Sun. 3/6/11
Championship Sunday:
Updates from Salem
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Milton Wins Prep Crown, Edging Kent, 2-1
***
-- Okita's game-winner in third brings school first NEPSIHA title; Dougherty stellar
From the coaches:
"When you hold a team to one goal you have a pretty good chance to win," said Milton head coach Paul Cannata. "Sean Dougherty gave us a heck of a game today -- and we managed to get a couple."
We asked Cannata about the fact that McNally wasn't taking off on rink-length rushes today: "He knew that this wasn't going to be a game that was won or lost on one shift. Today you saw the subtle positioning and poke checks... all the little things that add up to winning. He played an excellent game. Sometime people overlook his defensive game in favor of the Superman cape."
On his large group of seniors. "They are a battle-tested group. In January we rose up the rankings and we never gave up our position even though we were playing some very tough opponents. Call it experience, hockey IQ... it's a lot of things. I'm proud of them. Things went our way this season and even when they didn't we found a way to tiptoe around them. You have to be a little lucky to be good."
Cannata was asked how he felt personally. "I really feel great for the kids and the school. You don't get a lot of kicks at the can. You feel really happy for the kids."
It was pointed out that Hudson, Merenich, and McNally logged some serious minutes and looked exhausted as time wound down. "You gotta dance with the girls who got you to the prom," Cannata said. "If we were going to do it, this was the year."
Down the hall, Kent coach Matt Herr said, "It was a great game and sometime in a game like this it comes down to two or three plays going your way -- or not. Milton was a great team and they played really well tonight."
What, Herr was asked, was the key to Kent's strong second and third periods. "We started hanging a wing because we saw all three Milton forwards were crashing down."
Herr gave a lot of credit to Dluhy for coming through with great saves during the penalty kills tonight. "He played really well. Both goalies played really well tonight."
"It was," Herr said, "a great prep hockey game."
***
Milton 2, Kent 1 (final) -- Milton goes up 2-1 at 4:06 with what would turn out to be the game-winning goal. On the play, TJ Schneider came down the right side and took a slapshot which popped out to the left. Okita had the whole net to shoot at, and he buried it.
There was a long way to go, though, and Milton's Dougherty was called on to protect it, never more so than at around the six minute mark when he had to come up with a big save on Noel Acciari, who was a threat for Kent all game.
At 7:49 Kent was awarded their first power play. They get good possession and chances but suddenly all goes wrong and Milton is breaking the other way on a 2-on-1 shorthanded attempt. But Acciari gets all the way back to break up a cross-crease pass that almost certainly would have made it 3-1 for the Mustangs. Kent, however, is unable to score on what is left of their power play.
With just under 30 seconds to play, and the goalie pulled and the puck in Milton's end, Acciari intercepts a Milton clearing attempt at the blue line, goes around a Milton player, and takes a snapshot from the left faceoff circle that Dougherty makes a tremendous shoulder save on, deflecting the puck out of play with 10 seconds remaining.
Kent calls a time-out with an offensive zone face off coming up. Off the face-off the puck found its way to Nieves, who whistled a shot off Dougherty's glove as time ran out on the season.
Milton 1, Kent 1 (after 2): Milton scored at 1:47, just after their powerplay expired. Dluhy made two saves before before the puck found defenseman Jake Turrin on the backside with an empty net to shoot at. He didn't miss. 1-0, Milton. A little over one minute later -- 1:13, to be exact -- Kent evened things up when Boo Nieves took the puck behind the Milton net and took a shot that was blocked and then rebounded out to the other side. There, Drew Brown was waiting to snap it home. Back to a tie game. The goal was kind of a mirror image of the Milton goal.
Kent really carried the play offensively after that. Milton's Hudson is doing his best to neutralize Kent's edge in physical play by just pummeling guys.
Kent was called for a minor with 2:02 left. When the period ended, Kent had three penalties called against them, and Milton none.
Milton 0, Kent 0 (after 1): Kevin Dluhy is in net for Kent; Sean Dougherty for Milton. Kent came out really hard and took the game to Milton, but Milton figured it out after a couple of minutes. Kent is playing a 1-2-2 in the neutral zone and hasn't forechecked much -- a counter-McNally effect.
