Sun. 3/5/23
2023 NEPSAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
ELITE 8
Avon Wins 9th Prep Title; Tops Cushing, 3-1;
Peck Shines
It's not often, in sports, that you can say a whole season was a build-up to one game. But that's certainly the way it felt in prep hockey this season, with #1 Cushing and #2 Avon Old Farms on a collision course all season.
They met Sunday and, with the Elite 8 title on the line, turned in one for the books.
It was, of course, a matchup of the two best teams in New England, but the game was chock-full of other parallel storylines. It was also a meeting of Avon's John Gardner, a prep coaching legend, and Cushing's Paul Pearl, a longtime Div-I college coach. It was a bout between the league's top two forwards, both clad in #14 -- the Penguins' Landan Resendes and the Winged Beavers' Joe Connor. It was a duel of two of the season's top senior goaltenders, in Cushing's Cooper Rautenstrauch and Avon's Stephen Peck. The crowd, surely a few thousand strong at St. Anselm College's Sullivan Arena, was not let down.
Though nobody scored in the first, it was a fast-paced, back-and-forth period. The action was split just about equally between ends of the ice, but Cushing headed for the first intermission with a 14-5 advantage in shots. The Penguins, it seemed, were shooting whenever and from wherever, while Avon was far more selective.
In the second, with Avon 3-on-1 deep in Cushing territory, sophomore Sam Houston left a drop pass for senior Charlie Gollob, who, alone in the crease in front of Rautenstrauch, made the extra pass, to his right, for sophomore Won-Jun Yun, who rifled a one-timer into the twine at the 3:24 mark.
Cushing answered less than four minutes later, knotting the score at 1-1 when junior AJ Sacco, through a mad scramble in front of Peck's net, banged a loose puck into the cage. Assists went to Brendan Quinn and Dan Markevych. With the tally evened and the momentum on their side, the Penguins, who already held a sizeable edge in shots for the game, started taking off, finding open ice, making plays, and putting the suddenly tired-looking Winged Beavers back on their heels. Avon's 71-year-old head coach -- in search of his ninth title -- looked worried. So did his staff. So did the team's fans.
But Peck stood his ground, and Cushing failed to score.
Avon came out for the third with a little more hop, but the game's turning point came when Cushing, forechecking hard, was called for consecutive boarding penalties 22 seconds apart from the same exact spot at the end boards in Avon's end. Sacco committed the first; classmate Ethan Gardula the second. Now 5x3, it didn't take long for Avon's top line, in its familiar box-and-one alignment, to produce the game-winner. Connor found Joe Odyniec, who banged it home at the 3:18 mark, giving his team a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
In the final minutes, Cushing had a few good chances, but Peck didn't waver. Cushing pulled Rautenstrauch with a little over two minutes remaining. But Avon senior Alex Pelletier's empty-netter sealed the deal, giving Gardner his elusive ninth New England title, 13 years after his eighth.
"This is something I've been waiting a long time for," said a relieved Gardner, standing just outside a jubilant throng of players, parents, and supporters. "The last few years, the quarterfinals have been our biggest hurdle."
"Today, I was worried about our energy. We were dying a slow death in the second. Cushing's zone entries and forecheck were giving us some trouble. Fortunately, we made some adjustments. We battened down."
Gardner said the key to the win was Peck. Avon, outshot 45-22, leaned heavily on the senior from New York City who, not surprisingly, got the game puck. "He was awesome. Very few rebounds. He's done it for us all year. The kids believed in him."
Cushing's Pearl, in his third year at the school, was succinct: "Our guys worked really hard. We just didn't bury it. We didn't score."
***
LARGE SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP
Taft Edges Salisbury, 3-2 in OT; Guimond Stands Tall
Junior defenseman Alexander Kenerson's game-winner, just over eight minutes into OT, lifted #1 Taft to a 3-2 victory and the Large School title over #2 Salisbury. It was a grudge match of sorts for the two sides, which split a pair of 3-2 overtime regular-season games. Taft won the first, on Nov. 30th, in the first game of the season, on a game-winner by, well, Kenerson.
Sunday, the Rhinos, who have leaned on the play of Rudy Guimond all season, needed every last one of the 39 saves they got from their junior goaltender, because Salisbury spent much of regulation on the offensive.
