead by the early stages of the third period and coasted to the easy win to move into the championship finals. The Crusaders got goals from five different players in securing the win, while goalie Zane Morgan stopped 34 of the 35 shots he faced in the contest.

For the series, Peacock scored two goals and added three assists to pace the Crusaders, while Michael Reilly had two goals and two assists. Nyle Sockbeson added a goal and three assists, Jonathan Barlow and Aaron Deady each had a goal and two assists and Morgan stopped 84 of the 92 shots he faced in the series. For Portsmouth, Christopher Oliveira led the way with three goals and an assist, Kyle Alvanas and Matthew Harrigan each had a goal and an assist, Myles Arkins tallied three assists and Matt Maggiacomo made 116 saves between the pipes in the series.

Top-Seed Coventry Dominant

I In dominating fashion, Coventry cruised to the division championship series with a sweep of Pilgrim, winning the two games by 6-1 and 2-0 scores. The key to the series was defense, as the Oakers allowed the Patriots to get just 22 shots on net for the two games, while their offense generated 53 shots on the Pilgrim net.

Joseph Stringfellow opened the scoring in the first game, netting the first goal of the series less than six minutes into the contest. Robert Beaudoin would ice the game with a goal 10 minutes into the second period, and Stephen Schmitt made the two goals stand up by stopped all 10 shots that he faced in the game for the shutout.

In the second game, Michael Pesola scored a pair of goals, including one in the final 90 seconds of the opening period, to lead the way to the victory.

Coventry put the game away with four goals in the second period, all in the stretch of eight minutes. Vincent Zannella made 11 stops in net for the victory.

Pesola led the way for Coventry with two goals and two assists in the series, while Stringfellow added a pair of goals, Beaudoin and Matthew Tanksley each had a goal and an assist and Brian Skorski had a pair of assists.

For Pilgrim, Susan Cavanagh scored the team’s lone goal in the series.

C

Page 43

RHODE ISLAND HOCKEY

MARCH 23, 2012

D3 Bragging Rights Go To East Providence

By Kevin Ryder • HNIB News

oaches never know what kind of performance a freshman will turn in, especially one playing between the pipes. A game after surrendering five goals in a loss that tied the series, East Providence freshman goalie Mark LeValley turned away 21 Mount Hope shots as the Townies skated to a 2-1 win and the Division 3 state title at Schneider Arena.

LeValley made countless big saves in the game, especially in the third period, to preserve the victory. The best of those stops came with less than two minutes remaining in the game and his team clinging to the one-goal advantage.

Mount Hope’s Gian Dimezza, one of the division’s top scorers, batted down a high puck in front of the net with his left hand and fired a shot from point-blank range that LeValley stopped from his knees and covered up.

“A month into the season, he decided he wanted to be the man,” said first-year East Providence head coach Kevin Croke. “He’s been unbelievable. He took the #1 job in December and never looked back.”

“The team was there to back me up the entire time,” said LeValley.

“We knew it was going to be a close game and that we had to be on our toes the entire time.”

East Providence, who swept the

Huskies Stun Johnston/NP East Providence Sweeps RI DIVISION III SEMIFINALS

I A pair of offensive explosions – including scoring five goals in the second period of both games – led fourth-seeded Mount Hope to the upset of top-seeded Johnston/North Providence, earning the Huskies a trip to the championship finals. JNP held a 1-0 lead after the first period of the opening game and a 2-1 lead after the first period of the second game, but both leads wilted under the five-goal outbursts in each contest. The Huskies were paced by the offensive prowess of Steven Vaccaro, who had three goals and three assists in the series, while Gian Dimezza added a goal and four assists, Justin Correia and Scott MacGovern each had two goals and two assists, Nicholas Salzano scored a goal and had two assists, Nicholas Anania added a goal and an assist and William Egge and Zachary Minior each scored a goal in the victories. Matthew Wilson stopped 59 shots in the series for Mount Hope. Robert Tonucci scored two goals and added an assist for JNP, Jonathan Alsfeld had two goals, Mackenzie Olink added a goal and two assists and Matthew Domaingue made 50 stops in the series for the Panthers.

I Led by dominating efforts from Paul Lukas and Kevin Hall, East Providence

coasted to the finals with a sweep of Tolman. Hall scored five goals and added two assists for good measure, while Lukas tallied five goals as EP posted wins of 6-0 and 6-4 over the Tigers. Jared Estrella also scored a goal in the series for the Townies, while Ryan Barry tallied six assists and Matthew Hall added three assists in the two wins. Mark LeValley was solid in net, stopping 66 of the 70 shots he faced. For Tolman, Jared Pedro had three goals and an assist, Christopher Baldwin added a goal and an assist, Zachary Belasco had two assists and Stephane Meunier made 63 saves between the pipes in the two games.

regular-season series from Mount Hope, took the opener 4-3, but then stumbled in the second game, falling 5-2 when the Huskies scored four goals in the third period, including three unanswered to end the game after the score was tied 2-2.

In the winner-take-all third game, the two teams battled through a scoreless two periods, with East Providence unable to take advantage of their scoring chances. Those chances included one by Series MVP Ryan Barry, a senior forward, who came away from a scrum along the right boards, skated in alone on Mount Hope goalie Matt Wilson, but Wilson stayed in position to make the stop.

Later in the second period, with about 30 seconds left, Barry again had a chance when he was sent in on a breakaway by line mate Kevin Hall, but he pushed his shot wide of Wilson as defenseman Scott MacGovern was bearing down on him.

The scoreless tie didn’t last long

HNIB NEWS

into the third period. After Mount Hope’s William Egge was called for a 5-minute boarding major, East Providence took advantage when Barry had the puck at the left faceoff circle and slid a pass through traffic and the crease to Hall at the corner of the net, and Hall buried the shot into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

Mount Hope had a couple of chances to tie the game, one coming with 8:45 left in regulation when Egge fanned on an attempt on the right side of the goal, with the net wide open and the Huskies on a power play.

The Townies added to their lead when Ryan Costa was awarded a penalty shot after being dragged down on a breakaway to the Mount Hope goal. He came in on his penalty shot, faked right and buried a shot with a backhand that beat Wilson for a 2-0 lead.

The Huskies got a goal back about a minute later when Dimezza sent a pass from the left point toward the far corner of the rink, but Nicholas Salzano redirected the puck near the right faceoff circle into the net between LeValley and the goal post for the goal.

Mt. Hope, Tolman Advance RI DIVISION III QUARTERFINALS

I In an exciting series, Mount Hope advanced thanks to a pair of overtime victories over Cranston East, winning by identical 3-2 scores. In the first game, Gian Dimezza netted the winner at the 4:34 mark off an assist from Steven Vaccaro, while Justin Correira got the winning tally at the 7:14 mark of the second game, with the assist from Dimezza. For the series, Dimezza had the one goal and four assists, Correira netted two goals, Scott MacGovern and Zachary Minior each had a goal as well. Matthew Wilson played a solid series in net, making 63 stops in the two games. Tyler Donahay led Cranston East with a goal and two assists, Robert Kuczek and Thomas O’Mara each had a goal and an assist.

I Led by a high-powered offensive attack, Tolman skated past Scituate with rel-

ative ease, winning by scores of 4-1 and 9-3. Kody Casavant was the offensive star in the series, netting six goals and adding an assist for good measure to lead the Tigers. Jared Pedro had two goals and four assists to add to the offensive assault, while Zachary Belasco had a goal and three assists. Stephane Meunier stopped 42 shots in net in the two wins. For Scituate, Scott Iacabucci scored a goal and had an assist, Richard Pannone, Kevin Botelho and Frank Vani each scored a goal.

HNIB Elite Tourney A Huge Success Page 44

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Russians Set To Return August 2-5

College, NHL Scouts Attend Premier Showcase 2012 TEAMS

• Massachusetts • New England • Northeast • Mid-Atlantic • Russia Jr. Champions • Southeast • Midwest/Great Lakes

“College and NHL Scouts that attended said it was the best competition of all the Summer Showcases.”

- Mike Addesa - Boston Bulldogs (Team Northeast head coach)

2011 CHAMPIONS TEAM NEW ENGLAND, coached by New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs head coach Sean Tremblay, went 5-0-1.

“The caliber of competition in the HNIB Elite Tourney far exceeded our expectations. We are looking forward to next summer.”

- Dmitri Efimov - Russian Jr. League Director

“The speed and skill level of the Elite Showcase was exceptional and provided a great experience for the Mid-Atlantic players.”

- Bruce Shatel - Delbarton School (MidAtlantic head coach)

“The Elite Division featured over 40 Division I college scholarship players and is a high visibility, well-organized event.”

- Sean Tremblay - Middlesex Islanders

(Team New England head coach)

For 2012 Information: Email: hockeynight@comcast.net

MEMBERS OF THE MAGNITOGORSK STEEL FOXES team with their tournament awards are (l to r) Kirill Lebedev, coach Evgeny Koreshkov, Evgeny Solovyev and Alexey Bereglazov.

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Page 46

MARCH 23 2012

By Michael Fornabaio • HNIB News

illy Vizzo's only consolation, as he sat out of Notre Dame-West Haven's lineup with mono, was that his team kept winning. They kept winning long enough to get him healthy. He didn't play in the state semifinals. He got two days of practice. And then he scored three goals in the Connecticut Division I final.

Vizzo's natural hat trick plus Luc Amatruda's 28 saves led the Green Knights to a 5-0 win over Glastonbury at Ingalls Rink in New Haven.

"The first shift, I was a little tired," Vizzo said. "The adrenaline kicked in."

The sophomore missed the first three games of the state playoffs, though he dressed for the Green Knights' semifinal win over West Haven.

"He was hungry," Notre Dame coach Bill Gerosa said. "He's the first true goal scorer we've had in 14 or 15 years."

The Green Knights kept pucks in Glastonbury's end and used their depth to full effect.

They got a goal from three different lines in the first two periods.

Vizzo added two more in the third.

"All season long, our M.O. has been to wear teams down, and it happened again (in the final)," Gerosa said. "They got really tired at the end of the second period."

CONNECTICUT D-I TOP 10 POLL TEAM

WL T

1. NotreDame(WH) 20 2. Glastonbury 20 3. Fairfield Prep 19 4. West Haven 15 5. Ridgefield 21 6. Hamden 11 7. So. Windsor 12 8. Xavier 11 9. North Haven 10 10. Darien 17

3 5 4 8 3 9 10 9 12 7

1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0

HNIB NEWS

CONNECTICUT HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY

• Division I Championship •

Notre Dame (WH) Rises To The Top

Green Knights Blank Glastonbury In Final

NOTRE DAME OF WEST HAVEN is the new Connecticut Division I champions. The Green Knights blanked Glastonbury, 5-0, in the title game at Yaleʼs Ingalls Rink.

(Russ McCreven photo)

The Tomahawks didn't stop coming, with powerful weapons like Ethan Holdaway and Drew Mozzer (eight shots himself), but Amatruda and the Green Knights became the first team to shut out Glastonbury.

"I just give Notre Dame so much credit," Glastonbury coach Ken Barse said. "We ended their season last year, and they just came back and played with reckless abandon and intensity in the first period.

"They always had a third man high," he added.

"They had back pressure the whole game."

The title was Notre Dame’s seventh, its sixth in Division I, and its first since 2002.

Notre Dame scored in the first minute of the first two periods and in between withstood a furious Tomahawks charge, tweaking its forecheck along the way.

Kyle Thibault battled a Glastonbury defenseman at the right post to score on a rebound 44 seconds into the game. Anthony Astorino's shot got through from the

left point to set that up.

"The 'silver line,' Jeff Bausch, Kyle Thibault, Ed Sherman," Gerosa said. "They came together and realized what they could about a month ago. They were a force in the tournament. They took a lot of pressure off the 'gold line.'"

At 11:23, the Green Knights turned a lucky bounce into a beautiful goal. Anthony Iovene lofted the puck from the neutral zone into the Glastonbury end. A Tomahawks defender went to both knees, the better to make sure to trap the puck. But it hopped past him into the clear, and Alex Esposito recovered with no blue sweaters between him and goalie Chase Gabor.

A nice move to his forehand, and Esposito, a sophomore, beat Gabor high-blocker to make it 2-0.

"We had a lot of young kids on this team," Gerosa said. "Two freshmen. A bunch of sophomores; I can't (Continued On Page 47)

Page 47

CONNECTICUT HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY

CONNECTICUT DIVISION I SEMIFINALS

Glastonbury Stuns Top-Seed Prep

I Glastonbury 5, Fairfield Prep 4

Aaron Mandell scored two goals, including a big power-play goal late in the second period to give his team a 4-1 lead, as the Tomahawks knocked off the twotime defending champions. The teams traded goals in the third period, and then, with Jesuits goalie Riley Wikman pulled for the extra attacker, defenseman Sean Henry scored goals with 2:06 and 1:47 remaining to make it a one-goal game.

Glastonbury goalie Chase Gabor finished up a 20-save night to preserve the upset win. Drew Mozzer had a goal and an assist for Glastonbury.

I Notre Dame (WH) 6, West Haven 2

Jeffrey Bausch scored 49 seconds in, and the Green Knights were never headed as they reached the final for the first time since 2005. Greg Zullo and Kyle Thibault scored to make it 3-0 after two; Ed Sherman and Matt Dostie added third-period goals before the Blue Devils got on the board on Kyle Leyerzapf's goal. West Haven's Adam Mink and Notre Dame's Alex Esposito traded goals to finish it off. Luc Amatruda needed just 15 saves for the winners and forced Mike Troiano wide on a penalty shot early in the third period.

- Connecticut D-I Title Game (Continued From Page 46)

even count. Everything came together."

Vizzo took a pass from linemate Greg Zullo, accelerated between defensemen and snapped a shot off the left post and in at 39 seconds of the second period, and the Green Knights were on their way.

"They skated all over us in the first two periods," Barse said. "We weren't getting our normal flow going."

Amatruda helped that, making big saves at point-blank range. He'd played in the Division II final last year for Guilford, Gerosa noted, and returned to Notre Dame for his junior year.

Two late Vizzo goals put it away. With 6:19 to go, he saw Gabor off the post to the goalie's right and wrapped the puck around that post for a 4-0 lead. He added an empty-netter off a steal with 2:36 to go.

"I'm at a loss of words," Vizzo said. "I can't explain it."

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

CONNECTICUT DIVISION I QUARTERFINALS

I Fairfield Prep 2, Hamden 0

David White scored two goals and Riley Wikman made 28 saves as the Jesuits knocked off their longtime rivals. Hamden's Andy Varga made 25 saves, but White beat him twice in the first period, once off A.J. Unker's setup, again off Will Brophy's.

I Notre Dame (WH) 4, So. Windsor 2

South Windsor had just taken a 20 lead early in the third and was in command when a boarding penalty sent Notre Dame to the power play.

Three quick goals later -- with a missed penalty shot after the second one, even -- and the Green Knights led. Eric Austin (power play) and Greg Zullo scored to tie it, and Alex Esposito's deflection put the Green Knights ahead. Colby Cretella finished it off late in the third.

I West Haven 4, Ridgefield 1

Westies senior goalie Justin Shepard made saves that left coach Joe Morrell saying "unbelievable" over and over. He stopped 39 Ridgefield shots, while his team made 10 shots count. Wes Gambardella deflected in a shot early in the first period, and Jaeson Puleo scored on a rebound. Josh Robichaud and Adam Mink scored late in the second period to put it away.

I Glastonbury 3, Darien 2

Ethan Holdaway scored a powerplay goal with 2:46 remaining to send the Tomahawks to the semifinals.

Drew Mozzer gave Glastonbury a 20 lead, with a goal late in each of the first and second periods. Nick Bruno tied it with 5:34 left after Thomas Watters got Darien on the board.

Chase Gabor made 23 saves for Glastonbury against Max Rothston's 26 for Darien.

Connecticut Div. I Tourney Scoreboard

First Round Fairfield Prep 3, No. Haven 1 Darien 2, New Canaan 1 Notre Dame (WH) 5, Cheshire 2 So. Windsor 3, Xavier 1 West Haven 5, East Haven 3 Hamden 9, St. Joseph 1 Ridgefield 11, Trinity Cath. 0 Glastonbury 7, Simsbury 0 Quarterfinals Fairfield Prep 2, Hamden 0 Notre Dame (WH) 4, So. Windsor 2 Glastonbury 3, Darien 2 West Haven 4, Ridgefield 1 Semifinals Glastonbury 5, Fairfield Prep 4 Notre Dame (WH) 6, West Haven 2 Final

Notre Dame (WH) 5, Glastonbury 0

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F

Page 48

MARCH 23, 2012

By Michael Fornabaio • HNIB News

ew teams in Connecticut were as hot at the end of the season as Trumbull and Branford.

Both won their conference titles.

Both swept into the final.

CONNECTICUT DIV. II TOP 10 POLL

TEAM

1 Trumbull 2 Branford 3 No. Branford 4 Hand 5 Guilford 6 Wilton 7 Suffield/Granby 8 Milford 9 Fairfield 10. Staples/Weston

WLT 17 16 13 13 12 11 12 13 9 9

9 10 9 8 9 12 10 9 13 12

0 0 1 2 2 0 0 1 0 0

HNIB NEWS

CONNECTICUT HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY

• Division II Title • Third-Period Blitz Gives Trumbull Crown Branford started stronger March 16. Trumbull finished incredibly, scoring five in the third period to win its first state title with a 5-3 win at Ingalls Rink in New Haven.

"I knew, when we got that first goal, I thought we could get rolling," Trumbull coach Greg Maxey said, as quoted in the Connecticut Post. "Our first line has been good all year."

Led by Michael Ahearn, it was good in the final. Ahearn had a hand in all five goals, scoring his team's first and last, and he took 10 of his team's 35 shots.

The Eagles scored three goals in

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10:40 in the third period to erase Branford's 2-0 lead. But Tyler Hackett's second of the game at 12:21 knotted it again.

Ahearn set up Brendan Strobel 64 seconds later to break the tie, and he scored into an empty net 64 seconds after that.

Junior Matt Paolini, who came on strong at the end of the year and helped Trumbull to the FCIAC Tier II title, made 32 saves, including 12 on 13 shots in the third.

Even so, Trumbull didn't allow the Hornets another shot attempt after the Eagles took the lead for good.

Trumbull had made only one final before, losing to future NHLer Nick Bonino and Farmington in 2005 in double overtime.

Branford, which played in the final for the first time since 1988, jumped on top early. Tyler Criscuolo scored at 3:06. Hackett's first made it 2-0 at 8:25.

"Even with a 2-0 lead going into the third period, we weren't too comfortable," Branford coach

Adolph Brink told the Hartford Courant. "They have some quickstrike capability."

Ahearn (at 1:05) and Strobel (6:39 off a rebound) tied the game before the third period was half over.

Branford goalie Alessandro Sarno made 30 saves.

Connecticut Div. II Tourney Scoreboard

First Round Suffield 3, Fairfield 1 Wilton 2, New Milford 1 Trumbull 6, Watertown 0 Branford 4, Staples 3 No. Branford 3, East Catholic 0 Milford 4, Newtown 3 Quarterfinals Trumbull 4, Wilton 2 Guilford 4, Suffield 3 No. Branford 5, Milford 4 Branford 4, Daniel Hand 1 Semifinals Trumbull 7, Guilford 3 Branford 5, No. Branford 3 Final Trumbull 5, Branford 3

CONNECTICUT DIV. II SEMIFINALS

I Trumbull 7, Guilford 3

Matt Paolini made 39 saves, 18 of them in the first period, as Trumbull withstood Guilford's charge and advanced to the final for only the second time.

