Masco boys on a winning run
It’s rare to find a high school hockey coach who will go out on a limb and heap praise on a team before the first puck is even dropped for the season. So when Masconomet’s Andrew Jackson was brimming with confidence about his current version of the Chieftains, it was worth taking notice.
IN THE SLOT
“I’m probably the least cocky coach around,” Jackson admitted earlier this week. “I just knew we had a team of leaders, not like a huge senior class.”
Jackson’s confidence was well founded. The Chieftains are 15-1-0 overall and capped off a perfect season in the Cape Ann League with Saturday’s 5-1 road victory against Newburyport.
Oddly enough, the story of the season begins with the one loss … a 4-2 opening night setback against CAL rival Lynnfield.
“Of course we lost the first game and it was, ‘Oh no, what are we doing here,” Jackson said.
He can laugh about it now, 15 consecutive wins later, a streak topped only by Canton among boys teams throughout Massachusetts.
“Looking back it might have been good for us,” Jackson said. “I think a lot of guys might have been confident from fall season. It was a good reality check for us.”
Since then Masco has used great balance throughout the lineup, led by senior captain Andrew Gotts, who became the program’s first 100-point scorer since Greg LeColst in the late 1990s.
“He had a couple of offers, but he decided to stay,” Jackson said of Gotts, who had 19 goals and 15 assists entering the weekend. “He knew this group was special.”
Filippo Scarfo (4-17-21) is another senior captain and the leader of a defense while trailing only Gotts in overall scoring. But the play of the defense, backed by junior goalie Tucker Hanson, has been just as pivotal — allowing only 18 goals in 16 games. Juniors Zach Smith (2-11-13), Shawn Callahan and Jack Corcoran help round out the solid blue line group.
“We pride ourselves (on defense),” Jackson said. “We’ve got a good ‘D’ core … big, long, tough to get around at the net. The four of them have very good feet, so even if you get past the first wave, we can recover. And some of (the forwards) backcheck so hard, so that really helps.”
Sophomore Logan Campbell (14-5-19), junior Peyton Defeo (6-6-12) and senior captain Will Major (4-6-10) all have helped out the balanced scoring.
This season has been particularly special for Jackson, who graduated from Masco in 2001 and is in his seventh season as head coach.
“I think, ultimately, the goal every year is to wind up at the Garden,” he said. “But sometimes even hard work doesn’t get you there. Humble and hungry, that’s our team motto. Humble and hungry, and we’ll be fine.”
Change on Cape
With the end of the 2018-19 season fast approaching, a lot of focus will shift to the state’s many February vacation tournaments.
Perhaps none will be under the microscope more than the annual Buddy Ferreira Classic, which will feature six of the 17 teams currently on the Mass. State Hockey Coaches Association’s Super Eight “Watch List.”
This year’s tournament, which begins Saturday at Falmouth Ice Arena, comes with a bit of a twist. Rather than having its usual predetermined schedule, matchups for the opening-day fourgame slate weren’t finalized until Thursday, as tournament host and Clippers coach Paul Moore wanted to try to assure the best games possible for the final rounds and championship.
Using a combination of power ratings — including the Herald’s Ratings Percentage Index — and input from coaches and others, Moore seeded each of the four teams on the Catholic and public sides and matched them up in crossover form for Saturday’s games.
The tournament opens at 1 p.m. with Hingham, the top public team, taking on Arlington Catholic. Duxbury and Archbishop Williams follow (3 p.m.), then a battle of crosstown rivals with Reading and Austin Prep (5 p.m.). Falmouth will take on BC High, the top Catholic seed, at 7 p.m.
Qualified success
Qualifying for the MIAA tournament is a noteworthy goal and achievement for just about any team, but it was a particularly significant milestone for a pair of programs last weekend.
The Bishop Stang girls will be making their postseason debut, clinching a spot in their fifth season with a 2-1 victory last Saturday against Martha’s Vineyard. The Spartans, who missed qualifying by one point a season ago, took a 10-3-1 record into last night’s game against Scituate. Stang has just three seniors, including goalie Sierra Majewski (2.33 GAA).
Meanwhile, the Westwood boys extended their state-record streak of 37 seasons with a tournament berth in hand, locking it up with last weekend’s 9-2 victory against Bellingham. The Wolverines have continued their run under first-year coach Matt Sebet. …
Plenty of players have reached 100 career points this season but three stand out. Quincy’s Griffin Lynch and Ashland’s Jackson Hornung each reached the milestone despite playing their entire careers on defense. And Bristol-Plymouth senior P.J. Page, who had six assists in the Southeastern co-op’s victory Wednesday against Blue Hills, has set program records for points in a season (63) and career (167).