Broncos fall in state semis
Hendricken control game to secure 4-0 road victory
BURRILLVILLE — When you’re the underdog, you have to take advantage of every opportunity because you don’t know when you’re going to get another chance.
The No. 3 Burrillville hockey team found that out the hard way Saturday night in Game 2 of the state semifinals against No. 2 Hendricken. The Broncos had their shot to take down the Hawks in Game 1 Friday night, but missed opportunities in the second period proved to be their undoing in a road loss.
Saturday night, the Hawks didn’t give the Broncos a chance. Thanks to a ruthless forecheck that didn’t give Burrillville’s talented defensive trio of Ben Andersen, Jake Leclerc and Mitch Farrell time to breath, and some individual brilliance, the Hawks booked their place in next week’s state final with a commanding 4-0 victory at Levy Rink.
“There’s no question that they’re the better team and they just played great tonight,” Burrillville coach David Farrell said. “They played very well and we just couldn’t stop them like we did on Friday. I thought we played pretty well – as well as we could’ve played – but their speed and their skill were too much. They found another level from the previous two games we played against them.”
Burrillville (5-5-2) received a strong performance in goal for the second straight night from Lucas Hundley, who was peppered with 20 shots in a second period where two of the three Broncos’ attempts on Drew Carr came from their own end of the ice. Burrillville’s best chance to score was on an Andersen shot from the left circle just a minute into the third period that was saved by Carr, who needed to make just 11 saves in the shutout.
Saturday’s defeat ends another successful season for the Broncos, who were the only public school to reach the state semifinals for the second straight season. At some point, though, Burrillville knows it needs to find a way past one of the three parochial powerhouses and play for a state title.
“When the sting wears off from this we can reflect on this season being a success and getting back to the semifinals,” Farrell said.
“That doesn’t make you feel any better right now. A lot people would like to see us break through – none more so than this group in the locker room. Again, it’s hard because they have more kids and more depth. They’re destination programs and so are we for the kids who grow up in town.”
Bishop Hendricken (9-21) returns to the state final after being swept by Mount St. Charles in last season’s state semifinals. The Hawks will play Game 1 of the state titles series Friday night either at Adelard Arena against the No. 1 Mounties or they will host No. 4 La Salle Academy at Thayer Ice Arena.
The Hawks, who scored two goals in the third period Friday night to take the series lead, jumped all over the Broncos in the first period and, for the third time this season, grabbed a 1-0 lead early in the game on a Matt Moretti finish. Even though the Hawks continued to dominate territory and possession, the game remained 1-0 late into the second period.
And then Hendricken freshman Noah Mertz scored one of the best goals of the season when she skated from inside his own zone all the way to the other end of the ice before depositing a shot past Hundley from the left circle.
“Even when it was 2-nothing, in between periods we told the kids the truth,” Farrell said. “We said that was as good as Hendricken has played against us for two periods and we’re still down just two goals. We just needed to get one and the way our guys came out in the third period, they came out flying. I wish they came out like that [Friday] night. I couldn’t be prouder of the kids’ effort tonight from the goalie to the forwards.”
The Broncos had their best period of play to start the third, but Carr made a couple of solid saves and the Hawks eventually regained control of the play. Hendricken added an insurance goal on a shot by junior defenseman Ryan Staples at 9:38 and sophomore all-division forward Owen Leahy ripped a shot from the right circle past Hundley for a power-play goal with 52 seconds left in regulation.