Icemen primed for long postseason run

Update: The 4th seeded CHS girls’ hockey team endured a stunning upset at the hands of 20th seeded Methuen on Wednesday, falling 7-3 at home in the first round of the Division 2 state tournament. The Bulldogs finish the season with an overall record of 16-4-1.

Playoff hockey season has officially arrived in Massachusetts, and both Canton squads are right in the thick of the action as usual, with the boys nabbing the top overall seed in the Division 2 south bracket and the girls earning the No. 4 seed in the 22-team Division 2 tournament.

Senior JC Marcone (Mike Barucci photo)

The 15-3-2 boys’ team was given a first-round bye and was due to face a familiar opponent — either No. 8 North Attleboro or No. 9 Milford — in the quarterfinal round sometime this week (date and time TBA).

The Bulldogs, who enter the tournament riding a 14-game unbeaten streak, own convincing wins over both potential opponents, including an 8-0 blowout victory over NA on January 5 and a 7-0 blanking of Milford on January 16.

Last week, the boys wrapped up the regular season with a strong showing at the inaugural Quinn Memorial Tournament, featuring four of the region’s top teams, including tournament host Coyle Cassidy (14-5-1), Hockomock rival Franklin (13-6-2), and eventual tournament champion Boston Latin (11-6-3).

The Bulldogs picked up three points in the two-day event, tying CC 2-2 (Coyle prevailed in OT for tournament purposes) and beating Franklin 3-2 for the second time this season.

Canton was led by senior captain Pat Ward, who continued his torrid scoring pace with three more goals, and senior goalie Rich Nee, who came up with several huge saves to preserve the win over the Panthers.

As for the girls, they too wrapped up the regular season facing top competition, losing to D1 powerhouse Hingham 6-3 before beating Walpole, another D2 tournament team, 4-1 in the season finale.

The girls head into the tournament with an overall record of 16-3-1, with their only other losses coming against No. 1 Duxbury and No. 2 Falmouth.

“I’m pretty comfortable with that number,” said head coach Dennis Aldrich, whose squad was due to host the winner of No. 13 Norwell and No. 20 Methuen on Wednesday.

The Bulldogs will be led by their three senior captains — Meaghan McKenna, Meghan Lennon and Bethany Kelly — as well as several talented underclassmen, including freshman goalie Lindsey Nolte and junior Jill Eckler.

Eckler, a puck-moving defenseman who Aldrich described as a “fearless competitor,” was recently named to the SEMGHL all-star team along with the three senior captains. All four players represented the south team, and Aldrich was fortunate enough to coach in the game.

With his attention now focused on the playoffs, Aldrich said he fully expects his team to be playing later this week in the quarterfinals, and he believes they have a real shot to win it all if they stay focused and play to their strengths.

The boys, meanwhile, will look to avenge their early exit in last year’s south sectional quarters, with the ultimate goal of getting back to the Boston Garden, where they last played in 2010.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Feb 28 2013. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.