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Sun. 3/3/13

Salisbury Wins Third Prep Title in Eight Years

Stuart/Corkery Tournament (Open Div.)

3:00 pm, Salisbury 4, Kent 1  -- final

Salem, NH -- Salisbury, behind a pair of goals from junior Mitchell Smith and a 23-save performance from sophomore goaltender Callum Booth, topped Kent 4-1 to take the 2013 New England Prep Elite 8 title here on Sunday afternoon.

With the win, Salisbury now has three NEPSIHA Div. I titles – they also won in 2006 and 2009. In addition, they won a Div. II title in 1991.

The turning point in Sunday's game came late in the second period when Kent defensemen Keanu Hilaire (cross-check) and Bennett Morrison (hooking) were whistled for minors seconds apart from one another with roughly two minutes left in the stanza. Just like that, Salisbury had a 5x3 powerplay for virtually all the time remaining in the period. The Knights didn’t squander it, either. A Jacob Hand shot from five feet inside the left point deflected off the upper body of Liam McDermott, parked in front, and got by Kent senior goaltender Charlie Fennell with 53 seconds left in the stanza to give Salisbury a 2-1 edge going into the second intermission.

Early in the third, Salisbury, gripping tightly to the one-goal lead, got a great save by Booth on a Mitch Allen shot.

Salisbury made it 3-1 with an insurance goal at 11:50 of the third. The play actually started deep in the Salisbury end when senior D Mark Hamilton made a great diagonal saucer pass from outside the left faceoff circle hash marks right onto the stick of a streaking Derek Barach at the far blue line. Barach's shot rebounded to the far side, where a waiting Mitchell Smith found a wide-open net to shoot at – and didn’t miss.

Smith, from his twin brother Evan Smith, would salt it away for Salisbury, making it 4-1 off a 2-on-1 with 1:59 left on the clock.

Earlier in the game, back in the first period, the two teams traded goals, Salisbury striking first when, with Mitch Allen off for tripping, PG Matt Pugh scored just 1:46 in, with assists going to junior D Will Toffey and junior F Evan Smith.

Later in the first period, Kent, after hemming Salisbury in their end for an extremely long stretch, cashed in to make it 1-1 when senior Connor Mitchell whistled a high shot over the glove of Booth at the 14:20 mark.

The second period was tense, with both goalies coming up big. Kent's Fennell made a pair of excellent saves late in the second to keep it at 1-1. First, Fennell made a great save on Jason Kalinowski with about three minutes left. Then, less than a minute later, the senior from Elmira, NY came up with a great right pad save to rob Mitchell Smith.

Seconds later, however, Fennell, who had 23 saves in the game, was facing Salisbury’s 5x3 powerplay, a task too formidable. Salisbury, as mentioned above, would cash in, take the one-goal lead into the dressing room, add a couple of insurance goals in the third, and take home their first NEPSIHA title since 2009.

Afterward, we asked Salisbury head coach Andrew Will, who won his first title in his first year at Salisbury ('08-09) and now has a second to go with it, what the keys to his team's win were.

"We wanted to make sure we limited Kent's power play opportunities, mainly by making sure we played with composure to make them earn whatever they got," Will said. "On the penalty kill, we wanted to get sticks in the lanes and keep the puck to the outside. We also wanted to limit odd-man rushes or at least have back side pressure coming back into the zone. In those things, I think we succeeded."

"We also play on a big sheet at Salisbury and we try to use the full width of the ice. We thought we could take it wide and get their D to turn and get it deep and work on the cycle."

As for individual players, Will spoke of Booth, his sophomore goalie. "He's a true sophomore," Will said. "And he relishes the big stage. At Berkshire, he gave up a goal on the first shot and vs. Westminster he gave up a goal on the first shot. For a young kid to not get rattled by that and to keep his composure speaks to the mental maturity and focus he brings to the game."

Will was pleased by the 'Smith Twins' line, which also features Derek Barach. "They have been relentless the past three weeks. They just put so much pressure on the D. They anticipate, and they are smart coming back through the neutral zone. They push back."

Will also spoke glowingly of his entire defensive corps. "The maturity really impressed me," he said. "Plus they are so sound defensively."


***

Cushing Wins Hard-Fought Battle over Avon
Martin/Earl Tournament (Large School Div.)

1:00 pm, Cushing 1, Avon Old Farms 0 -- final

Salem, NH -- Cushing, on a Shane Kavanagh goal just 24 seconds into the first period and a Mike Dion shutout, edged Avon 1-0 to take the Large School final here this afternoon.

On the winning goal, junior Matt Hoover, in the corner, dished the puck out front to Kavanagh, who whistled a shot past Avon junior goaltender Cody Doyle.

Both teams played hard, physical hockey with a lot more big hits than you normally see on an Olympic-sized sheet. The officials let stuff go, and let the players skate. A wide-open affair, the game had a good up-and-down pace for all three periods. It also picked up in intensity as it went along, and became a battle of attrition toward the end.

