Panthers strike in OT
Plymouth South snares D2 title
Plymouth South hockey coach Mike McCosh had waited years for a miracle. It finally came yesterday in the form of Alex Hayward.
The junior scored the game-winning goal 2:26 into overtime as the Panthers captured their first Division 2 state championship with an unforgettable 4-3 win over Stoneham at the Garden.
“You know the United States had their miracle in 1980,” McCosh said, “but Plymouth, Massachusetts just had ours. It’s awesome.”
With his team trailing 3-2 going into the third period, Hayward tied things up for Plymouth South (19-3-2) by burying a tip-shot just 27 seconds into the stanza.
As he skated up the left wing in the overtime session, Hayward saw his linemates jump off the ice for a shift change. But rather than dump the puck into the opposing zone to join them, he called his own number and turned on the jets.
The moment was all a blur. Being hawked by three Spartans, the junior lobbed the puck at the upper corner of the goal. When he turned around to check, the puck was sitting in the net, his teammates racing his way.
The moment capped a wild tournament ride for the Panthers, who overcame every obstacle imaginable during so.
“The whole season, this team felt very confident, no matter what the situation is,” Hayward said. “It’s unbelievable, this team, and we gelled together like crazy. And we were never down on ourselves. That’s how we kept it together.”
The Panthers also received first period goals from senior captain Joey Van Winkle and Jake Worrick.
Stoneham (18-5-2) got goals from seniors Joe Carroll and Nick Feliciano, as well as captain Jake Burridge, who put the Spartans in front with 1:49 to go in the second period.
There were many potential candidates for the game puck from McCosh. But among the postgame celebration, the coach walked into the opposing locker room, handing it to Spartans coach Paul Sacco in memory of Stoneham sophomore James “O’Malley” Luti, who passed away suddenly in November. The former teammate was honored in a pregame ceremony.
Division 1
Waltham 4, Marshfield 1 — Senior goalie Kyle Penton turned in a stellar performance by making 33 saves and the Hawks (18-5-2) had four different goal-scorers to capture their first state crown since 2002 with a victory over the Rams (15-66) at the Garden.
“It starts in goal, our defense has been solid and we’ve had different guys scoring,” said Waltham coach John Maguire. “It was a good team contribution all the way through the tournament.”
Waltham never trailed and struck midway through the first period on a goal from Chris Egan. The Hawks extended the lead to 2-0 in the second when Declan Reynolds fed Andrew Miller in front for a goal with 9:14 left in the frame.
The Hawks extended the margin just 13 seconds into the third, when Gerard Jelloe’s shot from the point was initially saved by Nevan Costello, but Reynolds put home the rebound for a 3-0 lead.
“They say 2-0 is one of the worst leads in hockey,” Jelloe said. “So I knew we had to come out and get a couple (goals) at least.”
Marshfield gave itself a glimmer of hope when Max Burum scored off a pass from James Kolar with 6:03 left, but Waltham put the comeback bid to rest when J.T. Logue recorded a tally less than three minutes later.
Penton was sharp from the start, especially in the second period when he stopped all 15 shots he faced. He stayed strong in the third, making six saves within the first five minutes of the stanza.
“It was the last season for all of us (seniors),” Penton said. “We’re never going to put on that Waltham sweater again. We knew we wanted to make it great.”
Division 3
Shrewsbury 2, Hanover 1— It took a huge hit and a poke check, but the Colonials delivered a go-ahead goal in the third period to bring home their second straight state championship.
Sophomore James Tepper scored the winner with 6:16 left in regulation to lift Shrewsbury over previously unbeaten Hanover at the Garden.
“It is unbelievable,” said Shrewsbury coach Stephen Turnblom. “Back-to-back is just so hard to do. Just getting here and against an undefeated team, we knew we had our hands full.”
It is the third state title in five seasons for the Colonials, and their second over Hanover. They also defeated the Indians 7-1 in 2014.
A huge hit for senior captain Jack Tepper freed up the puck in the Shrewsbury defensive zone. A poke check by senior captain Conall Persichino in the neutral zone was followed by a brilliant pass to James Tepper, who put on a great move in front of the net.
“There’s no better feeling than scoring a goal in front of that many people and just bringing the lead back in front of the town,” the sophomore said.
Shrewsbury (20-2-2) struck first at the 4:40 mark of the second period as junior forward Tyler Borys sniped one home off passes from senior captains Anthony Quinlivan and Liam Quinlivan. The tally came less than a minute after Shaugnessey made two stops to keep Hanover (24-1-1) off the board.
Senior Patrick Shaugnessey notched 20 saves, including eight in the final 15 minutes for the Colonials.
Hanover got its tally at the 5:26 mark of the third, as senior captain Zach Taylor scored off an assist from junior Lucas Lanagan.