Michael Ahearn completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal, soon after he had made it 6-3 with a goal on a short-handed breakaway. Trumbull took a 3-0 lead in the first period on goals by Ahearn, Brendan Strobel and A.J. DeMasi.

Guilford came back on three power-play goals, two by Jack Fitzgerald and one

by Billy Ring, but Strobel's second, on a power play, broke the tie. Tim Riley had a goal and two assists for Trumbull.

I Branford 5, North Branford 3

Branford scored four goals in a row in the first period after North Branford took a 2-0 lead, and goalie Alessandro Sarno did the rest as Branford made the final for the first time since 1988. Tyler Hackett scored the tie-breaking goal, then added a short-handed goal in the closing seconds of the first period. North Branford freshman Alec Martone cut the lead to 4-3 early in the third period, but Tony Pascale scored his second of the game less than two minutes later. Sarno made 20 saves to get the win.

I

Page 49

CONNECTICUT HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY

• Division III Championship Game •

MARCH 23, 2012

Newington/Berlin Takes Top Honors

By Michael Fornabaio • HNIB News

t started with commitment. It ended with commitment. A couple of standout players returned to Newington/Berlin from junior hockey to commit to their classmates, and they stood out in the Connecticut Division III final.

A slew of players commited to the defensive end and clogged up Northwest Catholic's high-powered offense.

Drew O'Leary made 18 saves, 10 of them in the third period, as Newington/Berlin captured its first state title with a 2-1 win at Ingalls Rink in New Haven.

"If it weren't for the defense and goaltending, it would've been a different story," Newington/Berlin coach Dave Harackiewicz said.

Northwest Catholic had thirdperiod chances, including a late power play, but couldn't convert, so Newington/Berlin won its 21st

in a row to finish 22-2.

"We're a family," said O'Leary, who like Nick Briganti joined to the program just before the season.

"We go through everything together. It was mostly just the seniors we needed to win for. They gave us everything they had, and I felt I needed to give everything I had."

He did that, stopping every Northwest Catholic chance he could.

But his teammates did, too.

Newington/Berlin forwards got back at least three times to get a stick on the stick of a Northwest Catholic player about to fire off a good scoring chance.

"They backchecked. They played great defense," Northwest Catholic coach Don Melanson said. "Some of our guys -- most of the teams we played don't have that backcheck and work as hard (as Newington/Berlin)."

Both programs played tough

CONNECTICUT DIV. II QUARTERFINALS

I Guilford 4, Suffield/Granby/Windsor Locks 3

Ryan Moore scored with 18 seconds left to give the Indians the win. The teams traded goals through the first two periods; Ian Stevens had two for Suffield, and Moore assisted on two for Guilford. Chad Faulkner-Filosa made 26 saves for Guilford. Nick Burgio stopped 36 for Suffield.

I Trumbull 4, Wilton 2

Michael Ahearn's hat trick, after Tim Riley scored in the first minute, gave Trumbull a 4-0 lead. Matt Paolini made 24 saves. Joey Cullinan and Matt Kobyra scored for Wilton, which got 22 saves from Nick Wells.

I Branford 3, Hand 1

Tyler Hackett had a goal and an assist, including the goal late in the third period that put the game away for the Hornets. Austin Hackett and Tony Pascale scored to give Branford a 2-0 lead after two. Mitch Brown scored for the Tigers in the third.

I North Branford 5, Milford 4

Chris Burkle tied it with just over six minutes to go, and Rich Affinito won it with two and a half minutes left to lift the Thunderbirds into the semifinals.

Milford had leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 4-3 (Craig Wargo's third-period goal) before North Branford came back. Dylan Podbielski scored two goals for North Branford and added an assist.

schedules and played them well.

Northwest Catholic finished 19-5.

Newington/Berlin took a 2-0 lead midway through the second on Brendon Richard's slapper from the slot.

But Richard took a cross-checking penalty on the next shift.

Northwest Catholic set up Patrick Melanson at the right side to roof it over O'Leary with 3:58 left in the period.

HNIB NEWS

CONNECTICUT DIV. III TOP 10 POLL

TEAM

WLT

1 Newington/Berlin 22 2 Northwest Cath. 19 3 BBD 17 4 NFA/St. Bernard 12 5 BCL 11 6 Rockville 9 7 Hall/Southington 8 8 Rocky Hill/RHAM 7 9 Barlow 11 10. Masuk 12

2 5 7 10 10 12 13 13 10 10

0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

CONNECTICUT DIV. III SEMIFINALS

I Newington/Berlin 4, NFA/St. Bernard/Bacon 1

Back before Christmas, NFA/St. Bernard/Bacon Academy won a 2-1 game between these two teams. Newington/Berlin had never lost since. Brandon Ralph's second goal of the night, an empty-netter, made sure Newington/Berlin's winning streak wouldn't end. Brendon Richard scored in the first, Ralph (fiveon-three) scored in the second, and Jeff Smolicz scored in the third to build a 30 lead. Drew O'Leary made 20 saves, beaten only by Blake Biancamano in the third. Jonah Beauton made 26 saves at the other end.

I Northwest Catholic 4, Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury 3

After losing in the semifinals three years in a row, Northwest Catholic reached the final for the first time thanks to a three-goal second period that erased BBD's 2-1 lead. Demitri Yao broke a 2-2 tie with 1:15 left in the second period, and Jeff Greenwood followed with a goal on a rebound 40 seconds later as the Indians outshot the IceCats 17-2 in the period. Trevor Kurjiaka cut into the lead with 1:36 left and goalie Ryan Campbell (31 saves) pulled for an extra attacker, but Matt Greenwood's 16 saves held up.

CONNECTICUT DIV. III QUARTERFINALS

I Newington/Berlin 5, Rockville/Manchester/Stafford 4 (OT)

Nick Briganti scored early in overtime after Newington/Berlin forced overtime with two late goals. John Sellew and Angus Deane scored two goals apiece to give RMS a 4-2 lead, but Brendon Richard scored his second and third goals of the night in the last two minutes. Richard also assisted on the winner.

I NFA/St. Bernard/Bacon Academy 7, Barlow 0

Jonah Beauton made 17 saves for the shutout, and Connor O'Rourke led the offense with two goals and an assist. Thierry Jean made 26 saves for Barlow.

I Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury 7, Masuk 4

BBD took a 6-1 lead -- it was 5-1 after one period -- but the Panthers cut it to 6-4 on a goal by Luke Butovsky (three points) late in the third. BBD hung on to win.

I Northwest Catholic 7, BCL 0

Matt Greenwood made 18 saves and Pat Melanson scored four goals to lead the Indians into the semifinals. Jeff Greenwood had a goal and two assists, and 11 players had at least a point.

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Pinkerton Holds On For D-1 Crown Page 51

W

NEW HAMPSHIRE HS TOURNAMENT

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Memorial Rally Falls Short, 3-2

By Kevin Doyle â&#x20AC;˘ HNIB News

hat Pinkerton seemed to have well under control midway through the third period became less so when Manchester Memorial popped in two goals 35 seconds apart with less than seven minutes to play in the Division One State Championship game.

The Astros settled down, re-grouped and claimed their second championship in the program's 12-year history with a 3-2 dispatch of the Marauders. Dominic Corsetto netted what at the time appeared to a separation goal but what in fact wound up the game-winner at 2:59 of the third period and goalie Matt Marchman turned back 17 shots as the top-seeded 'Stros wrapped up a 172-0 (21-2-2 overall) campaign. Memorial finished 14-50.

Pinkerton completed a daunting gauntlet to claim the crown, knocking off Londonderry in the quarterfinals and Trinity (of Manchester) in the semifinals.

Pinkerton's previous title came in 2009. Goals from sophomore J.D. Dudek and junior Zach Sanford gave the Astros a 2-0 lead through two.

"Zach and J.D. proved again tonight they were the best players in the league in my opinion," said coach Casey Kesselring, who got a needed timeout 10 seconds after Memorial's second goal. "They (Memorial) made it scary at the

PINKERTON ACADEMY CAPTAINS (l to r) Zach Sanford, Nick Pica and RIcky Priest with New Hampshire Division I state championship trophy after 3-2 win over Manchester Memorial at Verizon Wireless Arena.

(Gary Demopoulos photo)

end. I wanted to tell them to settle down and that everything was going to work out."

Which it did as the Astros reapplied their lockdown defense to such an extent that Memorial was unable to pull goalie Tyler Fay

PINKERTON GOALIE Matt Marchman covers up puck as defenseman Ricky Priest fends off Memorial forward Max Campbell. Astros held on for 3-2 win.

(Gary Demopoulos photo)

until 22 seconds remained and never did test Fay with an equalizing bid.

Dudek registered the only goal in a choppy and sloppy first period that had little rhythm or pace. With 8:09 left in the period, he maintained control of the puck after being checked to his knees, regained his footing, sifted left to right through the slot and snapped a wrist shot though a screen over the glove of Fay (24 saves).

It remained that way for the next 15:04 of elapsed game time until the Astros' first line set up a perfect triangle and executed a cycling clinic. Devin Moore sent the puck behind the net to Dudek, whose pass out from the right side found Sanford for a mid-slot wrist shot and 2-0 lead with 8:05 to go in the second.

Corsetto's game-winner early in the third came about when Brendan Phillipon filched an errant clear and sent the puck to Josh Hamilton, whose deft delivery created

Corsetto's doorstep finish with 12:01 remaining.

Pinkerton had complete control at that juncture but incrementally began easing off the accelerator and Memorial took advantage.

With 6:07 to go, defenseman Colin Williamson won a wall battle at the right point, executed a giveand-go with Matt Tufts and went top shelf from close range to make (Continued On Page 54)

HNIB NEW HAMPSHIRE DIVISION I POLL TEAM

1. Pinkerton 2. Memorial 3. Bishop Brady 4. Trinity 5. Hanover 6. St. Thomas 7. Salem 8. Londonderry 9. Concord 10. Bishop Guertin

WL T 19 16 12 11 9 9 9 9 8 7

2 5 6 7 7 8 9 9 9 9

0 0 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 1

T

Page 52

MARCH 23, 2012

By Kevin Doyle â&#x20AC;˘ HNIB News

he Bedford hockey team was a boisterous bunch following the Division Two State Championship game and understandably so. Four years removed from their inaugural varsity season, the Bulldogs claimed their first state crown in just their second season in the league by knocking off defending champion Dover.

The 'Dogs dominated the first two periods, building a 2-0 lead, then turned so sophomore goalie Steve Tempesta to seal the deal.

Tempesta came up with 12 of his 26 saves in the third period, including a dangerous bid initiated by Dover defenseman Travis Smalley with 8.4 seconds left. Tempesta tracked and smothered the high shot from the right point that was deflected and dropped a good two feet.

"Before the game we asked Steve to make the saves he needed to make and then to give us little more. To his credit, he did just that," said Bedford coach Marty Meyer. "As a team, we seemed to feel better this game than we did against Oyster River. They seemed more nervous for the semifinals.

We practiced well and seemed better prepared and more focused."

Conversely, the Green Wave seemed to lack focus through the first two periods, spending far too much time reacting to Bedford and not enough time initiating. But, as

HNIB NEW HAMPSHIRE DIVISION II POLL TEAM

1. Bedford 2. Dover 3. Oyster River 4. Spaulding 5. Merrimack 6. Lebanon 7. Goffstown 8. Timberlane

WLT 17 14 12 9 14 9 8 8

3 6 8 9 5 9 8 11

0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0

HNIB NEWS

NEW HAMPSHIRE HS TOURNAMENT

DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP

Upstart Bedford Reaches Summit

Bulldogs Edge Dover, 2-1, For D-2 Title

BEDFORD IS THE 2012 NEW HAMPSHIRE DIVISION II CHAMPION, dethroning Dover, 2-1, at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester. This is only the fourth year Bedford has had a varsity program.

(Gary Demopoulos photo)

has has been the case often this year, the Green Wave surged in the third.

"We've been a third-period hockey team all year long," Dover coach Steve Riker said. "I was just happy that we came out and made a push. "The first two periods, we were a little bit flat. We didn't play with much emotion. We had to really poke and prod to try to get something going in the third, which I thought we did a really good job of."

Bedford held a 13-8 shot advantage in the first period and Ben Philbrick (left post at 5:23) and Chris Viola (crossbar at 9:15) both found iron and the teams exited the period scoreless.

The Bulldogs peppered Dover goalie Tyler Briand (23 saves) with six shots in the first two minutes of the second period but didn't break through with the game's first goal until the 6:04 mark. Kurt Mitchell wheeled unmarked off the left wall to the top of the circle and let loose a wrist shot that handcuffed Briand for a power play tally.

The 'Dogs doubled up with 2:48 left in the period.

Philbrick's slick pass from the left of the crease through Briand's pads resulted in Jason Campbell's redirect into the open right side that made it 2-0.

Meyers, though, knew that lead would not be safe and focused on defensive strategy for the third period.

"They made a game of it from the start of the third period. To start the third period, we wanted to keep the puck deep and send it down, but they pinned us deep in our end and we were just trying to get it out of our own end," Myers said.

Tempesta held the fort, turning back a pair of 2-on1 breaks including a glittering glove save on a back hander by Matt Henderson, barreling in from the right side.

Henderson, though, got Dover on the board with 6:50 to play, picking up a puck off the rear wall and squeezing a shot past Tempesta at the right post. The sophomore, though, yielded nothing further.

Bedford finished with a 17-3-0 mark and Dover closed out at 14-6-0.

Page 53

NEW HAMPSHIRE HS TOURAMENT

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

• Division 3 Championship •

Kennett Works OT To Dispatch Alvirne

LaRusso’s Goal Allows Eagles To Escape, 4-3

A

By Kevin Doyle • HNIB News

lvirne's legs were gone and Kennett sensed that, attacking relentlessly on back-to-back power plays late in the first overtime of the Division 3 championship game.

While the first man advantage proved fruitless, the second produced Kennett's third championship in four years when junior Anthony LaRusso buried the title clincher with 27 seconds left in the extra session of a 4-3 victory.

The game-winner unfolded quickly as Nick Massa tracked down the rebound of Dillon Smith's initial shot near the right wall and fired the puck toward the crease. Alvirne goalie Brian Carpentier (28 saves) got a piece of it but not enough to deflect it from LaRusso, positioned perfectly for his weak-side finish. Both Alvirne OT penalties -- interference against Cam Brock at 7:10 and tripping against Michael Silva at 13:01 -- were against Kennett's stellar senior sniper Kevin Murphy.

"We worked hard on our power play all year.

In regulation, we played it safe. We didn't want Brock or (Reed) Vandergraaf sneaking behind us. In overtime, we attacked more and got the puck down lower," said Kennett coach Mike Lane. "They (Alvirne) were the better team for three periods. We picked the right time to play our best period of the game. I can't be prouder of these kids -- they worked very hard all year.

Hockey is tough up where we're from -- there are a lot of long bus rides and we spend a lot of time together."

It was a disappointing finish to a stellar campaign for Alvirne. The Broncos, who move back to Division 2 next winter, were seeking their first-ever State title.

“We put it all out there,” said coach Brian Gould. “Kennett’s a great team, we played with them, in fact, I think we outplayed them. You hate to get penalties in overtime, but it just taxed us so much, we were stretching everybody as much as we could. I think our guys were beat.

We almost got to the end (of the first overtime).”

KENNETT BRAINTRUST: Showing off Division III trophy are front (l to r) captains Matt Kelly, Chris King, Kevin Murphy and Cody Richard, and back (l to r) assistant coaches Justin Frechette, Todd Frechette and head coach Mike Lane.

(Gary Demopoulos photo)

That the Eagles were alive to extend the game to the extra session was due, in large part, to the play of senior goalie John Bishop, who turned back 35 shots, 23 of them through the first two periods.

"I've said all season that John was the best goalie in the division and he certainly played that way today," Lane said.

While Alvirne clearly carried the play through much of the first period, Murphy generated the most dangerous shots. After twice being denied by Carpentier at 9:14 (wrist shot from the right dot) and 11:11 (close-range backhander), Murphy staked the Eagles to a 10 lead at 12:43 of the period when his slap shot from the left point broke off Carpentier's glove and dropped in behind him.

The Broncos responded immediately, establishing the theme for the rest of the game.

Jeremy Dutil stole the puck along the right wall and shoveled a pass to Trevor Perron, who kicked the puck to his forehand while eluding a

Kennett defender and then beat Bishop on the ice to the stick side for a 1-all tie with 1:20 left in the period.

It stayed that way until the final minute of the second period when LaRusso scored his first, carrying up the left wing on a 2-on-1 and snapping a shot from the circle past Carpentier's stick side.

(Continued On Page 54)

HNIB NEW HAMPSHIRE DIVISION III POLL TEAM

WLT

1. Kennett 19 2. Alvirne 18 3. Belmont-Gilford 11 4. Windham-Pelham 14 5. Hollis-Brookline 12 6. Souhegan 10 7. John Stark/Hopk. 10 8. Somersworth 10

1 2 8 4 7 7 10 10

0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0

Page 54

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

NH DIVISION I SEMIFINALS

NEW HAMPSHIRE HS TOURNAMENT

NH DIVISION I QUARTERFINALS

I Manchester Memorial 4, Bishop Brady 0

Goaltender Tyler Fay turned back 22 shots to pick up the shutout and propel No. 2 Memorial to the championship game. It was just the second time all season that No. 3 Brady had been kept off the board. Colton McAllister connected in the first period and Jacob Boylan struck in the second. Memorial added a pair of third-period goals to win going away. The loss marked the end of Clint Edinger's career on the Bishop Brady bench as he is leaving the program after nine years at the helm. Bp. Brady finished at 12-6-2.

I Pinkerton 3, Trinity 2 (OT)

The Astros ousted the defending champions and advanced to the title game by applying unrelenting offensive pressure on Trinity goalie Ryan Slatsky, stellar in defeat with 40 saves. Junior Zach Sanford notched his second goal of the game to settle it in extra time. As has been the case for much of the season, Sanford and sophomore J.D. Dudek (goal, assist) powered the offense for the Astros.

Matt Marchman stopped 24 shots. Joe Libby (goal, assist) and Nik Beeson scored for Trinity, which wound up 11-7-2.

NH DIVISION I QUARTERFINALS

I Memorial 3, Salem 2

Senior captain Brady Bilodeau notched the game-winning goal to propel the Crusaders to a 3-2 win over Salem. Brady McNulty and Patrick Conley also scored for Memorial, while Salem got a pair of strikes from Jake Pappalardo.

â&#x20AC;˘ NH D-I Final â&#x20AC;˘ (Continued From Page 51)

it 3-1.

With the Memorial crowd still in a frenzy, the Marauders closed to 3-2 35 seconds later when Jacob Boylan's backhander from the inside rim of the left circle squeezed between Marchman's stick and right pad. They would get no closer.

I Pinkerton 6, Londonderry 3

The Astros rode Brendan Phillippon's two goals and J.D. Dudek's five-point effort to victory in a wild game that saw seven goals scored in the second period. Dudek, Mitch Moran, Connor Brady and Dominic Corsetto scored single goals for the Astros while Londonderry picked up goals from Eric Colburn, Steve Devereaux and Brian Greene.

Londonderry finished the year at 10-91.