"They played a lot in our zone," said Guimond, surrounded by a happy bunch of teammates. "It was really tiring, because a lot of what they do was throw pucks at my feet. It's tough. But our defense was really, really great today. They helped me out so much."
Taft scored first, nearly three-and-a-half minutes in, when junior Archer Brown flung a wrist shot from the top of the slot into the top of the net, beating Salisbury PG goalie Matt Alberti, glove side.
Guimond kept the Crimson Knights off the board until Salisbury got a break 22 seconds before the end of the period. A Taft defenseman, defending his end, turned the puck over, right onto the stick of Knights' senior Rapolas Marcinkevicius. The Lithuanian forward, suddenly leading a 3-on-1 rush the other way, dished to his right for classmate Michael Strapp, whose wrist shot evened the score at 1-1.
While nobody scored in the second, it was clearly Salisbury's period. The Crimson Knights dialed up the pressure and outshot Taft 11-6, but Guimond didn't crack. Throughout the game, Taft made quick trips into the offensive zone, but it seemed as if Salisbury's offense produced the more sustained, persistent attack, much of which was generated south of the Rhinos' goal line, with pucks continually popping out to the low slot. With the Yale commit backstopping their defense, however, Taft stayed in the game.
The Rhinos caught a break in the third, just over seven minutes in, when senior Jackson Holl, from low on the the left wall, threw a pass to the net-front without a teammate in the vicinity of the blue paint, but the puck bounced off the leg of a Salisbury defender and into the net. 2-1, Taft.
Less than four minutes later, at 10:59, Salisbury answered, tying the game at 2-2 on junior Jared Rothman's re-direction of Sam Hall's low shot from the point. Not much Guimond could've done.
The extra period was the most evenly matched of the game; Taft's 8-6 edge in shots was their first such advantage in any of the game's four frames. In his end, Guimond stifled quality attempts from Salisbury's Anthony Biakabutuka, Marcinkevicius, and Trey Deere.
The golden goal came after Alberti made a 10-bell save, darting across the crease to his left. Taft's Shane Mettler picked the loose puck up behind the net, and stuffed it into the pads of Salisbury's post-graduate goalie, causing a massive pileup at the net mouth. With Alberti sprawled on his back amidst a moshpit of eight skaters, Kenerson, moving down from the right point, suddenly had a loose puck squirting in his direction. With eyes as big as saucers, the entire upper half of the net to shoot at, and a championship at stake, Kenerson stepped into it. He didn't miss.
The Large School title game victory, Taft's first boys' hockey championship of any sort, was a long time coming for the Rhinos, who started their season with a team-building camp in August at the same place they finished it: Sullivan Arena at St. Anselm College.
This was the first thing Guimond mentioned after the game, and soaked Taft head coach Ryan Shannon reiterated it, saying, "This was a poetic finish for us, and I give all the credit to our senior captains who led us into the season with that camp. It's definitely a full-circle moment for us."
"Rudy Guimond has kept us in games all season. He's an incredible goalie, cool, reads the play incredibly well. In games in which we were outshot, like today, we always felt we could win."
"This was a tough game, though. Salisbury is an incredibly deep and disciplined team. This is the third time we played them this year and every one was a 3-2 overtime game."
***
SMALL SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP
LA Battles Back From 3-Goal Deficit;
Edges Gunn, 4-3, in OT
Owen Leahy's overtime winner, more than 10 minutes into the extra frame, capped a three-goal comeback to snatch a Small School championship from the hands of Frederick Gunn, which led 3-1 with 10 minutes remaining in regulation.
It was a fast-paced, chippy, and well-matched game, all the way to the end. Lawrence held the slight advantage in shots, 39-35 for the game.
The first period was marked by strong goaltending from Gunn senior Ryan Crowshaw and LA senior Vincent Lombardi. The former made 13 saves in the first, the latter made nine, and neither surrendered anything. Nearly five minutes into the second, with the teams skating 4x4 after matching roughing penalties, Lawrence senior Clarence Beltz buried a backdoor pass from classmate Marek Thompson. 1-0, Spartans.
Gunn, after killing its third penalty of the game, tied the game at 1-1 midway through the period when senior Alex LoGuercio tipped Luke Calabria's point shot past Lamberti at the 8:56 mark.
