Back to the state final!
By Jay Turner
Icemen win the south in shootout
An incredible sports story reached another stratosphere on Sunday when the CHS boys’ varsity hockey team shut down one of the most potent offenses in the state in Nauset to reclaim its second straight Division 2 south title and earn a return trip to the Boston Garden for a rematch with north champion Newburyport this Sunday, March 14.
Few could have dreamed up such a scenario when the season began — not after the team lost a boatload of talented seniors from its brilliant 2009 campaign. But after going 15-3-2 and finishing second in the Hock in the regular season, the Bulldogs went into the playoffs as a dangerous team and they have not looked back, knocking off the top two seeds in the bracket — archrival Franklin included — to emerge as the undisputed beasts of the south.
Even in Sunday’s 3-2 shootout thriller over top-seeded Nauset at Gallo Ice Arena in Bourne, Canton was far and away the better team, outshooting the high-flying Warriors 42-15 before handing them their first loss since falling to the Bulldogs at home 3-1 back on December 23.
Bulldogs head coach Brian Shuman said it was apparent from the start of the first period that his team had come to play, and before long they had taken total control of the game, led by defensemen Matt Buckley, Ryan Bogosian, Bobby Hayhurst, and Mike Oldenberg.
“We really shut them down in that first period,” said Shuman, adding that the Nauset goaltender helped keep the game scoreless despite a 10-2 Canton advantage in shots.
Although they continued to play well, the Bulldogs suddenly found themselves down 2-0 early in the second period, while a few “undisciplined” penalties collected later in the period limited their effectiveness on offense.
Refusing to quit, however, Canton came out in the final period and played like a team possessed. It took only three minutes to cut the deficit in half on a goal by Hockomock MVP Kevin Rooney, assisted by senior captain Frank Eckler. Then, with just 30 seconds remaining and Canton’s season on the line, freshman Pat Ward would tie the game with a one-timer off a pass from Rooney to send it into overtime.
The Bulldogs continued to outplay Nauset in OT but were unable to find the back of the net. Freshman Nick O’Connor came very close on two occasions, but both shots hit the crossbar while one came within inches of the goal line.
Nauset had a similar close call in overtime, when a puck appeared to have crossed the goal line but was actually swatted away at the last second by Hayhurst. “He pulled it back and saved the season for us,” Shuman said afterward.
In the shootout it was goaltender Jon Donaruma’s turn to shine — and he did just that, turning away four of Nauset’s five attempts while Canton was able to connect twice, including the last one by Eckler to seal the dramatic victory.
It was the perfect end to what Shuman called the team’s best overall performance of the season, and it was perhaps even sweeter because it was done in memory of #5, the late Scott Herr, a defenseman on the 2009 state runner-up team.
Now the Bulldogs will have a chance to accomplish the one feat that Herr’s squad could not: beating Newburyport for the Division 2 state championship.
Of course, the one downside of Sunday’s big sectional final win is that it will forever overshadow another spectacular performance — Canton’s 2-1 victory over Hock champion Franklin in the semis just days earlier.
It was the Bulldogs’ first win in three tries against the Panthers this season, and Shuman said it featured, as most Canton-Franklin matchups do, “great defense, few quality scoring opportunities, and exceptional goaltending.”
Canton goals were scored by senior Kyle Leavitt, who netted a pass from Bogosian halfway through the first period, and Rooney, who put home a Leavitt rebound for the go-ahead score with five minutes left in the game.
Donaruma also had an outstanding game in net, highlighted by a diving save late in the third that stopped what Shuman said was a “sure” Franklin goal.
The Bulldogs now head to the Garden on Sunday for a 1:15 showdown with Newburyport in the state title game.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=1640
Posted by Jay Turner
on Mar 11 2010. Filed under High School, Photo Gallery, Sports.
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