A couple big hits involving the heavyweights: Connor MacPhee leveled Dan Merenich. Woody Hudson leveled Mike McKee.
Milton's forecheck worked well in the second half of the period.
Milton has had a couple of powerplays. There was a lot of pre-game speculation on how closely the game would be called, and the first hints came there: it may be called tightly, Once on the PP, Milton did a good job setting up and controlling the puck, and will start second period on the powerplay. Overall, Milton had an edge in the period.
A fan in the Milton student cheering section was ejected after throwing something on the ice and hitting the ref with what, on closer inspection, turned out to be a pair of --- get this -- handcuffs. Since he hit the ref when the penalty was being called on Kent, one can assume the ejected miscreant clearly possesses a metaphorical bent.
***
-- Westminster Wins Large School Tournament.
Westminster 5, Governor's 2 (final) -- Westminster made it 4-0 at 6:00 of the third on an Andy Michalidis slapshot from the point, a one-timer that went in halfway up the post. Governor's got on the board when Lucas Bombardier cashed in a rebound at the 9:41 mark. The goal gave Gov's a lift and, at 13:48, they were able to cut Westminster's lead to 4-2 while skating four aside. Again, it was a rebound goal. It's tough to beat Spano straight up -- no one did it here in Salem.
Westminster sewed it up as a Corey Taber empty-netter with 1:30 left in the period made it 5-2 Westminster.
Westminster 3, Governor's 0 (after 2) -- Westminster makes it 2-0 when Tim Acker takes a pass from Emilio Audi on a 2-on-1 and fires a one-timer. No chance for Burke.
It was all Westminster after that. Governor's did have three power plays, but was unable to generate any legit chances. Great penalty killing by Westminster.
Westminster scored a controversial goal to make it 3-0. A shot from the point as the final seconds ticked down disappeared into a crowd of players in front of the Governor's net, and then somehow squirted out of the scrum onto the stick of Westy's Jake Crow. The puck came from literally nowhere, a total gift for Crow, who shot a wrister into the open net a mere two feet away. The puck crossed the line literally at the 18:00 mark, right as the horn was sounding. It couldn't have been closer, and there was no consensus among observers. Governor's, however, left the ice for the second intermission a very unhappy bunch. It will be interesting to see if they can regroup at all for the third.
Westminster 1, Governor's 0 (after 1) -- Patrick Spano is in goal for Westminster; Rory Burke for Governor's.
At 9:25 Westminster's Luke Laszkiewicz scored the only goal of the period, a nice one, pulling the puck from a scrum along the half boards in the offensive zone and carrying it to the middle, where he fired a wrister back against the grain.
With about four minutes left, Burke, Governor's goaltender, made a couple really nice saves, on Nick Finn, and Corey Taber, in the span of about one minute. The saves, on a breakaway and a partial breakaway, kept the game from getting out of Governor's reach. Governor's had over a minute of a 5-on-3 advantage late in the period, but couldn't do much with it.
***
-- Dexter, a runner-up to KUA last year, wins small-school tourney this year.
Dexter 8, New Hampton 1 (final) -- Dexter made it 6-1 at 3:37 of the third when Nick Bligh, behind the net, found Stephen McKenna in the slot. New Hampton switched goalies, replacing Schwan with Joseph McConnell.
At 8:11, Dexter scored again, as Jake McDonough scored off a 2-on-1 with Kevin Murle assisting. That made it 7-1.
Dexter made it 8-1 at 12:55, with Nicholas Palandjian, off a pass from McKenna, scoring on a shot from the slot.
Dexter 5, New Hampton 1 (after 2) -- Charlie Donners circled around the net with the puck, came out in front and took a wrister that put Dexter up 3-0.
At 8:03, on the PP, New Hampton got on the board when TJ Bond tipped in a shot by defenseman Casey Goll. After the goal, New Hampton turned up the pressure, but also began taking penalties.
Dexter scored a 5-on-3 goal at 11:06 when Brendan Fitzgerald scored on a one-timer from the high slot, tucking it inside the far post. John Magliozzi had made the pass.
With 1:16 left in the period, Magliozzi scored on a 2-on-1 off a nice pass from Pat Curtis.