The Highlanders, playing in their third consecutive Small School title game, stepped on the gas at the start of the third, taking a 2-1 lead on LoGuercio's second goal of the game -- on which he took a firm tape-to-tape pass from junior Mark Pizzo, waited for LA d-man Shawn Leary to go sliding by, and buried a backhanded shot in the top right corner. Gunn senior forward Kyle Smyth added a wrap-around goal at the 8:45 mark to make it 3-1. Just like that, Gunn had a two-goal lead, all the momentum, and half a period remaining in regulation. A group of nearly 100 Lawrence students that had bussed to the game suddenly became rather quiet.
Less than a minute later, however, LA, led by its top line of juniors Leahy, Brendan Hirsch and senior Josh Erickson, inched closer, thanks to Leahy's sprawling goal amidst a logjam of bodies in the crease. Still, his team trailed by one.
With a minute and change left, just as Lawrence head coach Robbie Barker gestured for Lamberti to return to the bench for the extra attacker, Hirsch took an elbowing penalty that instead sent the Spartans to the kill. After a timeout, Barker pulled his goalie to get it back to 5x5. The Highlanders flung the puck from their zone towards the empty net on the other end, but Thompson got to it in the crease before it became a game-sealing empty-netter. He turned up ice, tore into Gunn territory and the Spartans set up there, in search of the equalizer.
It came, with 22 seconds left in regulation, when Shawn Leary, with the puck in the slot, fed Erickson, who was crashing towards the bottom of the circle. In one motion, the LA senior rolled a righty shot through Crowshaw's legs, igniting the Spartan faithful and sending the game to the extra frame.
Having scored both of their team's third-period goals, the Leahy-Hirsch-Erickson line went to work in overtime, producing several of the best chances in the additional period.
Nearly ten minutes in, Leahy took a pass from Erickson at his own blue line, quickly gained top speed, tore through the neutral zone, split two Gunn defensemen, and, with one shot, ended the game.
The win marks the first title for the Spartans since 2018, exactly five years ago, when they won the Small School title -- also in OT -- on a goal from current Northeastern forward Gunnar Fontaine in a 5-4 win over New Hampton.
Coach Barker, amidst a throng of Spartan supporters after the game, said, "The tying goal gave us great momentum, but, starting overtime, we still had over a minute on the penalty kill. After the penalty was killed, I told the kids they had six minutes to score -- and they did. It was the same speech I gave in OT exactly five years ago today. Right here. In this building."
Asked about the OT game-winner, Barker said it all started with a battle on the boards in the Lawrence end. When Leahy got the puck inside the blue line he took off through the neutral zone. "Leahy," said Barker, "has next-level speed. There wasn't much that was going to prevent him from getting through. Goalie got a piece of it and it trickled behind him."
Barker said his team really turned it on over the last month or so. "They started to buy in and come together as a group, and believe in one another and themselves."
At the other end, Gunn head coach Craig Badger said, "We had a two-goal lead in the third, and we had our opportunities. We were good at times, not at others. When we were confident we played well; when we were hesitant we didn't. We played more not to lose than to win."
Badger shook his head before adding, "It stinks to lose."
Sun. 3/5/23 -- final
NEPSAC Girls' Hockey Tournament Championships
Sunday, March 5, 2023
At The Taft School
Chuck Vernon Tournament (Elite 8)
#1 Williston vs. #2 Andover, 4:00 pm -- Williston, 4-1
1st period: No scoring
2nd period: W - Zola Pierkarski (Ava DeCoste, Emily Crovo)
W - Emily Crovo (unassisted)
W - Miranda Calderone (Ava DeCoste, Emily Crovo)
3rd period: W - Monique Lyons (unassisted)
A - Julia Simon (Deanna Buenzow)
Williston goaltender: Liv Ferebee '25
Tournament MVP: Williston forward Emily Crovo '23
A special congratulations to the Williston players and head coach Christa Talbot Syfu for an undefeated season (27-0-1). No small feat!