I Bishop Brady 6, St. Thomas Aquinas 5 (OT)

In a game of wild momentum swings, sophomore Austin Timpone's goal at 3:30 of overtime propelled the Green Giants past STA. Brady opened a 3-0 lead only to have the Saints counter with five unanswered strikes. Ali Bonenfant brought Brady back to 5-4 early in the third period, then Nate Philbrick forced OT with 1:29 left in regulation. Colton McAllister, Philbrick and Shane Early added first period goals for the winners while Jacob Cordeiro finished with 36 saves. Eddie Conroy had two goals and Caleb Kane scored on the power play for STA, which wound up a 9-8-1 campaign.

I Trinity 4, Hanover 3 (OT)

Kyle Valliere scored three goals, into the game-winner in extra time, to give defending champion Trinity a 4-3 win over Hanover and a berth in the semifinals.

Mike Bodette also scored for Trinity. Hanover got markers from Mike Yukica, Peter Bensen and Christian Wolter.

NH DIVISION II SEMIFINALS

I Bedford 4, Oyster River 1

The Bulldogs established early control and never relinquished it as they advanced to their first Division 2 State title game. Bedford attacked relentlessly from the outset and exited the first period with a 2-0 lead on goals from Michael Dee and Brian Collins. Tyler Murry stretched it to 3-0 early in the second period and Mike Ahern added an empty-netter as time wound down in support of Steve Tempesta's 13-save outing. Clayton Jerry accounted for OR's lone goal with 4:20 to play. Goalie Brennan Young finished with 20 saves for the Bobcats, who finished the year at 12-8-0.

I Dover 3, Spaulding 0

Senior captain Matt Henderson notched a hat trick to send the defending champs back to The Verizon Wireless Center. Henderson scored once in each period, including the game-winner at 10:45 of the first. Goalie Tyler Briand picked up an assist on Henderson's second goal to go along with a 17-save shutout. Defenseman Sam Bovee added a pair of assists. Dover was in control throughout, evidenced by a 37-17 edge in shots. Spaulding won one just one of its first eight games, but closed with eight wins in its final 11, including a quarterfinal round upset of Merrimack, to finish 9-9-2.

NH DIVISION II QUARTERFINALS

I Dover 5, Lebanon 2

Sophomore Ben Henderson scored the first three goals of his varsity career as the Green Wave swamped the Raiders, firing 43 shots at Lebanon goalie Nick Dube (38 saves). Eli Cobb and Matt Henderson added single goals and Tyler Briand turned back 25 shots. Jacob Davis and Donncha Coyke had the goals for Lebanon, which finished 9-9-1.

I Oyster River 2, Goffstown 1 (OT)

Owen Allen's long-range floater from just inside the blue line early in extra time earned a semifinal slot for the Bobcats. The teams skated through nearly 30 minutes of scoreless hockey until OR took a 1-0 lead in the final minute of the second period. Connor House-Myers tied it for Goffstown on the power play with 4:50 left in regulation. Jake Genest had 26 saves in the Grizzlies' cage while OR's Brennan Young turned back 23. Goffstown concluded an 8-8-1 campaign.

I Bedford 5, Timberlane 1

7,/721 6&+22/

The eventual State champs broke open a close game with a three-spot in the third period. Goalie Steve Tempesta kicked off his strong post-season run with 18 saves. Austin Toohey had the lone goal for the Owls and James McCoy stopped 30 shots. Timberlane finished at 8-11-0.

Page 55

I Alvirne 4, Belmont-Gilf. 3 (OT)

The Broncos relinquished a two-goal lead in the third period but advanced to their first State title game thanks to Cam Brock's overtime strike at 1:23 of the extra session set up by defenseman Ryan Bellerose (goal, two assists). Brock finished with two goals and Reed Vandergraaf had a goal and assist. Freshman goalie Justin Ferguson turned back 38 B/G bids. B/G standout Jeremy D'Amour personally forced OT, bringing the Bulldogs back from two goals down with two thirdperiod strikes, including the equalizer with 1:11 left in regulation.

NEW HAMPSHIRE HS TOURNAMENT

I Kennett 3, Hollis-Brookline 1

The Cavaliers pushed the eventual champs to the limit but, as had occurred during a well-played regular-season game, succumbed to a late Eagles' surge. Connor Todd broke a 1-all tie

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

with 4:48 remaining in regulation and Nick Massa tacked on an empty-netter with 22 seconds left. Kevin Murphy also scored and goalie John Bishop finished with 13 saves. Honza Havlena scored the lone goal and Jake Hahnl had 23 saves for H-B.

HOCKEY HO HOC O KE OC EY Y. . .

The C Cardigan arrdigann W Way ay

â&#x20AC;˘ NH D3 Final â&#x20AC;˘

(Continued From Page 53)

Alvirne's diminutive freshman Cameron Blake matched that in the first minute of the third. A left-handed shooter, he collected a loose puck inside the left circle, then beat Bishop high to the far corner to make it 2-2.

Kennett regained the lead on James Gallo's unassisted tally with 9:56 left in regulation.

The junior stole an errant clear in the high slot, was denied by Carpentier's left pad kick out but charged hard and banged home his own rebound. Brock, though, forced OT with just 3:05 remaining when he slid a turnaround shot from the mid slot along the ice and past the partially screened Bishop's outstretched left skate.

NH D2 QUARTERFINALS

I Spaulding 5, Merrimack 3

Tied at 2-2 early in the third period, the Raiders ripped off the game's next three goals to stun second-seeded Merrimack, a State finalist a year ago. Brent Phillips scored twice and Zach Ellis, Nick Adjutant and Justin Jewell added single goals. Goalie Derek Scott turned in a solid 21-save performance. Merrimack wound up 14-5-0.

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Page 56

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

C

Page 57

By Justin Pelletier • HNIB News

.J. Maksut had plenty left for an encore. The Thornton Academy senior, who became that school's all-time leading scorer this season, finished off his hat trick with an empty-net goal to seal for Thornton Academy a 5-1 victory over St. Dom's in the Class A state final at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston.

"I wanted to create some offense for the team, I felt like that's my role," Maksut said.

"With three goals I was able to do that. It felt good to do that for the team."

In March of 2011, Maksut led the charge for the Trojans, scoring the game-winner in overtime as they upset top-seeded Lewiston in the state final in double overtime.

This year, he didn't wait until the end of the game to make an impact, scoring the game's opening goal at 2:02 of the first period.

Andrew Carignan got one at the five-minute mark on a rebound from the left side of the cage to increase the TA lead to 2-0, and Maksut again hit the score sheet at 7:17 on a rush up the left side, precipitated by a perfect pass from Greg Lodge.

MAINE CLASS A POLL

TEAM

1. Thornton Acad.

2. St. Dominic 3. Lewiston 4. Falmouth 5. Bangor 6. Scarborough 7. Marshwood 8. Cony 9. Biddeford 10. Edward Little

WL T 20 15 15 15 14 13 14 15 7 10

1 7 5 5 8 5 6 5 9 8

1 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 3 1

MAINE HS HOCKEY

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Encore For Thornton Academy CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP

Maksut’s Hat Trick Keys 5-1 Win Over St. Dom’s

IT IS BACK-TO-BACK CLASS A TITLES for Thornton Academy. The Trojans defeated St. Dominic Academy, 5-1, in the state championship game.

(Photo by Ron Morin, Jr.)

"It's a great atmosphere all the time in the building, and we all just wanted to come out and play our game," Maksut said. "I think we did that, all around.

It's great (to go out with two state titles), not just for myself, but for the team and for the community."

Thornton Academy (20-1-1) becomes the fifth team in the past 14 years to repeat as Class A champion, and is the fifth champion in six years from the suddenly hockey-rich Biddeford-Saco area.

"The southern area of the state, to be able to have some legitimacy and compete, that's been great," Thornton coach Jamie Gagnon said. "The fact that we can now compete with other parts of the state is huge.

The game tonight was a great example of that. No matter what the score says, this was a tough, tough game."

St. Dom's finishes the year with a 15-7-0 record having skated against perhaps the toughest slate of teams of any Class A school this winter.

"Nobody picked us to be here," St. Dom's coach Steve Ouellette said. "That's part of the reason you play the schedule we played. It's to try and be in these championship games. This year's class of seniors, we went to four regional final games and to two state championship games. It's been a great run."

(Continued On Page 58)

Page 58

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

• Class A West Final •

MAINE HS HOCKEY

Trojans Double Up Falmouth, 8-4

Falmouth's Cam Bell and Brandon Tuttle and Thornton's C.J. Maksut combined to score three goals in the game's first 29 seconds, and the Trojans tacked on three more goals before eight minutes had elapsed in the opening frame on their way to an 8-4 victory in the Western Class A regional final.

The action started fast and furious. Jack Pike snagged a bad pass in the Thornton zone and sent the puck toward the net, where Bell tipped it past TA keeper Joe Ferrante just 10 seconds into the contest. Eleven seconds later, Maksut slipped the puck through Falmouth keeper to even the score, and another eight seconds after that, it was Tuttle's turn.

The Trojans' Robbie Downing, Bryan Dallaire and Andrew Carignan scored in succession to put their team in control.

Thornton added another pair in the second, one each from Dallaire and Downing, as Freeman tacked on his second of the night for Falmouth, though the Yachtsmen's deficit increased from two to three.

Carignan and Maksut added another each in the third to offset a Kris Samaras strike to again up the Thornton lead to the game's final margin at 8-4.

• Class A East Final •

St. Domʼs Nips Lewiston, 1-0

Kyle Holtet's shorthanded tally in the second period held up as the only goal of the contest as St. Dom's outlasted Lewiston 1-0 to earn the Eastern Class A regional title, avenging a loss in the same game one year ago.

Maine Class A Tourney Scoreboard

West Quarterfinals Thornton 8, Gorham 1 Falmouth 10, Kennebunk1 Scarborough 3, Biddeford 1 Marshwood/Traip 5 Cheverus 3 East Quarterfinals Lewiston 8, Skowhegan 0 Bangor 4, Brunswick 1 St. Dom’s 5, Edward Little 2 Cony 3, Maranacook 2 West Semifinals Thornton 7, Marshwood/Traip 0 Falmouth 5, Scarborough 3 East Semifinals Lewiston 9, Cony 0 St. Dom’s 2, Bangor 1 (OT) West Final Thornton 8, Falmouth 4 East Final St. Dom’s 1, Lewiston 0 STATE FINAL Thornton 5, St. Dom’s 1

Facing Lewiston for the first time since earning a win over his rivals in the teams' first meeting of the season back in December, junior Grant Carrier stopped all 22 shots he saw to record the shutout.

Carrier was tested early, and plenty in the latter stages of the third, as the Devils tried to score the equalizer.

With the Blue Devils enjoying a power play — the tail end of a 5on-3 that had turned to a 5-on-4 — Holtet scared up a turnover at the Lewiston blue line, bore down on Lewiston keeper Brian Wigant, juked to the right, pulled the puck back to his left on his backhand and flipped the puck toward the cage.

And the hitting never stopped.

The Blue Devils registered 38 hits to the Saints' 32, many of from both teams of the bone-crunching variety.

CLASS A WEST SEMIFINALS

I Thornton 7, Marshwood/Traip 0

Bryan Dallaire and Nick Chen netted goals 1:12 apart in the first two minutes of the middle frame to blow open a three-goal game and help lead Thornton Academy to a 7-0 victory over the Hawks. Seven different players scored for the Trojans. Robbie Downing led the team with three points, and Joe Ferrante needed to stop only 23 shots to earn the shutout victory. Playing with a shorterthan-average bench, Marshwood/Traip relied heavily on keeper Kyle Hichins.

He didn't disappoint, making 48 saves on 55 shots despite the loss.

I Falmouth 5, Scarborough 3

Brandon Tuttle scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner at 9:09 of the third period, to lift Falmouth to a 5-3 victory over Scarborough in a Western Class A semifinal. Tuttle's second goal was his most important, as he finished a goal-mouth scramble to the right of Scarborough keeper Dalton Finley on a Falmouth power play. The goal was the Yachtsmen's second power-play tally to go with one short-handed goal and an empty-netter to seal the deal. Scarborough, meanwhile, lived on its power play. The Red Storm had 13 shots on goal, more than half of which came with the man advantage. So, too, did all three goals, netted by Jake Gross (twice) and Garrett McDonald. Cam Bell also had a pair for Falmouth and Ben Freeman added the short-handed score. Dane Pauls finished with 10 saves on 13 shots for the Yachtsmen, while Finley stopped 16 of 20.

CLASS A EAST SEMIFINALS

I Lewiston 9, Cony 0

Lewiston broke open the game early and scored often, earning a 9-0 victory over Cony in the Eastern Class A semifinal round. Devon Beland, Stefan Vallee, Desmond Gagne and Ryan Lemelin all scored in the first period for the Blue Devils, despite a stellar effort from Cony keeper Matt Swan (45 saves on 54 shots). Jake Bergeron tallied the lone Lewiston goal in the second, but in the third, it exploded again for four more. Lemelin completed his hat trick, while Matt Poulin and Evan Gosselin each notched one for the Blue Devils. Brian Wigant needed to make only 11 saves for a second consecutive playoff shutout.

I St. Dom's 2, Bangor 1, OT

Cody Rodrigue snapped a 1-1 tie 5:13 into overtime as St. Dom's edged Bangor 2-1. The result was the third one-goal contest of the season between the teams, which had each won on their opponents' rink earlier in the campaign.

Chris Howat's 38-save effort for the Rams was a big reason for the deadlock, as he stopped waves of St. Dom's shots in the second and third periods. At the other end, Austin Christopher was a stalwart for the Saints, turning back 20 of 21.

Jordan Tracy was the lone goal-scorer for Bangor, netting his early in the second. Kyle Holtet's snipe late in the second knotted the game at 1.

- Maine Class A Championship Game (Continued From Page 57)

The toughest decision facing the Saints all year was again a roll of the dice for Ouellette as he tried to figure out which of his two solid junior goalkeepers to start. Ultimately he went with Austin Christopher, who won the team's first two playoff games this season, "They both had pretty much similar stats all season, similar wins, and they both had big wins," Ouellette said. "It's one of those things, whichever way I go, it is what it is. Both deserved to play, unfortunately you can only pick one."

The Saints got their goal on their second power-play opportunity. Chris Finlay slid the puck to Will Desmarais at the right point. The junior blueliner sent a hard shot toward the cage and Troy Haefele redirected it past Ferrante into the top corner of the cage.

Page 59

MAINE HS HOCKEY

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Hart’s Pair Leads Greely To 6-2 Title Victory

T

CLASS B CHAMPIONSHIP

By Justin Pelletier • HNIB News

he Hart legacy continues at Greely High School. Ted Hart, the third of three brothers to star for the school's hockey team and still only a sophomore, scored a pair of goals and added an assist to help lead the Rangers to a 6-2 victory over Messalonskee in the Class B title game.

"Ever since they won in '09, I've wanted to get here, and now that I'm here, it's special," Hart said. "I just remember them lifting the trophy at the end of the game, and I knew I wanted to do that too. Now we've all done it."

Hart capped a furious stretch of the first period with his first goal, the Rangers' third in 62 seconds, and added an insurance marker late

in the third to lead Greely to its second Class B state hockey championship in four seasons.

Hart's two goals and an assist led the Rangers' offense, and freshman keeper Kyle Kramlich withstood plenty of pressure between the pipes, ultimately making 14 saves on 16 Eagles shots.

"Kramlich) had a great playoff run," Greely coach Barry Mothes said. "He's a brave gamer. He started the season that way. I know a lot of people were probably licking their chops. 'He's a freshman, and he's not physically that big, let us at him.' But he started the season with a great attitude, he worked with our goaltending coach, he's just been working really hard."

The Eagles, meanwhile, relied heavily on what got them to the

title game: superb goaltending and timely offensive attack. Keeper Nate DelGiudice provided the former, with a spectacular 29-save effort that kept the score tight for much of the contest.

"He's been really peaking for us at the right time of the season, and he's played great for me for four years," Messalonskee coach Mike Latendresse said. "It's too bad to see him go now."

Overall, the Eagles cap an 18-4 season, the best in that school's history.

"We were not going to stop, that's what this team has been all about," Latendresse said. "I'm really proud of our guys. They played a really good game."

After the Rangers' first-period run of three goals, it was

• Western Class B Final •

Rangers Get Revenge On Rival York

After two years of losing to York in the playoffs, the Greely Rangers finally got the Wildcats off their backs.

Kenny Richards and Zac Doucette scored powerplay goals in the second period to break open a onegoal game and help lift the Rangers to a 5-1 victory over York. The Rangers set the tone early. Jordan Tarbox took a feed from Andrew Hackett, went in alone on York keeper Jared Posternak and roofed it blocker side just 2:14 into the contest.

The two power-play goals in the second frame I Bangor 4, Brunswick 1

pushed the lead to 3-0, and the Rangers made it 4-0 early in the third on a Peter Stauber tally. York's Jared Clauson snapped freshman Kyle Kramlich's shutout bid with 3:28 to play in regulation with a 4-on-4 goal from the right circle. Ted Hart answered with Greely's fifth 21 seconds later to quash the Wildcats' thoughts of a comeback. Hart was the fifth different Greely skater to record a goal.

Kramlich finished with 21 saves on 22 shots, while York's Jared Posternak stopped 24 of 29 in the loss.

CLASS A QUARTERFINAL HIGHLIGHTS

Senior goaltender Chris Howat made 20 saves and Bangor scored a pair of timely power play goals — one each from Zeb Tuell and Jordan Tracy — as the Rams took out Brunswick 4-1. Parker Sanderson and Wyatt Frost also scored for Bangor, which lost leading scorer Connor Griffin to injury early in the contest. Brunwsick's Dwayne Palmer netted the lone goal for the Dragons, who graduate only two seniors and otherwise have a roster made primarily of freshmen and sophomores. Blake Alexander turned back 24 in

the loss for Brunswick.

I Marshwood/Traip 5, Cheverus 3

Peter Lajeunesse and Corey Wright scored twice each and also added a pair of assists each to lead MarshwoodTraip to a 5-3 victory over Cheverus. Cameron McLain netted a pair of goals for Cheverus and Liam Fitzpatrick added the other in the loss. Hawks goalie Kyle Hichens made 38 saves to secure the victory, while Cheverus' Mike Haas-Zanghi stopped 25 saves.

Messalonskee's timely offense that caused Greely fits. The Eagles got one goal back on the power play in the second frame, and came close two more on a pair of breakaways, one from Sam Dexter that skittered wide and another that hit the pipe high glove behind Kramlich.

The Eagles got another power play chance to close out the second, and Kramlich stuffed a good chance from Dexter with a fundamentally sound stick-paddle save along the ice.

Messalonskee continued the pressure in the third, but after a pair of misses down low and on the power play, Greely added another on Hart's second with 3:28 to play. "(Since he's come back (from injury), the last three regular-season games and these three playoff games, he's had two or three points per game," Mothes said. "He's just been a dangerous, dangerous forward. We needed him to play as well as he did."

The Rangers tacked on a pair of empty-netters around a Dexter tally in the game's final minutes to complete the scoring.

MAINE CLASS B POLL

TEAM

WL T

1. Greely 15 2. Messalonskee 18 3. Brewer 18 4. York 12 5. Cape. Elizabeth 9 6. Presque Isle 12 7. Yarmouth 12 8. Old Town 10 9. Hampden Ac. 10 10. Camden Hills 10

4 4 2 6 7 8 7 9 9 8

2 0 0 2 3 0 1 1 0 1

Page 60

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

MAINE HS HOCKEY

• Eastern Class B Final •

WESTERN B SEMIFINALS

Greely, York Post Wins

I Greely 5, Yarmouth 2

Freshman Reid Howland netted a hat trick to help lead top-seeded Greely to a 5-2 win over Yarmouth.

