Icemen eliminated in D2 south sectional semis

It was shaping up to be their year, but in a goaltenders’ duel against their Davenport Division rivals last week, the top-seeded CHS boys’ ice hockey team came up just short, falling 2-0 to No. 4 Oliver Ames in the Division 2 south sectional semifinals.

Senior captain Pat Ward (Mike Barucci photo)

For the Bulldogs, Wednesday’s loss marked the end of an otherwise impressive season — one in which they finished with a perfect league record and an outstanding overall mark of 16-4-2. The Tigers, meanwhile, improved to 17-4-2 and advanced to the sectional final, where they were due to face Franklin on March 12.

Despite the difference in seeding, the battle between Canton and OA was about as even of a matchup as one could expect to see, pitting two teams that had split their regular season meetings by the combined score of 3-2.

“As is the case when these two teams have met in the past, it was a very even hockey game that came down to a few key plays that made the difference,” noted CHS head coach Brian Shuman.

Of the Tigers’ two goals, one was an empty netter late in the third period, while the other came on an OA power play in the second that Canton goalie Rich Nee had no chance of stopping.

Both goalies turned in “spectacular” performances, according to Shuman, with Nee playing “perhaps the game of his career” and OA’s Jimmy Tierney reaffirming his status as one of the best netminders in the region.

Shuman said Tierney, who’s only a sophomore, turned aside “shot after shot” and frustrated the Canton offense en route to his second shutout of the season against the Bulldogs. To put that feat in perspective, only one other team — Franklin — had shut down the Canton offense, which led the league in scoring behind the dynamic duo of junior Brian Brooks (20 goals) and senior captain Pat Ward (17 goals).

Despite last Wednesday’s painful defeat, Shuman said this year’s group was a “special team” and one that he will always remember fondly.

“I know they are disappointed with how it ended, but they should be proud of their accomplishments,” he said. “From the ‘Pink out the Rink’ [cancer awareness event] to an undefeated regular-season Hockomock League record, these young men created wonderful memories for themselves, their coaches, and their families that will last a lifetime.”

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Posted by Jay Turner on Mar 14 2013. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.