A dominant period for Dexter.
Dexter 2, New Hampton 1 (after 1) -- Kevin Green is in net for Dexter; Max Schwan for New Hampton.
Just as in yesterday's semifinaly, Dexter came out strong, scoring within the first minute of play. Today, it took just 24 seconds for Pat Curtis to drive home the rebound of a Nick Bligh shot. 1-0, Dexter.
Dexter went up 2-0 at 7:28 when the all-freshman line cashed in. Mark Webber, alone in the low slot, took a pass from Jake McDonough behind the net. The New Hampton goalie, Schwan, got a piece of Webber's shot, but it trickled in nonetheless.
Dexter applied more heavy pressure late in the period, but Schwan did a good job keeping it a 2-0 game.
Mon. 3/7/11
2010-11 Prep All-Stars Announced
New England Prep Div. I All-Stars
Player of the Year:
Kendall Coyne, Sr. Berkshire School
Forwards:
Haley Frade, Sr., Tabor Academy
Sarah MacDonnell, Sr., Brewster Academy
Janice Yang, Sr., Choate
Defense:
Amanda Boulier, Sr., Westminster
Briana Mastel, Soph., Choate
Goaltender:
Alexandra Stevenson, Sr., Loomis Chaffee
New England Prep Div. II All-Stars
Player of the Year:
Casey Stathopoulos, Sr., Southfield
Forwards:
Eleanor Haines, Soph., Canterbury
Kellie Joyce, Sr., Kimball Union
Kelsey Taylor, Sr., Proctor Academy
Defense:
Leigh Getz, Sr., Canterbury
Sam Pion, Jr., Proctor
Goaltender:
Sarah Sokol, Sr., Canterbury
Sun. 3/6/11
Championship Sunday
-- At Phillips Andover Academy
Today's Schedule:
11:00 am -- Div. II Championship Game:
Governor's 5, Rivers 2 (final) -- Alex Carpenter scores three goals; named MVP.
1:00 pm -- Div. I Championship Game:
Westminster 3, Nobles 1 (final) -- Sidney Daniels scores the first two goals for Westy, and Amanda Boulier the last. Kaleigh Fitzpatrick scores for Nobles. Westminster goaltender Carmen MacDonald named Tournament MVP.
Sat. 3/5/11
Prep Semifinals
-- at Phillips Andover Academy
Sat. March 5:
Div. II:
12:00 pm -- Governor's 3, Southfield 1 -- Goals: Carpenter, McDonough, Stathopoulos, McDonough. Shots on goal: Gov's 28, Southfield 23.
2:00 pm -- Rivers 3, Canterbury 0 -- Goals: J. Ferrara (N. Ferrara, T. Cross) ppg 4:20 of 1st: E. Hitti (N. Ferrara, J. Ferrara) 1:06 of 1st; Hitti (Frascotti) 0:46 of 3rd. Shots on goal: Rivers 27, Canterbury 11.
Div. I
4:00 pm -- Westminster 4, Lawrence 0 (final) --
6:00 pm -- Nobles 4, Choate 0 (final) --
Sun. March 6:
11:00 am -- Div. II Championship Game: Governor's vs. Rivers
1:00 pm -- Div. I Championship Game: Westminster vs. Nobles
Wed. 3/2/11
Prep Quarterfinals
Div. I:
Choate 7, Tabor 2 (final)
Nobles 4, Brewster 1 (final)
Lawrence 6, Berkshire 2 (final)
Westminster 5, Loomis 2 (final)
Div. II:
Southfield 3, Middlesex 2 (final)
Canterbury 2, Proctor 0 (final)
Rivers 5, Millbrook 1 (final)
Governor's 3, Thayer 1 (final)
Schedule for the Weekend
-- at Andover, Mass.
Sat. March 5:
Div. II:
12:00 pm -- Governor's vs. Southfield
2:00 pm -- Canterbury vs. Rivers
Div. I
4:00 pm -- Westminster vs. Lawrence
6:00 pm -- Choate vs. Nobles
Sun. March 6:
11:00 am -- Div. II Championship Game
1:00 pm -- Div. I Championship Game