Howland had eight goals during the regular season. His third goal in the semifinal contest pushed the Rangers' lead to two goals, giving Greely some breathing room. Ted Hart added an empty-netter in the final minute, his second of the game. Max Watson and Eamon Costello scored for Yarmouth.

Costello's tally in the second cut the Clippers' deficit to 3-2 at the time.

Greely outshot Yarmouth 30-15.

I York 4, Cape Elizabeth 2

Freshman Derek Neal scored twice and added an assist to help lead York to a 4-2 victory over Cape Elizabeth at the Portland Ice Arena in the Western Class B semifinal round. With the Capers leading 2-1, Neal assisted on senior Craig DeCato's equalizer on the power play at 12:50 of the second period. DeCato returned the favor, assisting on Neal's first of the game at 14:03 to push York into the lead for the first time. Neal added his second at 8:03 of the third — unassisted — to give the Wildcats some breathing room. Nick Breed and Matt Ross scored goals for Cape Elizabeth, while Kirby Saari stopped 27 in the loss.

Jared Posternak stopped 15 in the win for York.

WESTERN B QUARTERFINAL

I Yarmouth 7, Camden Hills 6

Yarmouth bolted out to a four-goal lead, but Camden Hills roared back in the later stages of the game to make it tight, only to have the Clippers pull out the thrilling 7-6 victory. Marshall Brunelle registered the hat trick for the Clippers in the victory. Mark Brown, Alex Kurtz, Eamon Costello and David Clemmer also scored for Yarmouth, and Red DeSmith stopped 29 shots to earn the win. Aaron Daniello had 19 saves for the Windjammers. Grayson Szmilas led Camden Hills with three goals on the night.

Brewer’s Reign Comes To An End

Brewer’s two-year reign as Eastern Maine Class B hockey champion is over.

Senior goalie Nate DelGiudice turned in a 35-save performance and senior right wing Sam Dexter scored a pair of goals as Messalonskee built a 4-0 lead and went on to record a 5-2 victory over the Witches.

Second seed Messalonskee, which dropped down to Class B from Class A this season, was playing in its first regional hockey championship game. Top-seeded Brewer had beaten No. 2 Messalonskee twice during the regular season. Brewer had a 12game winning streak snapped and wound up at 18-2.

EASTERN B SEMIFINALS

Brewer, Messalonskee Win Big

I Brewer 7, Old Town 1

Tyler White scored two goals and added two assists to lead top-ranked Brewer to a 7-1 victory over Old Town in an Eastern Class B semifinal. Spencer Valley added a goal and three assists for the Witches. Michael Shedd, Kyle Alexander, Joey Fowler and Gabe Valley each scored once. Adam Cossette made 15 saves. Peter Wilcox scored the lone goal for the Coyotes, while Nathan Colannino made 35 saves.

I Messalonskee 8, Presque Isle 0

Sam Dexter scored four goals as he closed in on 50 points on the season to help Messalonskee down Presque isle, 8-0, in the team's Eastern B semifinal at Sukee Arena in Winslow. Josh Towle added a pair and Travis St. Pierre dished out three assists for the Eagles as they advanced to their first-ever regional final in their first season in Class B. Nate DelGiudice made 22 saves for Messalonskee and Nick Davis made 24 for Presque Isle.

EASTERN B QUARTERFINALS

I Messalonskee 6, John Bapst 1

James Varney netted a hat trick and Sam Dexter added a pair of goals to help lead Messalonskee to a 6-1 victory over John Bapst. Josh Towle also scored for the Eagles, while Nate DelGiudice made 17 saves for the victory.

I Presque Isle 6, Orono 1

Connor Shaw scored two goals and added two assists to lead Presque Isle to a 6-1 victory over Orono. Adam Flynn chipped in with two goals and an assist for the Wildcats. Isaac LaJoie contributed a goal and two assists and Joseph Patenaude recorded a goal and assist. Nic Davis made five saves. Dan Perry scored the goal for Orono.

I Old Town 3, Hampden Academy 2, OT

David Wilcox netted a goal on a goalmouth scramble less than two minutes into overtime to lift Old Town to a 3-2 win over Hampden Academy. The victory avenged two one-goal losses to the Broncos during the regular season Hampden Academy got two goals from Kalvin Costa Vogel in the waning minutes of regulation to force overtime Hampden outshot Old Town 46-33 but Coyotes’ sophomore goalie Nathan Colannino came up big with 44 saves. Ryan Manning made 30 saves for Hampden.

Dexter scored his goals 8:47 apart in the second period to extend the lead to 3-0 after linemate Chase Cunningham had scored in the first period.

Corey Foye made it 4-0 with just 1:23 left in the second period. Joey Fowler scored with four-tenths of a second left in the period to score Brewer's first goal.

Brewer keeper Adam Cossette finished with 18 saves.

Maine Class B Tourney Scoreboard

West Quarterfinals Yarmouth 7. Camden Hills 6 East Quarterfinals Messalonskee 6, John Bapst 1 Presque Isle 6, Orono 1 Old Town 3, Hampden Acad. 2 (OT) West Semifinals York 4, Cape Elizabeth 2 Greely 5, Yarmouth 2 East Semifinals Brewer 7, Old Town 1 Messalonskee 8, Presque Isle 0 West Final Greely 5, York 1 East Final Messalonskee 5, Brewer 2 State Final Greely 5, Messalonskeee 1

Page 61

VERMONT HS HOCKEY

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

BFA - St. Albans Takes Top Billing With 3-1 Win METRO DIVISION

T

BFA - ST. ALBANS is the new Vermont Metro champion. It is the Bobwhiitesʼ 16th overall title, but first in seven season.

(Photo by Ben Kaufman/St. Albans Messenger)

By Terrence Doyle • HNIB News

hird-seeded BFA - St..

Albans snapped a sevenyear title drought, besting fifth-seeded Colchester in the Metro Division championship game at Gutterson Fieldhouse by a score of 3-1.

The Bobwhites (19-4-0) are no strangers to success in Vermont high school hockey, this being the sixteenth time in the program's rich history they've raised the trophy as the state's top dogs. But they hadn’t won a title since 2005.

HNIB VERMONT POLL METRO DIVISION 1.

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TEAM W L T BFA St. Alb. 19 4 0 Colchester 14 8 1 Essex 20 1 1 So. Burlington 16 5 0 Stowe 15 5 1

One of the pre-season favorites, BFA caught the injury bug late in the season and actually dropped two of their last four regular season games (to Spaulding and Essex).

Colchester, making its first-ever appearance in the Metro state final was coming off a wild five-overtime semifinal win over top-seeded and unbeaten Essex.

BFA's Mike Schreiner got the scoring started in the first, giving the Bobwhites an early 1-0 lead.

However, Colchester's Ryan Francis fired back before the culmination of the first block, drawing the Lakers even going into the intermission.

Defenseman Taylor Raftery got the eventual game-winner just 4:23 into the second when he struck on the power play off a feed from Schreiner.

The Lakers made a strong push, however freshman Peter Dukas

knocked in a rebound later in the second, and his Bobwhites we're able to preserve the always tenuous two-goal lead. Brandon Streeter and Matt Palmer got the helpers on the cushion goal.

Colchester’s Matt Cuce and Nate Frieberg gave BFA all they could handle in the second and third. Cuce hit a pair of posts, and

BFA goalie Andre Morin had to come up with a number of remarkable stops to keep the Bobwhites on top. Morin finished the game with 20 saves.

In the semifinal round, the Bobwhites needed double overtime to get past North Country, 3-2.

• Metro Semifinal • Lakers Stun Essex In 5OT Thriller

I Colchester 5, Essex 4 (5 OT)

It took five overtime periods - yes, five - but Colchester was able to outlast top-seeded Essex to score the stunning 5-4 upset. Ryan Francis broke the deadlock just 44 seconds into the fifth extra block to end one of the longest games in Vermont state history and hand Essex its first loss of the season. The goal also completed Francis' hat trick. Jacob St. Pierre and Avery Steele also scored for Colchester, while Matt Cuce and Nate Frieberg finished with two assists.

Perhaps the biggest story for Colchester was netminder, Matt McBride, who stopped 57 shots, 37 of which came in the overtime periods. Taylor Lovely, Jack Cabanaw, Luc Leblanc and Pat Abbott had the goals for Essex. Keeper Pat Campbell also had a prolific night, stopping 62 shots, 36 of which came during the overtime periods.

Page 62

I

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

VERMONT HS HOCKEY

• Lake Division Championship •

U-32 Impressive In 5-1 Victory Over Top-Seed Northfield

By Terrence Doyle • HNIB News

t had been 20 years since U-32 wore the crown as Vermont state champs. The Raiders weren't about to let history stand in their way, however, as they cruised past top-seeded rival Northfield, 51, in the Lakes Region championship game at Gutterson Fieldhouse.

A dominant second period was the key for the Raiders.

In that frame, it was all Raiders, as they outshot their foes 16-4 en route to opening up a two-goal

lead. Andrew Danyew's deflection and eventual game-winner at 3:48 in the second put U-32 up 2-1, while Kyle Ferguson expanded the

HNIB VERMONT POLL LAKE DIVISION 1.

2.

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TEAM W L T U-32 18 3 2 Northfield 20 3 0 Burr & Burton 15 4 3 Peoples Acad. 12 9 1 St. Johnsbury 12 9 0

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lead to 3-1 with a goal late in the period.

In all, five different Raiders - Danyew, Ferguson, Forrest Smith, Colvin Rice and Kyle Elliott - had goals. Eight skaters had at least an assist, with (Continued On Page 63)

• Metro Semifinal •

Bobwhites Need 2 OTs To Oust Falcons

I BFA-St. Albans 3, North Country 2 (2OT)

Matt Palmer was huge. He had an assist and scored twice for BFA St. Albans, but his second may be the most important of his career. Palmer's tally in the second overtime block sent BFA past North Country, 3-2, and into the Metro region championship game. Mike Schreiner notched BFA's other goal, burying a feed from Palmer and Peter Dukas (two assists). Andrew Morin was strong in net for the Bobwhites, making 18 stops on 20 shots. Ryan Paul and Nathan Stewart had NCU's goals. Chris Bronson's impressive 27 stop performance wasn't enough in the end for NCU.

METRO DIVISION QUARTERFINALS

I Essex 5, Rutland 4 (OT)

Top-seeded Essex, well, survived their quarterfinal tilt with Rutland. Essex needed an extra stanza to take the Raiders down, eventually outlasting their playoff foes for the 5-4 win. J.T. Begnoche, who'd scored earlier in the contest, popped the game-winner in at just 1:33 into OT. The Hornets actually trailed by a goal late in the third, however Nate Nelson struck with about three minutes remaining to draw his club even and narrowly avoid an upset. Steve Morse and Jack Cabanaw also scored for Essex, while Pat Campbell stopped 12 shots. Max Major and Tyler Slusarczuk each had two goals for Rutland, while Casey Greene stood on his head, making 48 saves in the tough loss.

I Colchester 3, Stowe 1

Matty Cuce came up big for Colchester, springing for a pair of goals in the second to vault his club past Stowe, 3-2. It didn't take long for Colchester to get on the board. Matt Porter netted at just 2:34 into the opening period to give the Lakers an early stranglehold. Colchester keeper Matt McBride stopped 27 shots en route to a victory and a semi-final berth. Zach Haggerty scored Stowe's lone goal, while Matt Rauch recorded 11 saves.

I North Country 5, South Burlington 4 (2OT)

The Falcons shocked South Burlington, knocking off one of the favorites by a score of 5-4 despite getting outshot 58-22. North Country's Dylan Columbia was the hero, scoring early in the second overtime. North Country overcame third period deficits of 3-1 and 4-2. The Falcons' Logan Fortier had an outstanding game, factoring in on each of his team's goals - he scored the first two and helped out on the last three. North Country's other two goals were scored by Ross Delabruere. Netminder Chris Bronson was insane, stopping 54 of 58 shots in the win. Eric Craig, Chris Weinheimer, Charles Hall and Sam Finkelstein each had a goal and an assist for SBHS.

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I BFA-St. Albans 6, Rice 0

Mike Schreiner notched a hat trick as his BFA-St. Albans squad breezed past Rice, 6-0. BFA secured things in the early going, hopping out to a three-goal lead after the first. Jack Vallee, Jon Pion and Aaron Picard scored BFA's other three goals. Matt Palmer contributed three assists, while Peter Dukas had two helpers of his own. Andre Morin parried each of the 11 shots he faced.

Page 63

VERMONT HS HOCKEY

• Lake Division Final •

U-32 Takes Top Prize (Continued From Page 62)

senior Isaac Beaupre the only U-32 player with a pair.

Northfield (20-3-0) netminder Grayson Lavigne nonetheless had an excellent game, or the score could have been worse. Included in his 28 saves were several glittering stops.

The Raiders led for much of the first block, Smith scoring just over five minutes in to give his club a one goal lead. U-32 controlled momentum for much of the period, however Billy Whaley's goal with just eight seconds left in the stanza had Northfield feeling as though they were in a game suddenly, despite having been outplayed for long stretches.

Raider keeper Michael Bresette made a few huge saves early in the third to preserve the two goal lead. U-32 made sure this game was theirs as Rice and Elliott each knocked in a tally to account for the 5-1 final.

LAKE DIVISION QUARTERFINALS

I Northfield 5, Milton 0

Though Northfield started a bit slow, they eventually found their stride and took down Milton in what ended up being a 5-0 shutout. Northfield got a ton of help from forward Billy Whaley, who notched two on the night. Jackson Tucker, added a goal and two assists of his own. Then three point night brought Tucker's point total to a whopping 60 for the season. Jackson Watson also had a multi-point game for Northfield, adding a goal and a dime, while Daegan Goodman also tallied for the top-seed. Milton managed 16 shots, though Grayson Lavigne had no trouble turning every last one aside for the shutout.

I U-32 2, Brattleboro 1

Shane O’Neill and Isaac Beaupre each tallied to lift U-32 past Brattleboro.

Cooper Hatch had a helper for the Raiders, while Mike Bresett recorded 18 saves in the win. Jamie Martell had the Colonels' lone goal, which came off of assists from Romello Lindsey and Phillip Perkins. Brattleboro netminder Greg DeSilva was strong in the loss, turning aside 26 shots.

I Burr & Burton 3, Missisquoi 2

Henry Buckley’s third period tally lifted Burr & Burton past Missisquoi in this Lakes Division quarterfinal. Sean Paradis popped B & B's first goal in the first period, and Sam Cruver pulled them even in the third before Buckley's tally put them on top for good. Zach Stewart was huge for Burr & Burton, turning away 38 of the 40 shots he faced. Joey Hartmann and Jack Raleigh scored for Missisquoi, while Brian Fortin made 19 saves in the loss.

I Peoples Academy 2, St. Johnsbury 1 (OT)

It took Sam Loh just a minute and eighteen seconds into the extra stanza to send his PA pals past St. Johnsbury, 2-1 in this Lakes Region quarterfinal thriller.

Alex Viloand had PA's first goal, and Lukas Caldwell earned the win between the pipes with 17 stops. Petteri Vuorenmaa got the third period goal that sent it to OT, but it wasn't enough St. Johnsbury in the end.

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

LAKE DIVISION SEMIFINALS

Northfield Blanks Peoples, 5-0

Raiders Get Past B & B

I Northfield 5, Peoples Academy 0

Northfield again lived up to their intimidating nickname. The Marauders bludgeoned yet another Lakes Division opponent, knocking Peoples off in another one sided shutout, 5-0. Grayson Lavigne was big again, stopping each of the 17 shots Peoples sent his way, while Ben Tucker made five of his own for the combined shutout. Billy Whaley had another multiple goal output, this time notching a hat trick while also adding a helper to factor in on four of Northfield's five tallies. Jackson Watson had two goals and an assist. Other Marauders with points were Daegan Goodman and Ryan Wells, who each had a pair of helpers.

I U-32 5, Burr & Burton 3

U-32 can thank Wyatt Peterson for their championship game berth. Not only did he notch the goal that squared things at three late in the second, but he also deposited the go-ahead tally 1:55 into the third, catapulting U-32 toward the promised land and a chance to play for the crown. U-32 also got a big game from Isaac Beaupre, who scored twice, pouncing on the empty net late to seal the victory. Forrest Smith had a goal, and Mike Bresette was solid in net, stopping 16 shots. For Burr & Burton, Brock Pollard had two tallies, while Sean Paradis had one of his own. Zack Stewart registered 29 saves in the loss.

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Page 64

HOCKEY NIGHT IN BOSTON MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL FESTIVAL

2012 SO PH O M O RE A LL ST A R T O URNA M ENT / • A Must Stop For Prep School/Junior Hockey Recruiters •

Midwest (Sophs), South Florida (Jr. High) Impressive As Repeat Champions

One Of The Premier Tournaments Of Its Kind In The Nation VALLEY FORUM, HAVERHILL, MA • July 15th–July 21st Players From 25 States And Canada

28 Teams Set For 2012 Event 16 Sophomore Teams To Compete 12 Junior High Teams Set All Teams Will Play 4 Opening Round Games - Plus 2 Playoff Games Friday, July 20th Top 80 All Star Games Saturday, July 21st

- Hockey Night In Boston 2012 Page 65

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Sophomore All Star Tournament HNIB JUNIOR HIGH FESTIVAL July 15th - 21st â&#x20AC;˘ Haverhill Valley Forum Arenas

Name _________________________________________ Address _______________________________________ City ___________________State:______Zip

Tel.# __________________________________________ Email Address:__________________________________ Age_______ Birth Date___________________________ Height _________ Weight _________

Present School: _________________________________ Present Team : _________________________________

Position ________________________________________ Shoots: Right __________ Left __________

Experience Summary: ____________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

I understand that HNIB will not assume responsibility for accidents, or medical or dental expenses incurred as a result of participation in this program. HNIB does not provide primary insurance coverage.

Parent Signature: ________________________________ Date: ___________________________

ALL-STAR REFERRALS

Please list at least two coaches who would recommend your ability to perform (please include telephone numbers).

____________________________#________________ ____________________________#________________ ____________________________#________________

A Must Stop for all Prep School Recruiters

I will be in the (check one) 7th____ 8th____ 9th____ 10th____ Grade Next Fall 2012

APPLICATION PROCEDURE If you are interested in attending the Sophomore All Star Showcase/Junior High Festival, please fill out the attached application form and send to: Hockey Night In Boston 795 Turnpike Street North Andover, MA 01845 Call (978) 682-2425

Tuition Costs: $395 (includes two-color jersey) * Deposit Due: $200 (with application) Balance Due: June 17, 2012 * If not accepted, your deposit check will be returned.

* No tui ti o n pay ments wi l l be refunded after 6/1/2012

For more information call: (978) 682-2425 hnibinfo@comcast.net

Varsity Statistics Only

Forwards/Defense Goaltenders

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Page 66

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

I

Hanover (NH) Takes Third Straight Crown NEW ENGLAND GIRLS HS HOCKEY

By Gary Demopoulos • HNIB News

n addition to Massachusetts, there is a lot of Girls HS hockey action throughout New England, with officially-sanctioned champions in all other states with the exception of Connecticut.

The 2011/2012 season saw three new state champions - with Hanover the only repeat champion, taking its third consecutive New Hampshire state title.

