1/21/04
#2 Cushing Edges #4 Thayer in OT
Wellesley, Mass. -- In a taught, hard-fought, up-and-down battle between two strong teams, #2 Cushing, on a Billy Ryan goal 38 seconds into overtime, edged #4 Thayer at the Babson College Skating Center here this afternoon.
On the OT game winner, senior Boomer Ewing made a pass across the low slot that Ryan, stationed below the right faceoff circle, one-timed past Thayer senior goalie Dan Beauregard. Ryan didn’t get great wood on it, but put it in the right place, about halfway up the near side.
Ewing and Ryan almost teamed up to win it with about 15 seconds left in regulation, as Ewing got the puck to Ryan who tried, and nearly succeeded, in stuffing it by Beauregard’s right pad. The pair got a second chance in OT and nailed it.
All the scoring in regulation came in the second period. Cushing got on the board first when big junior Alex Berry, from the right faceoff circle, wristed a shot through a screenthat eluded Beauregard at the 5:03 mark.
Thayer got it back a little over a minute later when sophomore LW Joe Rosano knocked home a rebound from a scramble in front of Cushing senior goalie Keith Longo.
Cushing went ahead 2-1 when Sam D’Agostino, on the powerplay, got Beauregard cheating toward the center of the net, looking for a pass, then went short side, the puck deflecting up over the goaltender’s stick at the 8:47 mark.
Thayer, after Longo made a big save on former teammate Jimmy Russo, tied the game at 2-2 when freshman LW Max Gratchev in the left corner, sent the puck out to junior defenseman Anthony Aiello at the left point. Aiello put it on net and junior RW Pierce Norton tipped it home with 1:44 left in the period.
The two teams battled through the third period, but both sides came up empty and the game went into OT where Ryan’s goal gave Cushing the win.
Cushing outshot Thayer, 39-34.
“It was a great prep school game,” Cushing coach Steve Jacobs said afterward. “Both teams played hard, two-way hockey, and both goalies played strong games.”
“This was as tough as any game we played this year, right up there with the Nobles (the 4-OT Watkins finale) game.”
Notes: In other games. #1 Avon went on the road and topped NMH, 5-2… Senior Brandon Jackmuff had six points (3g,3a) as host Hotchkiss trounced Kent, 8-1… #5 Taft had no trouble with Loomis-Chaffee, blanking them 7-0… #6 Salisbury, playing on the road, topped Trinity-Pawling 7-4… #9 Andover edged #10 St. Sebastian’s on a goal by freshman Joey Smith 2:34 into overtime. Junior Steve Rolocek had two goals and Cory Schneider kicked out 35 shots… #7 Belmont Hill and #8 GDA were both off.
