Masked man saves Devils

SCHOOLS

Paul Barbieri made sure the Burlington boys hockey team would secure a state tournament berth with his work between the pipes in last night’s Middlesex League showdown with host Reading, a game the Red Devils won, 4-1. Barbieri made 31 saves, including 14 in the first period.

“We play with a lot of confidence because he’s back there,” Red Devils coach Bob Conceison said. “In the first period, they could have had three or four goals. I thought Paul was tremendous in the first period.”

Joe Barbieri and Ryan O’Halloran gave Burlington (11-2-0) an early 2-0 lead with goals 1:51 apart, but Reading (7-3-0) kept coming and made it a 2-1 game before the first period was out, as Michael Tobin was the lone Rocket to solve Paul Barbieri.

Christian Hartling redirected a Connor Quinlan slapper in the second period to re-established the two-goal advantage, and Frankie Bonanno added an empty-netter in the game’s final minute.

In the MVC/DCL III, Dennis Marshall made 34 saves and Cambridge (10-4) clinched a spot in the state tournament with a 4-1 win against Newton South.

Tim Doyle netted a hat trick to power Marshfield (7-2-4) past Nauset, 3-2, in the Atlantic Coast League.

Girls hockey

Georgie Santullo had two goals and two assists and Bob MacCurtain became the first girls coach in the state to 300 career wins when Woburn (12-0-1) beat Stoneham, 5-1. MacCurtain has coached all 18 seasons in program history.

In the Northeastern Conference, Sami Kelleher recorded a pair of goals as Masconomet (9-2-1) held off Peabody, 3-2.

Westwood (9-6) beat Franklin, 3-1, in a nonleaguer, on two Ashley Nolte goals.

Boys basketball

Rivaldo Soares scored 25 points to eclipse the milestone of 1,000 for his career, and O’Bryant (10-2) upended East Boston, 68-56, in the Boston City League.

In nonleague action, Devin Foster and Tony Harris combined for 39 points as Canton (10-2) defeated Boston Latin, 60-46.

Girls basketball

Vernica Burton stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, 13 rebounds, seven steals and four blocks as Newton South (12-0) beat nonleague foe Hopkinton, 42-32.

Ariel Carter and Jamillia Ross totaled 36 points as Blue Hills (10-0) scored a 58-31 victory against Southeastern in the Mayflower League.