The Marauders actually entered the state final as the #2 seed, taking on topseeded Lebanon. The teams split during the regular season, but on this day, Hanover proved to be the dominant club, taking a solid 5-1 win.

Hanover held Lebanon to just one shot on goal in the first period, and took a 10 lead. They increased the margin to 3-0 after two.

The Marauders big first line of senior sisters Tessa and Madison Hill, and senior Maddie Dewhirst, were responsible for all the offensive damage in this one.

Madison Hill had the hat trick, Dewhirst netted the other two goals, while Tessa HANOVER WON ITS THIRD STRAIGHT New Hampshire Girls Hockey title with a 5-1 win over Lebanon. Accepting the tro- Hill assisted on all five goals.

Dewhirst scored the only goal of the phy are (l to r) Maddie Dewhirst, Hannah Lyons, coach John Dodds and Madison Hill.

(Gary Demopoulos photo) first period, moving in from the right point and firing home a wrist shot during a Hanover power play.

A pretty pass from Dewhirst to Madison Hill culminated in Hanover’s second goal at 2:28 of the second period.

The lead expanded to 3-0 when Tessa Hill made a great move on a 2-on-2, drawing both defenders, spinning and hitting a wide-open Dewhirst in stride.

She put a shot high over the goalie’s shoulder.

Madison Hill added a pair of third period goals, while Lebanon avoided a shutout on a goal by Christina Drake.

In Vermont, fifth-seeded Essex won its first Metro Division title since 2009 with a 2-1 championship game win over third-seeded South Burlington in a game played at UVM's Gutterson Field House.

Melissa Moldovan scored the gamewinning goal for the Hornets with four minutes left to play in regulation, just ESSEX HS took over as Vermont Metro Division champions in 2012, winning in the state final by the score of 2-1 over seconds after a South Burlington penalty

Essex New Metro King In Vermont

South Burlington. It was Essexʼs first state title since 2009.

(Continued On Page 67)

Page 67

NEW ENGLAND GIRLS HS HOCKEY

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

LaSalle (RI), Greely (ME) Win First-Ever State Titles (Continued From Page 66)

The teams traded first period power play goals.

With her team enjoying a two-man advantage, Essex forward Alexandria Celia converted a rebound attempt at the 7:37 mark.

The Rebels responded at 11:23, also on the power play, as Julia Hudson found the back of the net.

From there, the game was turned over to the goaltenders: Essex freshman Victoria Gibson and South Burlington's Courtney Barrett. Both made a handful of good saves to keep the game tied late into the third period.

In the semifinals, Essex knocked off two-time defending champ BFA-St. Albans, while South Burlington outlasted Spaulding in a 5-4 shootout.

In Maine, the fourth year of a MPA-sanctioned girls ice hockey title saw a fourth different champion.

This year, it was Greely HS, which cruised to a 7-1 title game win over Falmouth.

For the Rangers, three different players had a pair of goals each in Monica Howland, Sarah Kurland and Etta Copenhagen. Ceci Hodgkins added one goal.

Kurland's first goal opened the scoring for Greely, which led 1-0 until the waning stages of the first period, when a pair of quick strikes from Kurland and Hodgkins gave the Rangers a big 3-0 lead after the first period.

Goals from Howland and Copenhagen made it 5-0 in the second period. Falmouth star Megan Fortier got her team on the scoreboard late in the second before Howland and Copenhagen struck again in the third period for coach Nate Guerin's club.

Rhode Island saw quite the finals, as LaSalle dethroned three-time champion Mt. St. Charles in the best-of-three final series, winning the deciding Game Three by the score of 2-0. It was the Rams first-ever state crown.

Game Three was scoreless until the third period. At the 2:43 mark, freshman Allison Bernier put LaSalle on the scoreboard. The 1-0 lead stayed until LaSalle's Sarah Migliori iced matters with an empty-net goal with 46 seconds left. Jenna Pari assisted on both goals.

In Game Two, facing elimination, Mt. St. Charles took a 2-1 win to even the series. At the 3:51 mark of the first period, Mount took a 1-0 lead on a goal by sophomore Briana Castro, assisted by Elisabeth Berard and Kaitlyn Croke.

The Mounties expanded their lead to 2-0 as Berard stuffed one home after moving out from behind the cage midway through the second period.

LaSalle got things closer at the 7:16 juncture of the third period. Migliori scored the goal for the Rams, assisted by Meaghan Rickard and Caitlin Rickard.

The Rams were solid in Game One. Meaghan Rickard fired home a pair of goals, Migliori had one, as did freshman Michaela McNamara, and senior goaltender Holly Scott had 31 saves as LaSalle took a 4-0 win.

LASALLE ACADEMY won its first Rhode Island girls crown, eliminating Mt.St. Charles two games to one in the three-game final series.

GREELY HS is the 2012 Maine Girls High School champion, after defeating Falmouth, 7-1, in the title game held at the Androscoggin Colisee in Lewiston.

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Page 69

NEW JERSEY HS TOURNAMENT

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

• Private School Championship •

Not Pretty, But Delbarton Gets It Done

14-0.

By Jonathan Yardley • HNIB News

DELBARTON SCHOOL rallied from a two-goal third period deficit to nip Christian Brothers Academy, 3-2, for the schoolʼs record fifth straight New Jersey Private School championship.

(Photo by Rich Graessle)

That was the combined margin of victory for Delbarton in two regular-season meetings with championship-game opponent CBA. But seeking a fifth consecutive private state championship at the Prudential Center, Delbarton stumbled on its seemingly simple path, trailing CBA 2-0 after two periods. The Green Wave then rose to the occasion in the third period, rallying with three goals to become the first team in New Jersey history to win five consecutive group championships.

One year after rallying from a one-goal deficit to beat St. Augustine Prep in overtime in the final, the uncharacteristically sloppy and erratic Green Wave trailed an inspired CBA squad through two periods thanks to well-taken tight-angle goals from Brendan van Riemsdyk and Anthony Cusanelli. Although Delbarton (29-1) controlled play, CBA (19-55) clogged the neutral zone, blocked shots in its defensive zone, and counted on junior goalie (Continued On Page 72)

HNIB NEW JERSEY TOP TEN POLL TEAM

CBA GOALIE CHRIS D”ALESSIO makes point-blank save on Delbartonʼs John Baiocco during New Jersey Private School Championship game won by the Green Wave, 3-2.

(Photo by Rich Graessle)

WL T

1. Delbarton 29 2. Don Bosco 23 3. Randolph 22 4. CBA 19 5. Morristown 22 6. Morris Knolls 19 7. St. Peter’s 9 8. Mo-Beard 15 9. St. Augustine 7 10. Middletown So. 19

1 4 2 5 5 5 15 8 10 6

0 1 4 5 0 3 2 4 4 3

T

Page 70

MARCH 23, 2012

By Jonathan Yardley • HNIB News

he difference between Randolph and every other public school in New Jersey was on display yet again in the Public A state championship game against Morristown. The Rams got an early goal and numerous effective shifts from their third line en route to a 3-1 win, their second consecutive state title, and their sixth state championship in the last 10 years. Freshman Matt Bruno got the early salvo – jamming in a rebound 2:38 into the game – to set the tone for the game.

That goal came in a matchup of third lines but, like most public schools, Morristown’s was seldom used for the remainder of the game. Randolph, on the other hand, saw its third line – freshman Michael Slavin, junior Liam Finneran, and a combination of Bruno and sophomore Stefan Tamminga – play well into the final period, even outplaying Morristown’s fearsome top line on one shift.

Randolph (22-2-4) doubled its lead on a a fluky goal in the second period when Andrew Tucker’s shot deflected off a Morristown player for a power-play goal. The Colonials, playing in their first state championship game as opposed to Randolph’s 10th, got a strong game from freshman goalie Shane Brown, one of the keys to their surprising success all season.

Morristown (22-5) was able to pull a goal back with 4:04 remaining on a point shot from outstanding junior defenseman Steven Windt, potentially setting the stage for a second consecutive comeback. Randolph would have none of it, as the Rams’ top line combined for a picturesque clinching goal when Connor Ryan dropped a pass for Nick Holowko, who roofed a lightning-quick wrist shot just under the crossbar with 2:59 to play.

The goal was Holowko’s 20th of the season, and he remarkably accounted for seven of Randolph’s 20 goals in its four-game run to the state title.

At the other end, Randolph senior goalie Mike Pollio – who started in an upset loss in the 2010 state championship game but left the team during the 2010-11 season – completed his comeback story with a 17-save performance and yet another low-scoring win.

Randolph held opponents to two goals or less in 27 of its 28 games and finished on a 13-11 streak, adding to its credentials as New Jersey’s best public-school program.

HNIB NEWS

NEW JERSEY HS TOURNAMENT

• Public A Championship •

Randolph Takes Title Again Crown is Ramsʼ 6th In Last 10 Years

RANDOLPH WON ITS SIXTH state championship in the past 10 season with a 3-1 win over Morristown in the title game held at the Prudential Center.

(Photo by Rich Graessle)

NJ PUBLIC A SEMIFINALS

I Randolph 7, Middletown South 2

Defending champion Randolph cranked up its power play to down one of the state’s hottest teams in semifinal at Mennen Arena, with the Rams advancing to their seventh state championship game in the last eight years.

Fifth-seeded Middletown South (19-6-3) came in with a 17-game unbeaten streak, having scored at least four goals in 14 of those 17 games. But its explosive top line of Chris Connor, Zach England, and Tyler Ralph was undone by penalties in the second period. Randolph took advantage with four power-play goals to open up a 61 lead by the 8:40 mark of the second stanza and breezed to victory.

I Morristown 4, Morris Knolls 2

Making its first ever state semifinal appearance, upstart Morristown – champions of Morris County’s secondtier Halvorsen Cup – knocked off Morris Knolls – champions of the top-tier Mennen Cup – with a stirring third period comeback in a semifinal at Mennen Arena. After Morris Knolls (19-5-3) took a 2-0 lead on goals from Jack Monahan and Connor Manning, Morristown got a power-play goal from Tommy Donofrio late in the second period. The Colonials then came out flying in the third period, as defenseman Steven Windt tied the game at the 2:44 mark, and Jordan Klotz used quick stickhandling to score on a rebound for the go-ahead goal less than three minutes later. Freshman goalie Shane Brown (27 saves) made the lead stand up, and Donofrio added a late empty-netter.

Page 71

NEW JERSEY HS TOURNAMENT

• Public B Championship •

MARCH 23, 2012

Summit Edges Tenafly In OT Freshmanʼs Goal Gives Hilltoppers First State Crown

F

By Jon Yardley • HNIB News

reshman Riley Flynn will not graduate high school until 2015, but in Summit hockey lore, Flynn will forever be linked with the graduating class of 2012, as his overtime goal gave the Hilltoppers their first state championship with a 2-1 win over Tenafly.

Playing on a line with two seniors and backed by four senior defensemen, Flynn’s decisive play came almost 10 minutes into overtime. Defenseman Keith Nyitray, a senior who was the dominant player in the title game, coaxed his weary legs into a rush up the left side of the ice. With no options in front of the net, Nyitray screeched to a halt, picked up his head, and threaded a pass into the high slot. Flynn arrived, corralled the pass, and whipped a wrist shot past the glove of Tenafly goalie Jon Winawer. The win was the eighth straight for Summit, which finished 15-1-1 in its last

17 games, and gave long-time head coach Keith Nixon his first state championship.

Both teams had relied on defense throughout the tournament, finishing with a combined 13 goals allowed in nine games, including four overtime contests for Tenafly. In the final, Tenafly’s Winawer finished with 26 saves, while Summit sophomore Garrett McGowan stopped 22 shots. Winawer stopped the more difficult chances, stoning Jeff Wycoff twice in the first period and another Summit freshman, Chris Zanelli, in overtime.

All the regulation scoring came in a one-minute span late in the second period. Nyitray put Summit (24-4-2) on top when he carried the puck from his own blue line into the lower right face-off circle before snapping a shot that trickled through Winawer’s pads.

Tenafly (21-4-3) responded with an emotional goal 59 seconds later, as Asaf Markowitz forced a turnover,

HNIB NEWS

allowing Scott Shalek to collect the puck behind the net and feed twin brother Eric Shalek in front for a one-timer to tie the score.

Third-period chances were limited as both teams – predominantly using just 10 skaters each – faced weary legs. It took another superlative effort from Nyitray and a freshman’s finish to push Summit over the top in overtime.

NJ PUBLIC B SEMIFINALS

I Summit 3, Ramsey 2

Summit scored three power-play goals in a span of 1:48 in the second period and got 26 saves from sophomore goalie Garrett McGowan to advance to its second state championship game in this semifinal at Mennen Arena. Ramsey (17-8-2) had taken out top-seeded and overwhelming favorite Kinnelon in a shootout in the quarterfinals, thanks in large part to goalie Justin Larkin, and got on the board first with a Nick Bressi goal. But after surrendering secondperiod strikes to Mike Santina, Mike Nyitray, and Chris Zanelli, Ramsey managed a Ryan D’Amato tally in the third period but no more.

I Tenafly 2, Glen Rock 1, (SO)

AN EXCITING 2-1 OVERTIME WIN gave Summit the New Jersey Public B state championship. It was the Hilltoppers first-ever state title.

(Photo by Rich Graessle)

Third-seeded Tenafly’s flair for the dramatic continued, as the Tigers advanced past an extremely low seed without winning the game in regulation for the third straight round in this semifinal contest at Mennen Arena.

Tenafly, which reached its first state championship game, had opened the tournament with a shootout against 19th-seeded Park Regional, then needed overtime to beat 27th-seeded Montville (the lowest-seeded quarterfinalist in state history) and reach the semis. Glen Rock (15-9-3), meanwhile, had relied on goalie Chris Birdsall to knock off two of the state’s most historic programs – secondseeded Chatham and seventh-seeded Brick Township – to reach the semis.

The Panthers led most of the game on an early Matt Doyle goal, but Eli Markowitz tied the game for Tenafly with 4:17 left, and the outstanding Jon Winawer made four saves to key Tenafly in the shootout.

Page 72

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

NEW JERSEY HS TOURNAMENT

Delbarton Edges Christian Brothers, 3-2, To Win Private Title (Continued From Page 69)

Chris D’Alessio to make big stops (he finished with 24 saves). The Colts’ 2-0 lead – it could have been bigger if Green Wave goalie Colton Phinney (15 saves) had not stoned a Cusanelli breakaway – had fans asking each other just where this upset would rank in state history. It certainly made an impression on Delbarton, which had held 21 consecutive in-state opponents to one goal or less.

“It was definitely a new feeling for us,” junior forward Alex Hagerty said. “Everybody in the back of their minds was like, ‘Wow, we could actually lose this game.’”

But after strong words from senior captains Tommy Davis and Tommy Muratore at the second intermission, Delbarton came back. Working on the power play, Davis made a terrific pass down low to Hagerty, who drove to the net from the goal line and stickhandled around D’Alessio to pull one goal back. CBA continued to defend relatively comfortably and held the lead with less than four minutes remaining, but more tremendous puck movement from Delbarton led to the tying goal. From the point, Muratore fed John Baicco in the corner, and he instantly one-timed the puck to the near edge of the crease, where Hagerty was posted up and deftly redirected the pass underneath D’Alessio with 3:20 remaining.

“We set an objective to score by the nine-minute mark in the third peri-

od, and I think we met that, so the guys were all excited about meeting that objective,” Delbarton head coach Bruce Shatel said afterward. “Once we scored [the tying goal], then I think it was a matter of time until we got another one, because the pressure was coming.”

The third goal also came from Hagerty’s line, as sophomore Chad Otterman fed defenseman Jordan Lederman on the point. His shot fell to the skates of junior Josh Melnick, who managed to kick the puck to his stick in the slot before D’Alessio could find it, leaving Melnick to slide home the game-winner with 1:36 on the clock.

“It’s a great play by a great hockey player,” Shatel said. “He’s one of the most underrated players in this part of the country, because we have some big names on this team, but the kid’s going to be a Division I player, and he’s one of the smartest kids I’ve ever coached.”

Delbarton’s comeback came without first-line forward Drew Melanson, another junior, who missed the semifinal and final with a wrist injury.

Shatel shifted senior Chad Heal to the top line, allowing Hagerty, Melnick, and Otterman to stay together, and the unit accounted for all three goals in the final. It was the latest in a string of successful moves by Shatel, who has accelerated the program into the state’s dominant power since taking over in 2001-02. Delbarton has won six of the last seven private state titles (losing only to St. Augustine Prep’s unbeaten 2007 team) and has marks of 47-0-1 (since 2010) and 107-4-2 (since 2007-08) against New Jersey teams. The Green Wave broke their own state record with 29 wins this year.

“When I took over in 2002, I’ll never forget I lost my first game to Randolph, and I didn’t think I was ever going to win a game,” Shatel said.

“To be honest with you, it’s mind-boggling that this has evolved like it has. It’s been a great run with a bunch of great guys, and my coaches are outstanding. It’s been a total commitment from the parents, the players, and the school. It’s a match made in Heaven, and we’re going to try to keep it going.”

NJ PRIVATE SCHOOL SEMIFINALS

I Delbarton 6, Morristown-Beard 1

Delbarton breezed to a 6-1 semifinal win and eliminated fellow Morris County school Morristown-Beard from the state tournament for the fourth time in the last five years. With top-line forward Drew Melanson out with a wrist injury, senior Chad Heal stepped up to the top unit and scored two goals, both on assists from senior John Baicco. Morristown-Beard (15-8-4) got 40 saves from goalie Pete Alevras and did close to within 3-1 on a Luke Moser goal early in the third period, but Delbarton responded just 26 seconds later on a Trevor Agostino deflection to seal the win.

I CBA 4, St. Peter’s Prep 1

After the No. 2 team all season long, Don Bosco Prep, was upset in the quarterfinal round, third-seeded CBA took full advantage with a confident win to reach its first private state final in three years. St. Peter’s Prep (9-15-2), which had pulled the quarterfinal upset, played a physical game but fell behind on goals from Dan Malafronte and R.J. Steer. The Marauders got back in the game late in the second period with a power-play goal from Connor Collier, but CBA responded just 44 seconds later on a breakaway from Matt Langlois. St. Peter’s Prep hit a post and had a shot cleared off the goal line in the third period, but CBA added an empty-netter to book its trip to the Prudential Center.

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CHANGE THE GAME.

Page 74

MARCH 23 2012

HNIB NEWS

EASTERN JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

NH Monarchs Take Third Straight Dineen Cup Team Sweeps Hitmen In Tremblayʼs Swan Song

unprecedented seventh time," Tremblay said.

"Each and everyone of them brought something to the table and allowed us as a hockey family to achieve all of our goals. Arguably they are the most resilient team we have ever had and they proved that during the playoffs each and every step of the way to the Cup," he continued.

“Each championship is obviously special to me and this one is certainly no different. I couldnʼt be happier for this group of young men.”

- Sean Tremblay

S

THE NEW HAMPSHIRE JUNIOR MONARCHS celebrate their third straight Dineen Cup title after sweeping the Jersey Hitmen in the best-of-three title series.

By Kevin Doyle • HNIB News

ean Tremblay's final act as coach of the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs ended as so many had before it -- with the Eastern Junior Hockey League's Dineen Cup championship in tow for the third straight season and seventh overall following a two-game sweep of the New Jersey Hitmen March 1415 at the New England Sports Center.

In a rematch of last year's final, the Monarchs squeezed out a 3-2 OT win in the opener, then pulled away in the third period of Game Two, 6-1. Both teams finished second in their respective divisions during the regular season.

