Marlboro, MA – Here we are MIAA hockey fans, back once again for another season of Mass HS hockey coverage and we are kicking things off exactly the same way we did last year as the Lincoln-Sudbury Warriors face off against the Canton Bulldogs. Last year’s opener took place at the Ponky in Canton and this year locations have flipped as we are at New England Sports Center for the opener. The Bulldogs are kicking off their title defense after winning a D2 title last season and Lincoln-Sudbury is looking to get their season off on the right foot. 45 minutes of gameplay would decide who would come out on the right side of the ledger.
It was a raucous home crowd for Lincoln-Sudbury who got us started this afternoon bringing the noise and bringing the chirps. Both teams delivered hard body blows and you could tell it was a cathartic opening few minutes while they got some frustrations out. There is no love lost in this series as each game is a tight contest and this one would be no different. The opening 10 minutes were all back-and-forth, fast-paced action with both teams creating chances but Canton had the higher quality looks. They rang the post early and later converted on the game’s first tally. On the power play a nice slip pass below the right dot by senior Pat Drury to senior linemate Colin Blake was deposited short side to make it 1-0 Bulldogs. The score would remain that way through the balance of the period as the hitting intensified. We knew we were in for a battle.
In the second period, Canton got off to a quick start and instantly doubled their lead. Off a sweet pass from junior Travis Thomas it was Brendan Tourgee who buried it to make it 2-0 Bulldogs. As the period wore on Canton began to really take control and it showed in the time of possession as well as the scoreboard. Five minutes after their second tally they added a third as sophomore defender Teddy Shuman fired one from the point on the power play through a couple of bodies to make it 3-0 Bulldogs. That’s where we stood after two periods of play – the Warriors were seeking some major getback in the third.
As the final period opened, we did see a push from Lincoln-Sudbury – drawing penalties, winning races to loose pucks and creating good chances at the net front. Unfortunately, they were unable to bury when they had a couple of loose rebounds in the crease and that would bolster Canton as they slowly turned the tide back their way. With just under 11 minutes elapsed, it was Tourgee again who put this one away after an end-to-end rush on the power play ended with a short side wrister to make it 4-0 Bulldogs. They would pad their lead exactly three minutes later with the game’s final tally as Thomas found space below the goal line and set up senior forward Brian Middleton in the low slot to make it 5-0. That would be our final score in a dominant performance for Canton.
Three Stars
1. G Connor Geoghan, Canton
2. F Brendan Tourgee, Canton
3. F Travis Thomas, Canton