Wildcats strike again, stop Knights
Mark Quinn (29 saves) helps keep resurgence thriving at Gardner
FITCHBURG — Since fourth grade, Mark Quinn’s winters have revolved around the Gardner High boys’ hockey team.
From his older brothers, Tim (2019) and Phil (‘21), suiting up for the Wildcats, to Quinn joining the team as an eighth grader, the co-op hockey program has been a big part of his life.
Now as a senior captain and goaltender this winter, Quinn is soaking up his last hurrah with the Wildcats while sharing the ice for the first time with his younger brother, Mikey, who is a freshman on the team.
“Showing him the ropes of how to be a good person, a good player and obviously someone who can be relied on in the future for Gardner, it’s just nice,” said Quinn, who attends Murdock High. “It’s definitely one of the big reasons for staying here for all five years.”
And on Friday night, the youngest Quinn brother watched Mark make 29 saves — while teammates Jayden Patel and Gavin Richard scored key third-period goals — to lift Gardner to a 3-1 win over Lunenburg at Wallace Civic Center.
The win improved the Wildcats to 6-1 on the season and provided another positive memory for the Quinn family with Gardner hockey.
“It’s kind of sad,” Mikey said. “The coaches know all of us (brothers). They’ve seen us all come through, and they’ve watched us all come from the bad and grow to the good and watch the team make it from the dirt to the playoffs and hopefully get our banner up on the wall.”
Gardner hockey continues to build on its rebuild
When Scott Freniere took over the Gardner High boys’ hockey program in 2018, the Wildcats hadn’t won a game since Dec. 26, 2015.
In his first year, Gardner went 0-20. The next two seasons: just a pair of wins.
With Quinn as a sophomore netminder the following year, the Wildcats won nine times and clinched a Division 4 tournament berth prior to returning to the playoffs last season because of 12 more victories.
“It’s improved every single year,” Freniere said. “It’s gotten better and better over time.”
As Gardner headed into Friday’s Coughlin Conference game with Lunenburg, the Wildcats already had accumulated five wins. Their lone loss, however, came at the blades of the Blue Knights.
Following a scoreless first period, Lunenburg junior captain Logan Martin made it look like the Blue Knights might sweep the season series with the Wildcats thanks to his power-play goal in the second period. Yet a goal from Richard — less than two minutes later — knotted the game up at 1-1 to set up an entertaining final 15 minutes.
“I thought it was an excellent high school game,” Freniere said. “The first two periods were a constant back and forth with good, clean physical play, too.”
The third period featured a shot off the post from Gardner and a nifty breakaway move from Lunenburg eighth grader Drew Short — but still no change in the 1-1 score halfway through. But with 7:25 to play, Lunenburg took a 5-minute major penalty.
“That changed the whole momentum of the game,” Freniere said.
With possession in the Blue Knights end, Richard received a pass from Patel and wristed a shot on net from the left circle. The puck bounced off the leg of teammate Drew St. Peter and found the stick of Patel, who lifted a left-handed shot into the top of the net with 6:39 left.
“Games like this, a big high school game, big moment, somebody steps up,” Freniere said. “So I’m not shocked Jayden was the one who stepped up.”
Still on the power play two minutes later, Gardner wasn’t finished as Richard collected another puck near the left circle, and this time, his right-handed wrister found the back of the net to put the
Wildcats ahead, 3-1, with 4:33 to play.
“I just ripped it top right over the goalie,” Richard said.
“You can’t take a major (penalty) halfway through the third in an even game,” said Lunenburg coach Eric Short, whose team is 7-1-1. “Hats off to them, they capitalized on the power play.”
One last save from Quinn, who has allowed just nine goals in six games so far, provided the icing in the final minutes. The entire Gardner bench then swarmed their beloved goaltender on the ice surface after the final horn sounded.
Much has changed for the Wildcats since Quinn became their goaltender. They’re happy to have him in between the pipes.
“He’s definitely got a lot to say out there on the ice,” said his younger bro, Mikey.
“He embodies everything about the program,” said Freniere, who has coached each Quinn brother. “He’s hard working, he’s detailed, he’s incredibly dedicated to the sport and improving, and he’s a great leader. Any hockey player should aspire to be like Mark.”
And what Quinn aspires to do this winter is win a few more games — including a state championship.
After all, this season has been a long time coming for the Gardner goaltender.
“Growing up watching Gardner hockey and feeling so connected and so proud of the organization and being a part of this rebuild of this team is something I’m very proud of,” Quinn said, “and I hope that for many years to come they’re going to be as good as we are now.”
Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.