Red Devils heading to Super 8
Jay scores with 2:21 left to lift Burlington
STONEHAM — The Red Devils are back in the MIAA Division 1A Tournament for the third time in the last five years, as a late goal by junior Jack Jay propelled No. 7 Burlington to a 3-2 victory over No. 10 Hingham, in a Super Eight play-in contest yesterday at Stoneham Arena.
Tied at 2-2 late in the third period, junior captain Ryan O’Halloran won a face-off at the left dot through the legs of Hingham center Tim Carroll, stepping around him before ripping a pass across the crease for Jay, who tipped it home with 2:21 remaining, giving Burlington its first lead of the night.
“We’ve been in a lot of these games all year, we’re used to playing in the close games down the stretch and that really helps,” said Burlington head coach Bob Conceison. “That was just an awesome play… We switched it up and put Jay out on the line there, the puck squirted to where he was and he buried it.”
Trailing 2-1 in the second period, the Red Devils (154-4) evened the score when senior John Condon pounced on a Hingham turnover at the blue line, cut into the right circle and fed a backhand pass across the slot to fellow senior Cam Costa, who promptly fired home the one-timer for his second of the evening with 8:01 remaining.
Said Condon: “I was going to shoot, the defense kind of closed on me and I threw it over to him and he finished.”
Junior goalie Joe Trabucco came up huge after surrendering two goals on 10 shots in the first, shutting the door in the final two frames, stopping 18 over the final two periods, including 11 in the third.
“I think in the third period they took it to us and Trabucco was great,” Conceison said. “He was a little bit upset about his first period… I thought he really shined in the last two periods.”
Hingham (12-8-3) opened the scoring 2:23 into the game as junior defenseman Ronan Mulkerrin put a low wrister toward the net that bounced in off the skate of senior Grady Harrington.
The Red Devils evened at 8:28, when O’Halloran (two assists) drew two defenders at the left hash before feeding Costa a pass for a onetimer at the right post.
“Costa is a goal-scorer and a really good offensive player,” Conceison said. “He had a really good heavy game for us tonight
The Harbormen reclaimed the lead on the power play with 1:22 left in the first, as Terrance Concannon deposited a loose puck at the left post, to make it 2-1.
Burlington earns the seven-seed in the Super Eight tournament, and will take on No. 2 BC High in round one while Hingham will be placed in the Div. 1 South tournament.