Methuen, MA – In a battle of D3 powerhouses we made the trip over to Methuen HS to catch the Middies of Dracut/Tyngsboro who traveled to take on the Rangers of Methuen. This game was Teacher Appreciation Night at the rink and there was a nice ceremony before puck drop to commemorate. There was a palpable energy in the building even before puck drop as both teams were looking to make moves in the MVC Dual County.
In the first period, it was a frenetic energy to start. Both teams had their legs moving early but it took some time to adjust to the game pace. More passes started connecting and both teams began to create high-quality chances as we moved into the second half of the frame. Methuen was great at getting their sticks in passing lanes and pressuring puck carriers, while DT was able to quickly get the puck out of their zone and let their forwards chase it down in space. Both goalies posted goose eggs after the initial 15 which meant the second would be important to establish momentum.
In the middle frame, the action really began to pick up as Dracut/Tyngsboro started to pick up their physicality and forecheck to create more chances. Methuen weathered the storm early and broke the seal at the seven-minute mark. Senior forward Jack Allard had a clear lane to the net but recognized that fellow senior Owen Sullivan was uncovered near the dot and he would one-time it home: 1-0 Rangers. The Middies came back with a push of their own and would draw even four minutes later. Junior Mikey Desmarais slid the puck to the wing where sophomore Matt Lesniak was waiting and he clapped home a one-timer to square us up at 1-1. Just a minute later Methuen had the answer as senior defender Cody Incropera put an initial shot on net on the man advantage that was banged home by Allard: 2-1 Rangers. That looked like it would be the score heading into the room, but DT’s sophomore defenseman Nate Freelove fired one in from the point for the tying score with 13.7 seconds left. We headed to the break knotted at 2. Who would come away with the W? It is anyone’s ballgame!
In the third period, both teams played fast, aggressive hockey, looking to deliver the knockout blow and both teams were creating turnovers, looking to create odd-man situations up ice. Things remained tied until the five-minute mark when sophomore defender Adam Lambert fired one on net and it was tipped home in front by junior forward Patrick Morris: 3-2 Methuen. As was the case throughout this game, the Middies had an answer. Three minutes later, senior captain Tommy Workman lived up to his surname and put in a strong shift, shielding the puck from two defenders as he charged into the attacking zone and dishing the puck laterally to a wide-open sophomore Drew DuRoss who tied us up again at 3-3. After that, both teams really bore down defensively and there were some smart regroups and good stickwork to deny prime scoring areas. After a good deal of back-and-forth action, we were destined for 4-on-4 overtime.
In the overtime period, things were ratched up to another level: the crowd was ready to explode one way or the other and once again: both teams left everything they had out on the ice. Early on in the OT the Middies drew a penalty and went up 4-on-3 – but the Rangers battled, blocked shots and denied the middle of the ice and were able to get the kill. Shortly thereafter, it looked as though a subsequent rush might yield a winner as Workman looked to have slipped a puck past the Methuen netminder under the left pad but the referee gave the washout sign and on we went. There were additional scoring chances to come, but none as close as that one. We would wrap this game in a 3-3 tie, with both teams being so evenly matched, it seemed like a fitting ending.
Three Stars:
- F Tommy Workman, Dracut/Tyngsboro
- F Jack Allard, Methuen
- F Patrick Morris, Methuen