Three penalties were called on Avon over the first two periods, none to Cushing. No penalties were called in the third period.

In the third, Avon kept pressing the play, but just couldn’t get on the board. Already depleted by playing without two of their top forwards, senior Vincent Russo and junior Daniel LaFontaine (both out with injuries), Avon also lost senior forward Brennan Kee, who broke his ankle in the second period.

Both goaltenders, Doyle (30/31) and Dion (29/29), played very strong games.

***
Brooks Upsets Kents Hill

Piatelli/Simmons Tournament (Small School Div.)
Championship Game

10:30 am, Brooks 4, Kents Hill 1 -- final

Salem, NH -- Brooks School got goals from four different scorers and upset top-seeded Kents Hill 4-1 in the Piatelli/Simmons Small School NEPSIHA Championship Game here this morning.

This was an efficient, workmanlike win for Brooks. Kents Hill was never able to get into the flow of the game, in no small part because of the fact that, by picking up 10 penalties (Brooks had four), they were constantly skating shorthanded.

In the first period, Brooks went on top 1-0 on a shot from the point by junior D Cam Armstrong that beat Kents Hill junior goaltender Kyle Porter 5-hole at the 4:09 mark.

In the second, Brooks made it 2-0 when sophomore KJ Moore took advantage of a defensive zone turnover, picking off a pass and whistling a quick wrister top shelf past Porter at the 5:19 mark.

Junior Ian Speliotis, on a breakaway, deked Porter and tucked the puck behind him at the 11:00 mark to make it a 3-0 game.

Kents Hill scored their only goal of the game when junior Drew Somerhhoff  knocked home the rebound of a point shot by senior defenseman Logan Day at the 14:25 mark. On the play, Somerhhoff was cross-checked into the goalie from behind right after he scored -- and was called for roughing the goaltender. Not exactly a call we see every day.

In the third, senior Nick Vasilopoulos added an insurance goal for Brooks at the 2:49 mark, with assists going to sophomore PJ Kelleher and senior D Mitch Nylen.

Senior Colin Langham stopped 14 of 15 shots to pick up the win in the Brooks net.

 Updated Brackets

Fri. 3/8/13

New England Prep All-Star Teams 2012-2013

Division I

Player of the Year:
Phoebe Staenz, F, Choate, Sr. (Zurich, Switzerland)

First Team

Forwards:
Lexi Laing, Nobles, Jr. (Marblehead, Mass.)
Caitrin Lonergan, St. Paul’s School, Fr. (Roslindale, Mass.)
Briana Mastel, Choate Rosemary Hall, Sr. (Wallingford, Conn.) 

Defensemen:
Natasha Rachlin, Nobles, Sr. (Brookline Mass.)
Eleni Tebano, Westminster, Sr. (Glastonbury, Conn.) 

Goaltender:
Katie Burt, BB&N, Soph. (Lynn, Mass.) 

Second Team

Forwards:
Tori DeAngelis, Westminster, Jr. (Sounderstown, RI)
Haley Mullins, Nobles, Jr. (East Greenwich, RI)
Makenna Newkirk, Pomfret, Soph. (Scottsdale, AZ)

Defensemen:
Bella Sinsigalli, Berkshire, Sr. (Redding, Conn.)
Jane Pagano, Tabor Academy, Sr. (Erie, PA)

Goaltender:
Brittany Bugalski, Loomis Chaffee, Soph. (Lake Worth, FL)

Division II

Player of the Year:
Kelcey Crawford, G, Proctor Academy, Sr. (Amherst, NH) 

First Team

Forwards:
Annemarie Ng, Southfield, Sr. (Milton, Mass.)
Alison Quinn, Southfield, Sr. (Canton, Mass.)
Pam Schulman, Greenwich Academy, Sr. (Greenwich Conn.) 

Defensemen:
Ashley Arnold, Middlesex, Sr. (Boxborough, Mass.) 
Erin Hall, Southfield, Sr. (Pembroke, Mass.)
Kate Haslett, Brooks, Sr.. (Rothesay, NB, Canada)

Goaltender:
Lan Crofton, Worcester Academy, Sr. (Milton, Mass.)

Second Team

Forwards:
Maeve McMahon, Groton, Sr. (Duxbury, Mass)
Melinda Prevost, Vermont, Jr. (Pierrefonds, Que., Canada)
Melissa Sheeran, Millbrook, Jr. (Schaghticoke, NY)

Defensemen:
Isabela Bagi, The Gunnery, Sr. (Branford, Conn.)
Emily Even, Millbrook, Sr. (Montreal West, Que., Canada)

Goaltender:
Jessica Thulin, Southfield, Sr. (Reading, Mass.)

Sun. 3/3/13

Nobles, Gunnery Take Home the Hardware
At Cushing Academy; Ashburnham, Mass.

Div. I Championship Game, 1:00 pm:

Nobles 4, Choate 0 -- final

1st Period:
No scoring.