Tremblay announced earlier in March that he had

accepted a position with the Islanders Hockey Club (formerly New England Huskies) with dual duties as co-Director of Hockey Operations and head coach of its EJHL entry. Ryan Frew, who guided the Monarchs' Empire League team to a championship earlier this month, will succeed Tremblay as the franchise's EJHL coach.

"Each championship is obviously special to me and this one is certainly no different. I couldn't be happier for this group of young men. More than any other championship team we have had, this team faced more adversity than any before, but because they endured it together and as a family, they were able to accomplish the ultimate goal of winning the Dineen Cup for an

It speaks to the Monarchs' abundance of depth and talent that they executed a championship series sweep when team scoring leader and UMaine recruit Brian Morgan was held to a single assist.

Stephen Miller settled Game One with his strike at 2:24 of overtime, his second of the game.

Daniel Avellanet and Connor Gorman, who had a hand in all three Monarchs' goals, drew the assists.

Following a scoreless first period during which goaltenders Zach Andrews and Adam Miller matched several spectacular saves, Miller (at 12:06, from Gorman and Michael Jamieson) and New Jersey's Jason Stephanik (at 15:34 from Denton King and Jesse Petito) matched second-period scores.

Gorman (from Miller) gave the Monarchs a 2-1 lead with 8:03 to (Continued On Page 76)

Page 75

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

29 Cummings Park, Suite 404 Woburn, MA 01801 Phone: 781-938-4400 Fax: 781-938-4448 www.easternjunior.com

Commissio ner Bo b Mainha r dt 617- 83 5- 5334

bobmainhardt@easternjunior.com

Dir ecto r of Hockey Oper at ions J a c k Sw e e n e y 401- 44 7- 4124 sweeney.ejhl@gmail.com

S e c r e t a r y / / Tr e a s u r e r J i m Pr i or 61 7-3 12 -014 4

j im pr io r @ ea st e r nj u ni or. co m

S up er vis or o f Of fic ials E uge ne B inda e bi nd a@ co mc as t. n et 7 81 -5 34 - 25 58

M e d i a Re la t i o n s M i ke K l e i n

• Amateur Status Protection (NCAA)

• 60 Games - Tournaments - Playoffs

mdo tk lei n@ yah oo.co m 6 17- 308 -4 697

• Training • Advancement • Exposure

VALLEY JUNIOR WARRIORS GM/Coach: Andy Heinze Phone: 978-557-5518 x 107 aheinze@valley-associates.com

BAY STATE BREAKERS

GM/Coach: David McCauley Phone: 617-680-7825 baystatebreakers@verizon.net

SPRINGFIELD PICS

BOSTON BANDITS

GM/Coach: Todd Stirling Phone: 508-802-8880 tstirling@hubcityhockey.com

JUNIOR BRUINS

GM/Coach: Peter Masters Phone: 617-680-2509 peter@bostonjuniorbruins.com

JERSEY HITMEN

GM/Coach: Toby Harris Phone: 732-904-8000 tobyh19@hotmail.com

CAPITAL DISTRICT SELECTS GM/Coach: Jim Salfi Phone: 518-459-1707 jpsalfi@aol.com

GREEN MOUNTAIN GLADES GM: Travis Bezio Coach: Kevin Kerr Phone: 404-391-2298 kkerr@gladeshockey.com

NEW YORK APPLE CORE

NEW ENGLAND JR. HUSKIES

ROCHESTER STARS

PHILADELPHIA REVOLUTION

Coach: Frank Bretti Phone: 914-500-5604 frankbretti@yahoo.com

GM/Coach: Tony Maksymiu Phone: 585-426-8488 tony@maksymum.com

GM/Coach: Paul Jenkins Phone: 508-634-3746 pbjenkins92@hotmail.com Owner: Phil Pulley Coach: Geoff Marottolo 215-290-1271 856-207-9909 gmarottolo@ philadelphiarevolution.net

GM/Coach: Pat Tabb Phone: 413-351-6633 patricktabb@gmail.com

SOUTH SHORE KINGS

Owner: Rich Touzos GM/Coach: Scott Harlow Phone: 781-789-6204 sharlow@foxborosportscenter.com

N.H. JR. MONARCHS

GM/Coach: Sean Tremblay Phone: 603-485-1100 x113 sean@nhjrmonarchs. com

Page 76

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

EASTERN JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

• EJHL Final Series •

Monarchs Sweep, 3-2, 6-1 (Continued From Page 74)

go in regulation. However, the Hitmen kept plugging away and tied it on Tim Clifton's power play goal with 3:37 to play. Jack Riley and Andrew Black drew the assists.

The Monarchs held a 2-1 lead after two periods of Game Two, before Cameron Brown's power play goal at 3:08 of the third period created space and Charlie Ackerman's tally with 1:14 left in regulation sealed it.

Gorman and McKenna both added empty net shorties in the final minute to create a somewhat deceptive final tally.

Jacob Bolton and Jamieson scored the Monarchs' first two goals while Stephanik was the lone member of the Hitmen to find the net.

Tremblay departs the Monarchs with seven EJHL title (2002, '04, '06, '07, '10, '11 and '12), three Junior A National Championships (2007, '08, '09), 12 consecutive 40-win seasons (2000-2011) and having produced more than 100 NCAA Division One recruits and nine NHL draft choices.

Not to mention a boatload of memories.

"I will always look back on this chapter of my life with great fondness, not only for the on ice success, but more for the amount of truly great people who were a part of it during my tenure. They will always be part of

• EJHL Semifinal Series •

Kings Eliminated in Mini-Game

Hitmen Sweep Host Jr. Bruins

I In Foxboro, the defending Dineen Cup champion New Hampshire Monarchs

eliminated the Southern Division Champion South Shore Kings in a series that went to the mini-game. The Monarchs fell behind early in Game One, spotting the Kings a 2-0 lead on goals by Shane Walsh and Tyler Piacentini in the first period. South Shore cruised from there as Jon Mleczko, Jimmy Vesey, Derek Colucci, and Nick Bligh added second-period goals and Robert Levin turned back 34 shots in a 6-1 win.

The 'Narchs found their legs in Game Two, securing a 3-2 win on goals from Mike Jamieson, Connor Anthoine and Charlie Ackerman. In a back-and-forth mini-game, the lead exchanged hands three times before New Hampshire closed out a 4-2 series-clinching decision. Anthoine (two goals), Connor Gorman and Steve Miller scored the goals.

I The Jersey Hitmen displayed great resilience as they ousted the Northern

Division and overall regular-season champion Junior Bruins in two games in Marlboro. The Hitmen gave up a three-goal lead but rallied for a 7-4 win in Game One against the Junior Bruins, then climbed out of a 3-0 hole with six unanswered for a 6-3 win in Game Two. Andrew Black and Jason Stephanik both had a pair of goals for New Jersey in Game One while Black's natural hat trick (two shorties and a power play strike) tied Game Two at 3-3 through two periods. Jesse Petito put the Hitmen ahead to stay with the GWG at 1:28 of the third period. Steve Swavely and Jack Riley concluded the scoring. Thane Heller's two goals helped the B's build a 3-0 lead after one period.

my hockey family and my life and that is really what this is all about -having an impact on young men's lives and guiding them to achieve greatness on and off the ice. So many of them stay in touch and are now great friends of mine and this is why I am so truly blessed in life," he said.

Jimmy Vesey South Shore Kings EJHL MVP

Connor Riley Valley Jr. Warriors Defensive MVP

Fabian Sivnert Valley Jr. Warriors EJHL Top Goalie

EJHL QUARTERFINALS

I The top-seeded Junior Bruins swept aside the Junior Huskies by scores of 3-2

and 4-0. KJ Tiefenwerth netted the eventual game-winner midway through the second period of Game One. Cody Smith and Brian Harris also scored for the Bruins while the Huskies got goals from Grant Garvin and Brendan Robbins.

Derek Metcalfe pitched a 31-save shutout in Game Two while Paul Russell, Cody Learned, Zach Luczyk and Kyle Nickerson notched the goals.

I Green Mountain extended South Shore to a mini-game before bowing out. In

Game One, Jimmy Vesey (two goals), Shane Walsh (empty-netter) and Robert Levin (34 saves) were the architects of a 3-0 South Shore win. Green Mountain rebounded for a 4-3 OT win in Game Two with Evan Schultz (two goals) delivering the decisive strike. Dominic Trento and Quentin Bicknase also scored. In the mini-game, goals from Bligh and Dean Niezgoda gave the Kings a 2-0 lead while the Glades managed only Bicknase's late countering strike.

I The Monarchs fought back from deficits in both games to sweep the Bay State

Breakers. They won Game One, 2-1, on a pair of Brian Morgan strikes, the second at 44 seconds of overtime. They trailed 2-0 in Game Two before pumping home five unanswered goals for a 5-2 win. Steve Miller scored twice in the final 1:30 to seal the win after Connor MacPhee scored the game-winner with 3:51 to play. Shane Shirling and Matt Vidal staked the Breakers to the early lead but the Monarchs pulled even on tallies by Kyle Williams and Ryan Ferrill.

I The Hitmen handled the Valley Warriors, 6-1 and 5-2. After spotting the

Warriors a 1-0 lead in Game One, the Hitmen got goals from Andrew Black, Jack Barre, Chris Fersini, Jack Riley, Tim Clifton and Jesse Petito. Jersey prevailed in Game Two despite a 47-save performance by Valley keeper Fabian Sivnert. RJ Burns, Collin MacDonald, Riley (two) and Petito generated the offense while Max Lorenzon and Brett Balsama countered for the Warriors.

PRELIMINARY ROUND

I The Valley Junior Warriors eliminated New York Apple Core, Bay State

swept aside the Rochester Stars, Green Mountain took out the Springfield Pics in two games, and the New England Huskies bounced the Boston Bandits.

Page 77

ATLANTIC JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Walpole Express Claim Third Straight Title

E

By Kevin Doyle • HNIB News

ach year the level of competition in the Atlantic Junior Hockey League improves incrementally. And, for each of the past three seasons, the Walpole Express has risen to the challenge.

The Express claimed the AJHL championship for the third consecutive season, sweeping the New York Bobcats in a two tightly-contested contests, 2-1 and 3-2, at Iorio Arena.

The regular-season champs ran the playoff table, going 6-0-0 to provide the exclamation point to a 35-5-1 regular season. In a remarkable display of consistency, the Express has now been in first place for two consecutive seasons.

Bolstered by the sturdy goaltending of league Goalie of the

• AJHL Final Series •

NY Bobcats Hang Tough In 2-1, 3-2 Games

Year Kyle Shapiro, who turned back 53 of 56 shots in the series, the Express shut down a Bobcats' attack that featured league scoring champion William Pascalli (72 points) and three of the league's Top 10 scoring defensemen.

“This was a good season for us and probably the toughest of the three championship seasons,” said Walpole coach Tony Dalessio in a post on the AJHL's website. “The level and players in our league keeps getting better and that was evident by the close race we had with the (Northern) Cyclones to the regular season championship and in the playoffs.

"We played hard together, every-

one contributed in so many ways and our role players really stood up especially in the playoffs and we won as a team. These guys won truly in a team effort. It wasn’t about two or three players; they put team first. All 20 guys made a contribution throughout the playoffs.

Kyle Shapiro had a special season.

He came in and grabbed the starting job in net and was excellent right up until the final buzzer on Sunday against the Bobcats,” Dalessio added.

Bobcats' goalie David Lynch did his part to give his club a chance to win Game One, amassing 38 saves as the Express attacked from the outset.

THE WALPOLE EXPRESS won their third consecutive Atlantic Junior Hockey League title with a two-game sweep of the NY Bobcats, 2-1 and 3-2.

Colin O'Neil's goal at 2:21 of the second period, assisted by Joe Parizek, broke a scoreless tie and Eric Salzillo stretched Walpole's lead to 2-0 with 8:55 left in regulation, set up by O'Neil and Andrew Sellner. The Bobcats responded two minutes later on a Chris Wallace marker off assists by Anthony Sgaraglio and James Mazza with 6:46 to go, but were unable to get the equalizer past Shapiro with the extra attacker on.

Game Two was every bit as tense and the goalies Shapiro (32 saves) and Lynch (31 saves) were at the top of their games. The Bobcats scored first and last but the Express did just enough damage in between to complete the sweep.

The Bobcats grabbed a 1-0 lead with a minute remaining in the first period when Pascalli and Sgaraglio collaborated on Patrick Schule's goal.

Walpole pulled even at 6:40 of the second period when Anthony Valentino beat Lynch, assisted by Sellner and Cam Moniz. Ronnie Walsh pushed the Express in front to stay with 12:28 left in the period with Stanton Turner providing the assist.

Walsh's second of the game, an unassisted tally early in the third period, stood up as the game-winner. However, as they had in Game One, the Bobcats made it interesting by pulling to within a goal and leaving themselves ample time to tie. Once again, Wallace delivered a late goal with 5:30 remaining, assisted by Matt McMorrow.

However, as was the case in Game One, the Bobcats could not solve Shapiro down the stretch.

Atlantic Junior Hockey League Directory

Page 78

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

ATLANTIC JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

mark@walpoleexpress.com

WASHINGTON JR. NATIONALS Laurel, MD The Gardens Ice House Owner/President: Stephen Lary - (301) 775-5826 Head Coach: Troy Govig - (443) 867-8794 tgovig@jrnats.org WILKES BARRE/SCRANTON KNIGHTS Pittston, PA Revolution Ice Center President: Paul Maciejewski - (570) 883-1100 GM/Head Coach: Justin Lyle - (570) 299-1446 jlyle@wbsknights.com

BOSTON BULLDOGS Salem, MA NH Salem Icenter President: Mike Addesa - (603) 986-9081 Head Coach: Mike Addesa

544 Lafayette Ave. Hawthorne NJ 07506 www.ajhlhockey.org Glenn Hefferan, President 973-968-6777 Fred Hughes, Dir. Of Ops (201) 745-0030

coachaddesa@gmail.com

HARTFORD JR. WOLF PACK Cromwell, CT Champions Arena Owner: Bob Crawford - (860) 632-0323 President: Dan McCarthy - (203) 627-9769 Head Coach / GM: Chris Cerrella - (561) 797-8769

cerrella11@aol.com

LACONIA LEAFS Laconia, NH Laconia Ice Arena Chief Executive Officer: Chuck Yaeger - (603) 455-6648 Head Coach & GM: Will Fay - (603) 581-7008 coachfay@laconiaicearena.com NEW JERSEY ROCKETS Newark, NJ Prudential Center President: Peggy Del Mauro - (908) 753-2014 Head Coach & GM: Bob Thornton - (516) 816-2599

Walpole Sweeps Bulldogs • AJHL SEMIFINALS •

The top-seeded and two-time defending champion Walpole Express advanced to its third consecutive championship series by sweeping past the No. 4 Boston Bulldogs, 5-3 and 4-3. In Game One, Eric Salzillo powered the Walpole offense with two goals while Andrew Sellner, Stanton Turner and David Goff added one apiece. Garrett White, Taylor Fletcher and Bradley Conover registered the Bulldogs' goals.

Game Two saw Walpole spot the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead before rattling off four unanswered by Sellner, Cam Moniz, CJ Blaszka and Colin O'Neil to lead, 4-1, after two periods. The Bulldgos closed to 4-3 on two third-period goals but were unable to force OT. I

thorts8@aol.com

NEW YORK BOBCATS Long Island, NY Ice Works Syosset Owner: Fred Schoenhut - (718) 986-2981 GM: Gil Valdes - (646) 286-6804 Head Coach: Ed Galiani - (631) 219-9921

ed.galiani@nybobcats.com

NORTHERN CYCLONES Hudson, NH Cyclones Arena Owner: Wes Dolloff - (609) 475-1131 GM: Brandon Barnard - (603) 475-4083 Head Coach / GM / Owner: Bill Flanagan

bflanagan@northerncyclones.com

Andrew Sellner Walpole Express

Eric Salzillo Walpole Express

PHILADELPHIA JUNIOR FLYERS West Chester, PA Ice Line President: John Graves - (610) 308-8943 GM: Jerry Domish - (610) 436-9670 Head Coach: Jerry Domish domish@iceline.info PHILADELPHIA LITTLE FLYERS Aston, PA Aston Ice Works President: Rosemary Giacobbo - (215) 852-9754 GM: Glenn Tendler - (215) 460-0144 Head Coach: Steve Washkalavitch (215) 873-1902

David Lynch NY Bobcats

Bobcats Catch Cyclones

PORTLAND JR. PIRATES Saco, ME MHG Center Co-Owners: Mark Anthoine / Ron Cain Head Coach & GM: Brad Church - (207) 210-0419 bchurch@portlandjuniorpirates.com

I The No. 2 Northern Cyclones won the season series against No.

WALPOLE EXPRESS Walpole, MA Iorio Arena President: Rob Barletta - (508) 660-2005 GM: Tony Dalessio - (339) 234-2008 Head Coach: Mark Kumpel mark@walpoleexpress.com WASHINGTON JR. NATIONALS Laurel, MD The Gardens Ice House Owner/President: Stephen Lary - (301) 775-5826 Head Coach: Troy Govig - (443) 867-8794 tgovig@jrnats.org WILKES BARRE/SCRANTON KNIGHTS Pittston, PA Revolution Ice Center President: Paul Maciejewski - (570) 883-1100 GM/Head Coach: Justin Lyle - (570) 299-1446 jlyle@wbsknights.com

544 Lafayette Ave. Hawthorne NJ 07506 www.ajhlhockey.org Glenn Hefferan, President 973-968-6777 Fred Hughes, Dir. Of Ops (201) 745-0030

3 New York Bobcats, three games to one, but couldn't close out this series on home ice. The Cyclones' Jared Henderson scored the game-winner at 11:51 of the third period and Patrick Lebeau (two goals) sealed a 5-3 win in Game One, offsetting Chris Wallace's hat trick. The Bobcats pulled even with a 4-2 win in Game Two as Anthony Scaraglio scored the eventual game-winner in the first period and added an empty-netter in the final minute. Goalie David Lynch was money in Game Three, stopping 18 shots to send the Bobcats to the championship series with a 2-1 win. Max Balaban gave the Cyclones a 1-0 lead early in the second period but Brad Campagna and Joseph Gilhooly countered with third-period goals at 13:08 and 18:04, respectively.

• MORE AJHL - PAGE 87

NJ Rockets Emerge Victorious Page 79

METROPOLITAN JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

MARCH 23, 2012

Third Period Rally Dethrones Royals, 4-3

D

THE NEW JERSEY ROCKETS emerged as Metro League champions after surviving the four-team final weekend. In the championship game, the Rockets bested the defending champion Long Island Royals,

By Kevin Doyle • HNIB News

espite finishing second in the regular-season Mullen Division standings, the New Jersey Rockets claimed the 2012 Metropolitan Junior Hockey League Keegan Cup crown with a 4-3 decision of the defending champion Long Island Royals on March 18.

The Rockets left little doubt to their superiority.

They swept the regular-season champion Royals in the best-of-three Mullen Division championship series, forcing Long Island into the Play-In Tournament that determined the fourth team in the Keegan Cup field.

And the Rockets were at their best when it mattered most, unleashing a third-period blitz of four unanswered goals that erased the 2-0 lead the Royals so carefully constructed through the first two periods of the title game.

The Royals went to work with their special teams to fashion that lead. At 15:11 of the first period, Vincent Monfredo struck on the power play, assisted by James Hall. The two swapped roles at 14:43 of the second period when Hall buried Monfredo’s set-up for a shorthanded strike.