***
Patsy Odden Tournament (Large Schools)
#1 St. Paul's vs. #6 Taft, 1:15 pm -- St. Paul's, 2-0
1st period: SPS - Tess Mulkerron (Brennan Ricker)
2nd period: No scoring
3rd period: SPS - Brennan Ricker (Maude Niemann, Charlotte Wensley)
St. Paul's goaltender: Ally Martiniello '24
Tournament MVP: Ally Martiniello '24
***
Dorothy Howard Tournament (Small Schools)
#1 Groton vs. #3 New Hampton, 11:00 am -- New Hampton, 3-1
1st period: No scoring
2nd period: NH - Averi Curran (Kayleigh Michaud-Nolan)
3rd period: NH - Julia Pellerin (Jansen Lucas)
G - Christina Scalese (Jaclyn Trudell)
NH -- Jansen Lucas (Lucie Legro)
New Hampton goaltender: Yejin Lee '24
Tournament MVP: Julia Pellerin '23
Fri. 3/3/23 -- Updates Sat. 3/4/23
NEPSAC Girls' Hockey Tournament
* Semifinals Scoreboard *
Friday-Saturday, March 3-4, 2023
Chuck Vernon Tournament (Elite)
#5 Nobles @ #1 Williston, 2:00 pm Saturday -- Williston, 1-0 (OT)
#3 Kent @ #2 Andover, 2:00 pm Saturday -- Andover, 2-0
Sunday's Elite Championship:
#1 Williston vs. #2 Andover, 4:00 pm -- at Taft
Patsy Odden Tournament (Large Schools)
#5 BB&N @ #1 St. Paul's, 6:00 pm Friday -- St. Paul's, 1-0
#6 Taft @ #2 Westminster, 6:00 pm Friday -- Taft, 2-1
Sunday's Large School Championship:
#1 St. Paul's vs. #6 Taft, 1:15 pm -- at Taft
Dorothy Howard Tournament (Small Schools)
#4 Millbrook @ #1 Groton, 2:00 pm Saturday -- Groton, 4-0
#3 New Hampton @ #2 Cushing, 2:00 pm 12:00 pm Saturday -- New Hampton, 2-1
Sunday's Small School Championship:
#1 Groton vs. #3 New Hampton, 11:00 am -- at Taft
***
How'd They Get Here?
Wednesday's Quarterfinals Results
Elite 8
@ #1 Williston Northampton 3, #8 Loomis 2
@ #2 Andover 3, #7 Milton 1
@ #3 Kent 4, #6 Southfield 3 (OT)
#5 Nobles 2 @ #4 Tabor 1
Large Schools
#1 St. Paul's -- bye
#2 Westminster -- bye
@ #3 Taft 4, #6 Choate 1
#5 BB&N 2 @ #4 Austin Prep 1
Small Schools
#1 Groton -- bye
#2 Cushing -- bye
@ #3 New Hampton 3, #6 Portsmouth Abbey 2
@ #4 Millbrook 4, #5 Lawrence Academy 1
Sat. 2/25/23 -- updated
NEPSAC Girls' Hockey Tournament
* Quarterfinals Scoreboard *
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Chuck Vernon Tournament (Elite)
#8 Loomis @ #1 Williston Northampton, 4:00 pm -- Williston, 3-2
#7 Milton @ #2 Andover, 4:00 pm -- Andover, 3-1
#6 Southfield @ #3 Kent, 3:00 pm -- Kent, 4-3 (OT)
#5 Nobles @ #4 Tabor, 4:30 pm -- Nobles, 2-1
Semifinals Schedule, Saturday 3/4/23:
#5 Nobles @ #1 Williston, 2:00 pm
#3 Kent @ #2 Andover, 2:00 pm
Patsy Odden Tournament (Large School)
#1 St. Paul's -- bye
#2 Westminster -- bye
#6 Choate @ #3 Taft, 2:30 pm -- Taft, 4-1
#5 BB&N @ #4 Austin Prep, 6:00 pm -- BB&N, 2-1
Semifinals Schedule, Friday 3/3/23:
#5 BB&N @ #1 St. Paul's, 6:00 pm
#6 Taft @ #2 Westminster, 6:00 pm
Dorothy Howard Tournament (Small School)
#1 Groton -- bye
#2 Cushing -- bye
#6 Portsmouth Abbey @ #3 New Hampton, 4:00 pm -- New Hampton, 3-2
#5 Lawrence Academy @ #4 Millbrook -- Millbrook, 4-1
Semifinals Schedule, Saturday 3/4/23:
#4 Millbrook @ #1 Groton, 2:00 pm
#3 New Hampton @ #2 Cushing, 2:00 pm
Championship Sunday, 3/5/23 -- Hosted by Taft
Small School, 11:00 am
Large School, 1:15 pm
Elite 8, 4:00 pm
New England Prep Hockey News
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