Mite B’s edged by Cape Cod in championship game

On Saturday afternoon at Aleixo Arena in Taunton, the Canton Mite B Bulldogs came within a single goal of claiming the Mite B South championship, falling to the heavily favored Cape Cod Canal Sharks 3-2.

Both teams played a hard-fought first period that ended in a scoreless tie, highlighted by some Tim Thomas-like saves by goaltender Michaela Walsh and solid defense by Olivia Maffeo, Tommy Phaneuf, Johnny Degnan, and Jeffrey Fitzpatrick.

The Sharks came out flying in the second period and took a 1-0 lead just 25 seconds into the frame. Despite the buzzing of Nate MacDonald, Thomas Stapleton, Marcus Dennison, Owen Gunning, and Kyle Wanless, the period ended with Canton trailing 1-0.

Another sluggish start put the Bulldogs down 2-0 just 14 seconds into the third period. However, only 20 seconds later, Fitzpatrick had seen enough and made a rink-long rush, scoring a goal to make it 2-1. A back-and-forth game continued until the Sharks took a commanding 3-1 lead with only four minutes left. But Canton refused to quit, and with two minutes remaining, Michael Mondillo continued his hot play in the playoffs and scored to cut the lead in half on a great individual effort.

After pulling their goalie, the Bulldogs attacked the net, with Richie Wilz, Andrew Valkanas, Owen Shea, and Mondillo landing many shots over the final minute. Unfortunately, the Sharks’ goalie came up big and the game ended in a 3-2 loss for the Bulldogs.

Despite coming up just short in the final game, it was a great season for the Mite B team, with a second-place finish and some very competitive games along the way. The kids were a real enjoyment to watch all season.

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Posted by Guest on Apr 26 2012. Filed under Sports, Youth Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.