New Jersey’s comeback started at 2:04 of the third period when Cameron Klein cut the deficit to 2-1 thanks to some hard work by Anthony DeFede and Alec Sanchez.

Still, thanks to the play of goalie Brendan Jones (43 saves), the Royals maintained that one-goal lead until midway through the third period. And then it happened as the Rockets launched three even-strength goals in a six-minute span that delivered them a crown. First Travis Geraci (from Frank Coscia and Alec Marsh) tied it at 10:58. Then Marsh (from Geraci

HNIB NEWS

and Ryan Hitchcock) gave the Rockets their first lead at 15:18.

Finally, Chris Gambardella (from Bryce Johnson and Jonathan Lee) sealed the victory at 16:58.

Matthew Goldberg’s power play tally with 39 seconds left brought the Royals back to 4-3 but they simply didn’t have the time to net the equalizer. Randy Gorda and Stephen East combined for 37 saves in the Rockets’ goal.

Both teams will now head off to the National Tournament in Minnesota.

After gaining entrance to the Final Four as a play-in qualifier, the Mullen Division champion Long Island Royals (3-0-0) advanced by defeating the Dowd Division champion Central Penn Panthers, the Francis Division kingpin Hartford Jr. Wolfpack as well as Mullen runner-up New Jersey Rockets by a combined score of 14-6 during the Finals round-robin tournament March 1618.

The Royals topped Central Penn, 3-1, behind Cory Cairo's 41 saves and goals from Matthew Goldberg, Vincent Monfredo and Nick Drizis. James Hall (two goals, two assists) had a hand in four goals in the Royals' 5-1 dismantling of the New Jersey Rockets.

Vincent Monfredo (goal, assist), Jake Rizer and Anthony Koslow also scored in the win. The Royals completed their series sweep by outgunning Hartford, 6-4, behind another two-goal performance from Hall.

The New Jersey Rockets (1-1-1) made it an all-Mullen final by tying Central Penn, 1-1, on the final day of the round-robin. The Rockets' Frank Coscia and Central Penn's Christian Grimm matched goals.

The Rockets earlier blitzed Hartford, 7-3, as Alec Marsh netted a hat trick and assisted on another.

Ryan Hitchcock, Daniel Willett Travis Geraci and Alex Sanchez added to the onslaught.

Page 80

FEBRUARY 7, 2012

HNIB NEWS

METROPOLITAN JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE 544 Lafayette Ave., Hawthorne, NJ 07506 www.metleague.org Pres: Glenn Hefferan 973-968-6777 BOSTON BULLDOGS

NEW YORK SAINTS

CENTRAL PENN PANTHERS

NORTHERN CYCLONES

Salem Icenter GM: Mike Addesa Head Coach: Steve Plancey 848-448-3714 splancey@gmail.com

Regency Sports Rink Pres: Ray Ferry GM/Coach: Andy Scott 717-391-6065 cpp_jr.b_gm@yahoo.com

CRANSTON REDS

Cranston Memorial Ice Rink Pres: Tony Dalessio Coach: Dennis Doherty 617-650-1789 dennis@redshockey.com

Sport-O-Rama GM: Gary Hess Coach: Robert Murdock 917-797-7844 murd1959@verizon.net

Cyclones Arena Owner/President: Bill Flanagan Coach: Tony Resendes 603-880-4424 ajresendes@hotmail.com

PHILADELPHIA JR. FLYERS Ice Line Pres: John Graves GM: Jerry Domish Head Coach: Mike Dennis 570-909-7787 mikeyd82484@yahoo.com

HARTFORD JR. WOLFPACK

PHILADELPHIA LITTLE FLYERS

LACONIA LEAFS

PORTLAND PIRATES

Champions Arena Pres: Dan McCarthy GM/Coach: Chris Cerrella 561-797-8769 cerrella11@aol.com

Laconia Ice Arena Chief Executive Officer: Chuck Yaeger Coach: Matt McGilvary 603-581-7008 coachmatt@laconiaicearena.com

Aston Ice Works Pres: Rosemary Giacobbo Coach: Jeff Barratt 609-647-0007 coachjrb@littleflyers.org

MHG Centre Owners: Ron Cain/Mark Anthoine Coach: Brad Church 207-210-0419 bchurch@portlandjuniorpirates.com

LONG ISLAND ROYALS

RICHMOND GENERALS

NEW JERSEY RENEGADES

SUFFOLK JUNIORS

Ice Works Pres: Richard McGuigan Coach: Ken Hoey 631-885-0497 khoey29@gmail.com

Aspen Ice Pres: Cliff Graziano, Sr. GM/Coach: Cliff Graziano, Jr. 973-479-2403 cliffjr@njrenegades.net

NEW JERSEY ROCKETS

SkateNation Plus Owner/Pres: Brad Robinson Coach: R.C. Lyle 804-364-1477 coach@richmondgenerals.com

The Rinx Pres: Tom Palamara Coach: Aleksey Nikiforov alekseyn9@yahoo.com Coach: Jim Wright (516) 987-6537 palcoach60@aol.com

Prudential Center Pres: Peggy DelMauro Coach: Bob Thornton 516-816-2599 thorts8@aol.com

WALPOLE EXPRESS

Howell Ice World, Farmingdale, NJ Pres: George Haviland GM/Coach: Dustin DePalma 732-547-4898 ddp@usa.com

Gardens Ice House, Laurel, MD Owner/Pres: Stephen Lary Coach: Kevin Rooney 443-458-8472 krooney@jrnats.org

JUNIOR TITANS

NEW YORK METRO MOOSE

Aviator Sports & Recreation Center GM: Bryan Farrel Head Coach: Craig Doremus 347-454-1000 bfarr18@aol.com

METROPOLITAN JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

Iorio Arena Pres: Rob Barletta Coach: Mike Tenney 617-640-9643 mike@walpoleexpress.com

WASHINGTON JR. NATIONALS

Kyle Bushong Central Penn

Landon Trutt Central Penn

Dowd Division Final

I The regular-season champion Central Penn Panthers swept aside the

Richmond Generals, 6-5 (OT) and 5-2, to take the Dowd Division honors. Kyle Bushong’s second of the game, at 6:37 of extra time, settled Game One. Dillon Balsamo potted a pair for Richmond. Game Two wasn’t nearly as close with the Generals doing themselves no favors by committing 19 penalties. Matt Marino, Ben Mariano, Jordan Klimovsky, Brennan Thompson and DJ Dinnison scored as the Panthers advanced with a textbook effort anchored by Landon Trutt’s 38 saves.

Francis Division Final

I The Hartford Jr. Wolfpack toppled the Portland Jr. Pirates in two

games, 5-3 and 3-1. Only two points separated the teams at the end of the regular season. Trailing 2-0 in Game One, the Wolfpack prevailed behind a hat trick from Todd Schauss, who kicked off a string of four unanswered goals in the second period. Mario Santinello and Steve Palmer also scored. In Game Two, goalie Brian Schod amassed 38 saves while Pat Odierno, Ryan Rainville and Salvatore Novella supplied the offense.

Mullen Division Final

I The New Jersey Rockets, second-place finishers in the regular-sea-

son by three points, served up the post-season’s biggest surprise by relegating the Long Island Royals to the play-in round in convincing fashion – 5-1 and 9-5. William Campion, Alec Marsh, Ryan Hitchcock, Bryce Mullen and Chris Gambardella all scored in the Rockets’ Game One win. Travis Geraci notched a hat trick and Gambardella netted a deuce in the lopsided Game Two decision. New Jersey amassed a staggering 79-42 shot advantage in the two games.

WILKES BARRE/SCRANTON Revolution Ice Center Pres: Paul Maciejewski GM/Coach: Justin Lyle 570-299-1446 jlyle@wbsknights.com

Travis Geraci NJ Rockets

Steve Palmer Hartford Jr. Wolfpack

Page 81

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Monarchs Earn Distinction As Empire Champs EMPIRE JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

Win Over Florida Jr. Blades Secures Title

T

By Kevin Doyle â&#x20AC;˘ HNIB News

he Empire Junior Hockey League somehow managed to crown a champion earlier this month despite rolling out a complex playoff scenarios. The final round of the Empire Playoffs was incorporated into the National Tournament at Foxboro, MA the weekend of March 8-12.

At any rate, the New Hampshire Monarchs claimed the Empire crown by virtue of their 61 dispatch of Empire Southern Division champion Florida Blades in the semifinal round. The Monarchs then tacked on a National crown for good measure by handling the Mass Maple Leafs out of the Eastern States League, 4-1, at the Foxboro Sports Center.

"It was certainly the gas in the tank for sure," said coach Ryan Frew. "Obviously, this was a special season. We knew the group we had returning was the right core. We filled in openings around them and asked the guys we brought on board this year to fill very specific roles because we knew the group we had back was good enough to take us to Nationals last year. The players we brought in bought into what we asked of them and embraced their roles."

The Monarchs defeated the Leafs during round-robin play, 9-1. This time they spotted the Leafs a 1-0 lead in the game's first minute then spent the remaining time asserting themselves and frustrating their opponents, who took six of their game total of seven penalties.

To their credit, the Leafs killed all but one disadvantage in the period but the energy expended on the kill blunted their offensive momentum.

"To their credit, they (Maple Leafs) made it through by defeating Brewster, so our semifinal (against Florida) was more of the championship game for us. Still, we had to pull together and re-focus for Massachusetts because they gave a very good effort. We just overmatched them," said Frew.

Joseph Fernandes staked the Leafs to that quick lead, converting a set up from Samuel Jenkins and Colin Cordeiro. It would be the only shot to elude Monarchs' keeper Alex Devine, who finished with 26 saves.

THE NEW HAMPSHIRE JR. MONARCHS took home the 2012 Empire League title as well as Tier II Junior Nationals champions.

Monarchs Down Maple Leafs In Nationals Final, 4-1

That lead stood until midway through the second period when New Hampshire knotted it on the power play with the Maple Leafs' Adam McGrath off for tripping. Chris Zuccaro and Kyle LaJeunesse set up Paul Pirozzo for the finish past Cody Stocker (33 saves) at the 11:12 mark. Then, only seconds after the Leafs had successfully killed off their third penalty of the period, the Monarchs struck in the vulnerable minute when Teddy McCarran potted an unassisted tally and eventual game-winner at 14:59.

Meanwhile, the Monarchs made things a bit tougher on themselves than they needed to be and gave the Leafs ample opportunity to tie or go ahead by taking three minor penalties in the first six minutes of the third period. The Eastern States champions simply didn't have the legs left to apply sustained pressure and cash in.

The Monarchs cemented the win at 11:47 of the third period when Nate O'Brien made it 3-1 with the assists going to Pirozzo and Luka Audycki. Kevin Miner accounted for the final tally with a shorthanded empty-netter with nine seconds to play.

The dual championship was a fitting finale for Frew, who will now step up to assume the Monarchs' Eastern Junior Hockey League entry's coaching duties following the departure of Sean Tremblay.

"I'm obviously thrilled. I've been incredibly lucky to have Sean as a mentor and to be able to learn from one of the best. He's taught me a lot of what I'll need to know to succeed at that level.

I'm never going to replace Sean, but he's given me the tools to prepare and do things my own way," Frew said.

Page 82

FEBRUARY 7, 2012

NATIONAL SEMIFINALS

Jr. Monarchs Blitz Florida Blades, 6-1

Teddy McCarran Jr. Monarchs

Kyle Lajeunesse Jr. Monarchs

I NATIONAL SEMIFINALS

Eastern States Hockey League champion Mass. Maple Leafs eliminated Empire West opponent Brewster Bulldogs, 5-1, pulling away with three third-period goals. Raymond Boudiette pulled the Bulldogs to within 2-1 with a goal at 16:43 of the second period but the Leafs countered with third-period goals from Steven Hole, Samuel Jenkins and Kurtis Garcia within a span of 4:27 to put it out of reach.

Brewster goalie Zach Geller had 30 saves while Cody Stocker turned back 23 for the Leafs.

For all intents and purposes, New Hampshire Monarchs claimed the Empire crown with a tidy 6-1 decision of the Florida Blades, the league's Southern Division champion.

Monarchs' goalie Alex Devine stopped 34 shots while his mates peppered Florida's Eric Sugrue with 46 shots. New Hampshire's Kyle LaJeunesse and Florida's DJ Thomas matched first-period goals but it was all New Hampshire after that. LaJeunesse completed a hat trick and Chris Zuccaro, Teddy McCarran and Paul Pirozzo added single goals.

National Round-Robin: New Hampshire (Empire North) 3-0-0; Mass. Maple Leafs (Eastern States Hockey League) 2-1-0; Brewster Bulldogs (Empire West) 2-0-1; Florida Blades (Empire South) 2-1-0; South Shore Kings (Empire North) 1-2-0; Atlanta Knights (Empire South) 0-2-1; Junior Bruins (Eastern States Hockey League) 0-2-1; Philadelphia Revolution (Empire West) 0-3-0.

HNIB NEWS

EMPIRE JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

• Western Conference Round - Robin •

Brewster, Philadelphia Emerge

I The third-place and fifth-place regular-season fin-

ishers Brewster Bulldogs and Philadelphia Revolution emerged out of the West to advance to the Empire/National Tournament. The Bulldogs dispatched Maksymum Hockey (4-1), Philadelphia (73) and the Jersey Hitmen (4-2) while the Revolution toppled Maksymum (5-2), regular-season champion Syracuse, (5-4), the Hitmen (4-0) and the Jersey Wildcats (4-2).

Brewster displayed great scoring balance as 12 players accounted for their 15 goals with only Michael Laffin (three) and Troy Lynch (two) con-

necting more than once. Goalies Zach Geller and Tyler Stark faced 92 total shots and combined for 85 saves.

In their 7-3 win over the Philadelphia Revolution, Nick Alexander contributed a goal and assist and Bengt-Erik Norgaard added a pair of assists.

Philadelphia got stellar performances from Manvil Billones (five goals; hat trick vs. Jersey Hitmen), Kyle Jennings (four goals) and Sean Fleming (three goals); and goaltender Robert Palzer (four wins, .954 save pct.), who posted a 45save shutout against the Hitmen.

All 4 Series Finish In Sweeps EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

I The New Hampshire Monarchs had far too much firepower for the Springfield Pics, posting a twogame sweep by scores of 8-4 and 8-3. Game One featured a hat trick by the Monarchs' Teddy McCarran as New Hampshire scored five unanswered goals after the teams played to a 3-all tie in the first 10-plus minutes. McCarran was back at it in Game Two, pumping home four more goals and assisting on another by David Horan.

I The Junior Bruins were dominant in their two-

game sweep of the Bay State Breakers, 6-3 and 73. Mac Cook's hat trick powered the Bruins in Game One while Chris Miller, Tyler Warila and Cam Carbone added single goals. Cook contributed two more goals in Game Two and Warila, Connor Garland, Jack Eichel, Colby Ryan and Jason Michaud had one each.

I The South Shore Kings handled the Boston

Bandits in a workmanlike two-game sweep, 6-1 and 4-2. Philip Falkoff (two goals) sparked the offense in Game One while Alex Yee registered three assists. Chris Walsh, Patrick deMontigny, Evan Jacques and Michael DeBuccia staked the Kings to a 4-0 lead in their Game Two victory.

I Goaltending ruled as the New England Huskies

squeezed out 3-2 and 1-0 (shootout) wins to sweep the Green Mountain Glades. Goalies Graham Hunt of the Huskies and Brandon Bechard of the Glades pitched double shutouts in Game Two and Hunt turned back all but two of the 60 total shots that came his way. Kurt Johnson netted the gamewinner at 16:09 of the third period in Game One while the Huskies Shane Tracy and Matthew Pate buried shootout goals in Game Two.

• Empire North National Round-Robin Qualifier: South Shore Kings 2-0-1; New Hampshire Monarchs 1-0-2; Junior Bruins 1-1-1 (eliminated); New England Huskies 0-3-0 (eliminated).

Tyler Warila Jr. Bruins

Chris Miller Jr. Bruins

Graham Hunt Jr. Huskies

Brandon Bechard Green Mtn. Glades

Page 83

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Bay State Breakers David McCauley GM www.jrbreakers.com baystatebreakers@verizon.net (781) 878-7500 Boston Bandits Scott Drevitch - Coach www.bridgewaterbandits.com drevitch@aol.com (774) 688-1447 Capital District Selects Jim Salfi - GM www.cdselects.com JPSalfi@aol.com (518) 371-3795

Green Mountain Glades Travis Bezio - GM 802-891-4501 www.vtglades.com TBezio@selectshockey.com

Junior Bruins Chris Masters - GM www.bostonjuniorbruins.com chris@bostonjuniorbruins.com (508) 820-1600 New England Huskies Tim Pelletier - Coach www.jrhuskies.com tpelletier@jrhuskies.com (508) 498-1536

New Hampshire Monarchs Ryan Frew - GM www.empirejrmonarchs.com Ryan@tri-townicearena.com (603) 270-1018 Salem Ice Dogs Mark Latham - GM www.salemicedogs.net Salemicedogs@aol.com (978) 745-3489

South Shore Kings Rich Touzos - GM www.southshorekings.com rtouzos@foxborosportscenter.com (508) 698-0505 Springfield Pics Patrick Tabb - GM www.falconsjunior.com patricktabb@gmail.com (413) 736-8100 Valley Jr. Warriors Andy Heinze - GM www.jrwarriors.com aheinze@jrwarriors.com (978) 557-5518

MARCH 23, 2012

Don Kirnan - Commissioner 5679 Thompson Rd. So. Dewitt, NY 13214 (315) 446-1238 dlkirnan@aol.com WESTERN CONFERENCE

Apple Core Henry Lazar - GM/Head Coach www.applecorejunior.com HLizard78@aol.com (718) 332-4555 Brewster Bulldogs Steve Santini - GM www.brewsterhockey.com ssantini@brewstericearena.com (845) 279-2229 x10 Buffalo Stars Peter Preteroti - Owner www.buffalostars.com sportsniag@aol.com (716) 491-0375

Frederick Freeze Mary Russell - Owner www.frederickfreeze.com fourrussells8@msn.com (301) 371-8077 Jersey Hitmen Toby Harris - GM www.jerseyhitmen.net tobyh19@hotmail.com (973) 628-1500

Jersey Wildcats Jim Stanlick - GM www.jerseywildcats.com Jimweld@aol.com (973) 214-1065

Maksymum Junior Hockey Tony Maksymiu - GM www.MaksJrHockey.com tony@maksymum.com (585) 426-8488

Philadelphia Revolution James Laux - Head Coach www.philadelphiarevolution.net jlaux@philadelphiarevolution.net (215) 669-1632 Potomac Patriots R.J. Zeigler - GM/Coach www.potomacpatriots.net rzeigler@pwice.com (703)-861-8591 Syracuse Stars Don Kirnan - Owner www.syracusestars.net DK@syracusestars.net (315) 882-1616

HNIB NEWS

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE

Atlanta Jr. Knights David Falkenstein - Owner www.atlantajuniorknights.com knightsjrhockey@gmail.com (678) 787-8683 East Coast Eagles Gary Gouin - GM www.eaglesjrhockey.com gm@eaglesjrhockey.com (919) 319-6588

Florida Eels Frank Scarpaci - Head Coach www.floridaeels.org flelitehockey@aol.com (941) 400 9023 Florida Jr. Blades Ron Kinnear - Owner www.floridajrblades.com rkinnear@mindspring.com (631) 553-1175

Hampton Roads Whalers Patrick Cavanagh - Owner/Coach www.whalernation.com pcavanagh@chilledponds.com (757) 420-4488 Palm Beach Hawks Mike Bunting - Owner www.palmbeachjrhawks.com buntingm@bellsouth.net (561) 714-1113 Space Coast Hurricanes Shawn Ray - Owner/Coach www.juniorhurricanes.com daoust5001@aol.com (321) 504-7500 x 208

Tampa Bay Juniors Brett Strot - Owner/Coach www.tampahockeyclub.com brett@hockeyinternational.net (904) 424-5616

www.empirehockey.com

Page 84

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

• IJHL Championship Series •

National Sports Academy Takes McCarthy Cup

Mountaineers Rally To Sweep Syracuse

T

The 2012 International Junior Hockey League champions: National Sports Academy

By Kevin Doyle • HNIB News

he National Sports Academy executed a twogame sweep of the Syracuse Stampede the hard way in becoming the 2012 Nielsen Cup National Champions and McCarthy Cup league champions. The Mountaineers fell behind 2-0 in each game.