2nd Period:
0:29 - Nobles (Power Play) - Lexie Laing (#16), assisted by Haley Mullins (#9) and Natasha Rachlin (#2)
10:48 - Nobles - Haley Mullins (#9), assisted by Lexie Laing (#16)

3rd Period:
3:22 - Nobles - Lexie Laing (#16), assisted by Kenzie Kent (#4)
13:19 - Nobles - Haley Mullins (#9), assisted by Lexie Laing (#16) and Brigit Bergin (#21)

DI Tournament MVP -
Lexie Laing (#16), Nobles junior forward.

Div. II Championship Game, 11:00 am:

Gunnery 4, Millbrook 2 -- final

1st Period:

2nd Period:
3:21 - Gunnery - Katlyn Paiva (#3), assisted by Erin Sullivan (#22) and Amanda Sabia (#11)
9:14 - Gunnery - Kayla Meneghin (#20), assisted by Amanda Sabia (#11) and Katlyn Paiva (#3)
14:59 - Gunnery (Power Play) - Kayla Meneghin (#20), assisted by Katlyn Paiva (#3)

3rd Period:
2:11 - Millbrook - Emily Even (#7), unassisted
12:38 - Gunnery (Power Play) - Katlyn Paiva (#3), assisted by Kayla Meneghin (#20)
14:17 - Millbrook (Power Play) - Emily Even (#7), assisted by Brittney Longo (#9)

DII Tournament MVP:
Isabela Bagi (#7), Gunnery senior defenseman.

Sat. 3/1/13

Today's Semifinals
All games to be held at Cushing Academy; Ashburnham, Mass.

Sat. March 2, 2013

Div. II Semifinals:

Gunnery 3, Middlesex 1 -- final
1st Period:
0:21 - Gunnery -- Katlyn Paiva (#3), assist from Alyssa Cooke (#10) and Amanda Sabia (#11)
3:12 - Gunnery -- Kayla Meneghin (#20), unassisted
4:36 - Gunnery -- Amanda Sabia (#11), assist from Kayla Meneghin (#20)
2nd Period:
7:05 - Middlesex -- Madeleine Winslow, assist from Ciarra Frattasio (#11)

Millbrook 2, Governor's 1 --  final
1st Period
2:32 - Millbrook - Megan Ahern (#9), assist from Meg Lahey (#21) and Heather Neaberger (#11)
6:15 - Millbrook -- (Power Play goal) - Melissa Sheeran (#20), assist from Emily Even (#7) and Heather Neaberger (#11)

3rd Period
1:46 - Governors - Natalie Sullivan (#10), assist from Siobhan McDonough (#9) and Hannah Quinn (#23)


Div. I semifinals:

Nobles 8, St. Paul's 0 -- final

1st Period:
2:18 - Nobles -- Courtney Pensavalle (#10), assist from Mallory Souliotis (#14) and Natasha Rachlin (#2)
3:46 - Nobles -- Becca Gilmore (#15), assist from Robyn White (#11)
7:44 - Nobles -- Lexie Laing (#16), assist from Courtney Pensavalle (#10)

2nd Period:
2:51 - Nobles -- Lexie Laing (#16), assist from Robyn White (#11)
3:48 - Nobles -- Goal Courtney Pensavalle (#10), assist from Mallory Souliotis (#14)
4:19 - Nobles -- Goal Lexie Laing (#16), unassisted
4:36 - Nobles --Kenzie Kent (#4), assist from Haley Mullins (#9)
5:48 - Nobles --Becca Gilmore (#15), assist from Tess Dupre (#17)

Choate 3, Cushing 0 -- final

1st Period:
Choate -- Teagan Blackwell
Choate - Phoebe Staenz

3rd Period:
Choate - Phoebe Staenz

Sunday's Championship Games

Div. II Championship Game, 11:00 am: Gunnery vs. Millbrook
Div. I Championship Game, 1:00 pm: Nobles vs. Choate

Thurs. 2/28/13

Championship Weekend Schedule
All games to be held at Cushing Academy; Ashburnham, Mass.

Sat. March 2, 2013

Div. II Semifinals:
Gunnery vs. Middlesex, 10:00 am
Governor's vs. Millbrook, 12:00 pm

Div. I semifinals:
Nobles vs. St. Paul's 2:00 pm
Cushing vs. Choate, 4:00 pm

Sun. March 3, 2013

Div. II Championship Game, 11:00 am
Div. I Championship Game, 1:00 pm

Quarterfinals Results:
from Wed & Thurs. Feb. 27-28

Div. I
@ #1 Nobles 5, #8 BB&N 1
@ #2 Choate 4, #7 Williston 0
#6 Cushing 1 @ #3 Westminster 0
@ #4 St. Paul's 2, #5 Tabor 0

Div. II
@ #1Gunnery 3, #8 Greenwich 1
#7 Millbrook 3, #2 Southfield 2
@ #3 Governor's 2, #6 Proctor 0
@ #4 Middlesex 4, #5 Rivers 1

The bracket below has been updated. (Thurs. 2/28)

Printable Bracket and times for semis and finals