Woburn, MA – Gloucester HS made the trip down Route 128 for a non-league game versus the Tanners of Woburn HS. This was an intriguing matchup for us as the D2 juggernaut was moving up to play a tough D1 team in the Tanners, and we got to see quite a show at the O’Brien Rink.
The first period was full of back and forth action. Both teams were getting pucks deep and putting a lot of pressure on the opposing defenseman, trying to get a feel for each other’s game. Woburn would start the scoring, at the four and a half minute mark, when senior forward Derek Baccari walked out from the corner, beating his defensemen to the net and finished with a nice backhand goal along the ice. Gloucester thought they got it back a few minutes later when sophomore Brett Cunningham turned the Woburn net and found sophomore striker Emerson Marshall on the back door for a wide open net. Unfortunately for Gloucester the goal would get called back because the net was off its moorings. A minute later though Gloucester’s Jack Delaney would get a pass from senior stud Jack Costanzo at the bottom of the faceoff circle and snipe far side to even the game up at 1-1. Woburn would take a penalty towards the end of the period and Gloucester would take advantage. Picking up a puck off the half wall, Costanzo would make a great pass across the royal road to Cunningham who ripped a one-timer home giving Gloucester a 2-1 lead. It would be short-lived however as the next shift Woburn’s Darby Ciavardone would get a nice pass from Jackson Powers and drive the net beating the goalie far side to tie the game at 2-2 and end the period.
Thirty seconds into the second period Woburn’s Ryan Scalesse would pick off a Gloucester pass behind their own net and find Danny DeFeo uncovered at the goal mouth for the go-ahead goal. Both teams really battled hard and played more of an open offensive style in the second: looking for home run passes and stretching the ice out. Woburn’s Mikey Arsenault, on an end-to-end rush, would eventually hit Baccari at the top of the circle who finished short side for his second of the night, giving Woburn the 4-2 lead.
Gloucester wasn’t going away and showed it early in the third. A minute and a half into the period junior defenseman Derek Ellms took what looks like a harmless shot from the point, and it found the back of the net, cutting the Woburn lead to 4-3. Just one minute later Gloucester’s Costanzo would make a great individual play. He carried the puck across the top of Woburn’s zone, making a couple of players miss with some great moves and snapped a quick shot past the Woburn goalie to tie the game at 4-4. Gloucester would continue to pressure, work hard and create chances throughout the frame. Woburn would take a penalty at around the 10-minute mark giving Gloucester a chance to go ahead. Gloucester’s Marshall would walk the blue line then attack the space in the high slot with speed trying to score high blocker side but the goalie would deny it. Marshall stayed with the rebound and was rewarded for his effort as he scored short side giving Gloucester the 5-4 lead. With a minute left and the goalie pulled, Woburn was looking for that game-tying goal. A shot from the point would be blocked but Baccari would collect it and find freshman Jack McEleney in the slot for the game-tying goal.
The game would have to be be decided in a 5-minute overtime period. Gloucester would start the OT shorthanded as Costanzo took a penalty at the end of regulation. One minute into the period Woburn would end the game on a beautiful tick-tac-toe passing play. Arsenault would walk off the wall at the blue line and slide a pass across to Powers who knew exactly where he was going with the puck the whole time and found junior Derek Santullo on the back door for the game winner. A 6-5 win for Woburn was your final.
Three Stars:
1. F Derek Baccari, Woburn
2. F Jack Costanzo, Gloucester
3. F Jackson Powers, Woburn