Canton icemen fall to Franklin 4-1

It seems hard to fathom considering the Bulldogs’ hot start, but after falling to undefeated Franklin 4-1 last week in what head coach Brian Shuman described as a “winnable game,” the CHS boys’ varsity hockey team suddenly finds itself in fourth place and in must-win mode heading into the halfway mark of the season.

While it is hardly time to panic just yet — the Bulldogs went into the game fresh off a convincing win over second-place Oliver Ames — Shuman said Saturday’s uncharacteristic loss should at least serve as a reminder that there is little to no margin for error in the league this season.

To their credit, the Bulldogs played well enough to win, outshooting their rivals 39-17 while dominating vast stretches of the second and third periods. The Panthers, by contrast, struggled to generate scoring chances but still made the most of their limited opportunities, scoring twice in the first to go up 2-1 and then twice more in the third to put the game out of reach.

Kevin Rooney had the only goal for the visitors — a shorthanded strike early in the first period that tied the game at one — while linemate Frank Eckler registered the team’s only assist.

In his final analysis, Shuman gave much of the credit to Franklin’s goaltender, calling him the “best we’ve faced all year,” but he stopped well short of making any excuses for the final score.

“The lesson here is that we can play well and outshoot the other team, but we still have to find a way to win,” he said.

The week wasn’t all bad, however, as the Bulldogs managed to score a decisive home win over OA on Wednesday despite trailing 1-0 after one period.

The Tigers had gone into the game with a slightly better record at 3-0-1, but the Bulldogs proved to be the better team over the final two periods, scoring four unanswered goals, including three on the power play.

The first came about midway through the second period, when Joey DiPillo found Kyle Leavitt, who fired a wrist shot past the goalie for the game-tying score. Then, with only a minute left in the period, freshman Nick O’Connor scored to make it 2-1, assisted by Rooney and Matt Buckley.

The final two goals came on the power play early in the third — Rooney to Eckler on a 5-on-3 and then Rooney unassisted on a 5-on-4 less than a minute later.

Besides making the Tigers pay for their penalties, Shuman said he was pleased that his team once again played with tremendous discipline. “We’re playing clean, but playing hard and tough at the same time,” he said.

The Bulldogs (4-1; 6-2 overall) will need every bit of that toughness over the next few weeks as they continue their Hockomock title defense, beginning with a crucial league showdown against second-place Mansfield last night. (See results next week.) The team then travels to Foxboro Saturday night to take on the Warriors, followed by games next week against North Attleboro at home on January 27 and at Stoughton on January 30.

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=911

Posted by Jay Turner on Jan 21 2010. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.