Both times they rallied for 3-2 and 5-2 wins.

"We played against great teams all year and we were challenged, but we got it done by grinding it out shift after shift," NSA coach Rod Simmons, the

league's Coach of the Year, said in a post on the IJHL web site.

The New England Division champion NSA (41-3-5, 248 GF, 94 GA, +154) and the Mid-Atlantic kingpin Stampede (39-8-2, 262 GF, 97 GA, +155) were far and away the league's most complete teams all season.

And, as is usually the case when championship series roll around, free-wheeling offense gives way to lockdown defense.

Game One featured a battle between goaltenders Jakob Rasmussen of NSA and Trace Pennock of Syracuse. The two combined for 63 stops. It wasn't until 9:37 remained in the game that NSA's Wes Moon positioned himself in front of the Syracuse cage and re-directed a Tyler Watts shot past Pennock for the tie-breaking and game-winning goal.

Syracuse got the early jump when great combo work by Kevin Persichetti and Alex Foster sent Brandyn Morgan in clean for the game's first goal at 10:29 of the first period. The lead grew to 2-0 less than two minutes into the second period when Nick Gerke went high to beat Rasmussen on assists from Alex Foster and Morgan.

NSA began its comeback shortly thereafter when Taylor Widemaier took Zach Dymock's pass from behind the net and beat Pennock.

The Mountaineers then took advantage of a five-minute major penalty assessed to the Stampede as Widemaier converted a Kevin Valenti pass to tie it later in the period.

The third period became a mano a mano duel between the goalies until Moon to put one past Pennock and the lights out on Syracuse.

Rasmussen finished with 32 saves while Pennock numbered 26.

Game Two followed a similar script as, once again, Syracuse grabbed a 2-0 lead on goals by Alex Foster and Aki Virtanen 19 seconds apart in the second period.

NSA maintained its composure and pulled even by period's end on goals by Taylor Widemaier at 14:50 and Devin Desnoyers at 18:46. The Mountaineers carried that momentum into the third period, applying their most sustained pressure of the game to the Stampede and Pennock (28 saves). It paid off in the form of three goals -- the GWG from Zach White, the separator from Blake Tarbell and the deal sealer from White.

Page 85

INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

• IJHL Conference Championships •

NSA Downs Stars In Three Games

I The National Sports Academy came from a game down to

oust the New England Stars and wrap up the New England crown in Lake Placid, NY. Shayne Forsley's 30-save performance backboned the Stars series-opening 3-1 win. Vincent Lariviere scored in the first period and Sean Duncan deposited a pair in the second as New England opened a 3-0 lead. NSA avoided the shutout on Kevin Valenti's goal early in the third period.

NSA drew even with a 5-3 win in Game Two behind

third-period goals from Zach White and Devin Desnoyers that snapped a 3-all tie. Pat Hayes, Zach Dymock and Marcus Astesana also scored for NSA while Quinn Carroll, Brian Bowen and Vincent Lariviere connected for the Stars.

Jakob Rasmussen's 25-save performance anchored a 41 win in Game Three, propelling NSA into the title series.

White, Valenti, Hayes and Astesana had one goal each while Duncan was the lone Star to solve Rasmussen.

Stampede Need 3 Games To Subdue Trenton

I The Syracuse Stampede claimed the Mid-Atlantic title at the Baldwinsville GBIA Red Rink, bouncing back from a game down to eliminate the Trenton Habs in three games.

Mark Burton piled up 37 saves for the shutout and Cody Newcombe's power play goal at 2:06 of the first period stood up as the Habs swiped the series opener, 1-0.

Brandyn Morgan's second of the game at 5:51 of the third period lifted Syracuse to a 4-3 win in Game Two. Chris Lundgren and Alexander Foster also scored while

Newcombe, Joe Cangelosi and Sean Kacerosky connected for Trenton.

The Stampede settled things early in the decisive Game Three, building a 6-1 lead through two periods on the way to a 7-2 win. Seven players scored for the Stampede, who put four on the board in the second period. Aki Virtananen led the way with a goal and three assists and Syracuse potted a pair on the power play.

Zach White NSA

Brandyn Morgan Syracuse Stampede

INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE DIRECTORY

485 Rogers Ave., W. Springfield, MA Commissioner: Charles Nielsen - 413-896-5812 • email: juniorpics@aol.com Director of Hockey Operations: David McCarthy - 978-376-8356 email: davidmccarthy4@hotmail.com

ALBANY AMERICANS

LONG ISLAND WOLFPACK

PHILADELPHIA JACKALS

BOSTON JR. BLACKHAWKS

MAINE MOOSE

SYRACUSE STAMPEDE

Dennis Canfield 716-338-2626 AlbanyAmericans@gmail.com www.albanyamericans.com

Rich Salsman 781-245-9330 bostonjrblackhawks@hotmail.com www.bostonjrbblackhawks.com

CAPE COD ISLANDERS Dan Hodge 508-280-2046 capecodhockey22@yahoo.com www.capecodislanders.com

EASTERN KODIAKS

Robert Harris 781-231-0268 teamusatours@aol.com www.easternkodiaks.com

JUNIOR MARINERS

Lee Goodwin 781-354-3459 massmarinershockey@hotmail.com www.massmariners.org

JUNIOR SHAMROCKS

Sean Meisenheimer 508-902-9318 Pat Peabody sean@juniorshamrocks.com www.juniorshamrocks.com

Ken Uher 631-224-4536 metlhedz1994@aol.com www.liwolfpack.com Ben Gray 207-629-7405 moose@shl.bz www.moosemainea.com

NATIONAL SPORTS ACAD. Rod Simmons 315-528-2501 www.nationalsportsacademy.com

NEW ENGLAND STARS Dan Fontas 603-880-8787 dfontas@thehockeyacademy.com www.nestarshockey.com

NEW JERSEY RAIDERS Oktay Armagan 732-502-0212 oarmagan23@aol.com

NEW YORK AVIATORS John Sacco 917-842-0949 hockeysk8coach@aol.com www.aviatorhockey.org

Jimi Simmons 484-571-6042 j.simmons3@comcast.net www.jrajackalshockey.com

Mike Beavis 315-297-6520 mbeavis@syracusestampede.com www.syracusestampede.com

TRENTON HABS

Eric Brule 215-337-9151 admin@brulehockey.com www.trentonhabs.com

WESTCHESTER DRAGONS Rich Guberti 914-447-2520 dragonsjuniorhockey@gmail.com www.dragonsjuniorhockey.com

WORCESTER WILDCATS Ken Jacobs 508-561-8525 kwjake@charter.net www.worcesterjuniorwildcats.com

www.ijhl.us

Page 86

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

JUNIOR HOCKEY

IJHL QUARTERFINAL SERIES

The Syracuse Stampede and New England Stars advanced in the New England Division while the National Sports Academy and Trenton Habs emerged out of the Mid-Atlantic Division. All four series were won by the home team in a twogame sweep.

I The Syracuse Stampede demonstrated why it was the league's highest-scoring

team in the regular season, torching the Long Island Wolfpack by a combined 203 margin (8-1, 12-2) at the Baldwinsville GBIA Red Rink. Aki Virtanen (two goals) led a Stampede of seven goal-scorers in an opening 8-1 win then added a hat trick in the series clincher. Ville Virtanen and Nick Gerke had two goals apiece in Game Two and three each for the series.

I Defense ruled in the New England Stars' sweep of the Albany Americans at

Skate-3 in Tyngsboro as the Stars prevailed 3-2 and 4-2. James Devlin scored the game-winner at 7:36 of the third period in Game One, breaking a 2-all tie. Brian Bowen and Kyle McCullough also scored for the Stars while Danil Semyan and Garrett Jones delivered for the Amerks. The Stars spotted Albany a 1-0 lead in

AJHL QUARTERFINAL SERIES

I The regular-season champion Walpole Express made quick work of the New Jersey Rockets in a two-game sweep, 6-1 and 6-0. In Game One, Cam Moniz scored twice in the first five minutes, triggering a four-goal first period that settled things. Dillan Fox, Anthony Valentino, Eric Salzillo and Tyler Colacchio also scored. Game Two was more of the same as Stanton Turner scored the first of his two goals for the game-winner at 5:08 of the first period. Moniz, Fox, Andrew Sellner and Colby Emma completed the scoring while Kyle Shapiro and Tom Conlin shared the shutout with 25 saves.

I The seventh-seeded Portland Junior Pirates stretched the second-ranked Northern Cyclones to three games before bowing out. The Pirates grabbed Game One, 3-1, on goals by Zac Tracy, Tom Gildersleeve and Timothy Searles. The Cyclones stayed alive with a 3-2 Game Two win on Max Balaban's OT gamewinner. The Cyclones' Cassidy April and Andreas Backman and Pirates' Sean McTiernan and Tracy scored in regulation while Cyclones' goalie Hugo Oftdal (33 saves) and Pirates' keeper Shane Robichaud (34 saves) were both immense.

There was no such drama in Game Three as the Cyclones stormed to a 9-1 win.

Derek Freeman triggered a decisive four-goal first period with the game's first tally at 5:51. Jonathan Felteau and Charles Bando popped in two goals each.

I Goalies Gene Lane of the Hartford Jr. Wolpack and David Lynch of the New

York Bobcats dominated proceedings as the No. 3 Bobcats bested the No. 6 Wolfpack in three games. Lynch turned aside 106 of the 113 shots he faced (.938 save pct.) while Lane stopped 136 of 145 (.938). Nick Belger's OT strike lifted Hartford to a 3-2 decision in Game One while Anthony Sgaraglio matched that with an OT winner in New York's 4-3 Game Two win in which New York's Patrick Schule and Hartford's Matt Crowley scored two goals each. In the decisive Game Three, Hartford grabbed a 1-0 lead but the Bobcats advanced on goals from Sgaraglio, James Mazza and Spiros Markopoulos.

I The No. 4 Boston Bulldogs eliminated the No. 5 Philadelphia Junior Flyers in

two games, 3-2 and 5-1. Game One was a shooting gallery as both goalies Chris Paulin of Boston and Patrick Rochefort of Philly faced 76 shots. Garrett White ended it deep into overtime, converting a setup from Chris Mastropietro. The Bulldos steadily pulled away in Game Two, powered by Garrett Sunda's two goals. Logan Brown, Bradley Conover and Mastropietro also found the net.

Game Two, then rattled off four unanswered with Bowen netting a pair and assisting on a third by Quinn Carroll. Tyler Underhill and Jens Karlsson had the Albany goals.

I In Lake Placid, NY, the National Sports Academy squeezed past the Eastern

Kodiaks in the series opener, 3-1, then put the hammer down in Game Two, 8-3.

Kevin Valenti, Marcus Astesana (GWG) and Devin Desnoyers found the net in the opener. The Kodiaks raced out to a 3-0 lead in Game Two on goals from David Sullivan, Devin Stoddard and Jaret Canney before NSA erupted for eight unanswered. Taylor Widenmaier and Zach White both connected twice.

I Jersey Shore Arena was the venue as the Trenton Habs outgunned the

Philadelphia Jackals by a combined 17-9 count (7-4, 10-5). The Habs' Joe Cangelosi and Jackals' Dale Ludwig matched hat tricks in the opener while Justin Goldstein added a deuce for the hosts. In the series clincher, Russel Armbruster notched a hat trick and Cangelosi scored a pair for the Habs.

Tommy LaBrecque had a pair for Philly.

• Metro League Playoffs •

Royals Emerge As 4th Seed

I The three divisional series runners-up – the Long Island Royals, Richmond

Generals and Portland Junior Pirates – met in a double-elimination round-robin to determine the fourth seed in the Keegan Cup Championship Tournament.

Defending Keegan Cup champion Long Island, which lost in the Mullen Division finals to the New Jersey Rockets, secured the berth by defeating Richmond, 5-2, and thoroughly dismantling Portland, 9-2.

Goaltender Corey Cairo stifled the high-powered attack of Dowd Division finalist Richmond (196 regular-season goals), turning back 43 shots. Meanwhile, James Hall notched two goals, including the game-winner, to go along with an assist. Anthony Koslow, Brendan McGovern and Nick Drizis each had a goal.

Pavol Bolibruch and Max Mahood scored for Richmond.

Against Portland, the Royals spotted the Pirates, who eliminated Rochester earlier by a 6-5 score, a 2-0 lead. However, Jake Bichko’s shorthanded goal changed the momentum and kicked off a string of nine unanswered goals by nine different players. McGovern and Vincent Monfredo each picked up a goall and three assists. Brendan Jones stopped 28 shots in goal.

In Portland’s 6-5 win over Richmond, the Pirates got a pair of goals from Dakota Keene and single tallies from Chris Acres, Anthony Fisher, Ryan Locke and Michael Chnojka. Dillon Balsamo, Mahood, Nick Varner, Ryan Rooney and Steven Valva had the Generals’ tallies.

Page 87

MARCH 23, 2012

HNIB NEWS

Coventry Repeats As Rhode Island Division II Champion HS HOCKEY POST-SEASON TOURNAMENTS

(Continued From Page 42)

the lead to 3-1. On the power play, he carried the puck into the offensive zone, made a nice move to get Morgan out of position and buried a backhanded shot into the open net. Pesola pushed the advantage to 4-1 at the 5:01 mark of the second period when, after Skorski had control of the puck behind the cage, he sent a centering pass to Pesola, who was all alone in front of the net and buried a shot to the right of Morgan.

Any chance Prout had of getting back into the game vanished at the 5:16 mark of the third period when Coventry’s Zachary Woods fired a shot on

RI DIVISION II QUARTERFINALS

Giuttari Backbones Pilgrim Win

I Top-seeded Coventry was pushed to the limit in its opening series, having to come-from-behind to advance past South Kingstown. The Oakers dropped the first game of the series to the Rebels 3-2, but bounced back to win the next two by scores of 6-3 and 4-1. Brian Skorski and Michael Pesola led the way for Coventry, each netting three goals and adding two assists in the series, while Zachary Levesque scored two goals and had two assists, Peter Stringfellow scored a pair of goals, Conner DiPietro had a goal and three assists and Jacob Harrington added a goal and two assists. In net, Stephen Schmitt stopped 38 shots in his two games of action, while Vincent Zannella made 18 saves in his game two victory. The Rebels were led by TJ Lynch in their upset bid, as the AllState performer scored three goals and added three assists, while Brett Grimes added two goals and four assists.

I Ian Giuttari put on a dominating performance in net for Pilgrim, stopping every shot he faced in regulation in leading the Patriots to a sweep of the series over Middletown. Giuttari stopped all 25 shots he faced in the opener, a 4-0 victory for Pilgrim, then made every save in regulation and overtime as the Pats skated to a 1-0 shootout victory in the second game. His only blemish came during the shootout when he allowed a goal to Brendan Sullivan, but stopped three other attempts. His teammates picked him up, as Cody Weaver, Nicholas McGuirl and Ryan Oatley each scored in the shootout to lead Pilgrim to the win.

McGuirl had three goals in the opening win, while Susan Cavanagh netted the other goal for Pilgrim.

I Led by its powerful offense, Portsmouth rolled into the semifinals after a sweep

of Cumberland, winning the two games 4-1 and 5-1. Matthew Harrigan and Christopher Oliveira were the offensive stars, each scoring three goals and adding two assists in the series sweep. Myles Arkins added two goals and Patrick Spero had a goal and an assist. In net, Michael Maggiacomo needed to make just 32 saves in the two games to secure the wins. The Clippers got goals from John Wainwright and Gregory Wellington, while Michael Kinch added two assists.

I Fast starts in both games helped The Prout School to big early leads and cruise

to wins of 7-5 and 6-2 and sweep the series from PCD/Wheeler/St. Raphael. In the first period of the two games, Prout scored a total of eight goals to help build big early leads. Matthew Peacock was the offensive star, scoring four goals and assisting on four more to lead Prout, while Connor Hagerty scored a pair of goals and added two assists, Nyle Sockbeson and Dean Bogda each had two goals and an assist, and Aaron Deady scored a goal and had three assists. For PCD, Benjamin Mello scored two goals and added an assist, Mark Long had a goal and three assists and Justin Katz scored two goals.

net that Morgan made the initial save on, but the rebound trickled behind him and into the net for a goal. Pesola salted the game away with his third tally at the 11:26 mark of the period.

“He was really controlling the puck,” said Bird. “He was putting the puck where he wanted. That third goal he banked off the post. Not much of a chance for the goalie, and he is a quality goalie. We had a lot of quality goals, just quality opportunities.”

The victory culminated a long season for the Oakers, who started office workouts in the fall, meaning that by the time they skated around Schneider Arena with the championship hardware, they had been at it for nearly seven months.

“This is so special,” said Pesola. “Back-to-back, it feels great.”

“Fantastic,” said “Bird. “We started in September, working off ice five days a week, then a lot of them also played hockey three or four days a week. They were getting in shape for the season. You see these games go along, we had more legs down the stretch, and that’s from being in good shape. The kids worked hard, they wanted this again and they weren’t just happy with last year. I am really happy for the seniors, they worked really hard and I am very proud of them.”

Hudson Bests Longmeadow To Advance To Mass. D-3 State Final (Continued From Page 17)

Hudson came up biggest at the blue lines. The Hawks kept the Lancers from gaining the offensive zone with any speed. They kept pucks in the Longmeadow zone, kept it deep, kept the Lancers from getting out and getting pucks to the net.

Standout freshman Charlie Kelleher got Longmeadow into it with 16.1 seconds left in the first, cutting the lead to 2-1 off a turnover. But John Dutney's power-play goal 1:42 into the second restored a two-goal lead.

Senior Zack Graham gave Hudson a lead from a bad angle at 10:23 of the first after Jeff Hamelin's shot was blocked. Blake Seymour scored 66 seconds later.

Longmeadow's last great chance was 5:20 into the third period, the reverse of its first-period goal. Kelleher forced a turnover that sent Brett Rabideau in on a breakaway that Shane Barry stopped with a pad for the eighth of his nine saves.

Tommy McCarthy made 24 saves for Longmeadow.

"They're a great, great team," Nanartowich said. "I have the utmost respect for Jim Joyce, the years he's put in. That program is absolutely outstanding."

Hudson had come close each of the past two years. The Hawks lost to the Lancers 6-3 two years ago; that Longmeadow team went on to win the state championship. Last year, they put 37 shots on hot Westfield goalie Nick Liberto; Liberto stopped 35 and beat them 3-2.

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