Woburn, MA – O’Brien Arena was the site of Saturday’s Top 10 Middlesex Liberty matchup between the 10-ranked Red and Black of Winchester High School and the second-ranked Rockets of Reading High School.
This game had a great pace from the opening drop of the puck, with both teams ready to play this afternoon. The game was back and forth with both teams generating good chances early on in the period. Winchester looked to stretch the ice on their breakouts but Reading did a good job with their gaps and neutral zone forecheck making it tough to generate clean zone entries. Reading looked to dump pucks in and play behind Winchester’s defensemen and generate fast, aggressive forechecks. The teams showed that they weren’t afraid to throw their bodies around as both sides had to keep their heads on a swivel all over the ice. Both teams played stingy defense taking away any real Grade A scoring chances in this period. But with 20 seconds left in the period, Reading turned it over and a Winchester forward had a point-blank shot on junior goalie Owen Holland…who made the save with his mask. We were scoreless after one.
The second period belonged to the Rockets. They came out of intermission like a team possessed and Winchester paid the price. Their forechecking was relentless from the start to the end of the period. They consistently got pucks behind Winchester‘s defenseman and just wore them down with their physicality and speed. Every line that came off of the Rockets bench just swarmed the Red and Black. It took a few shifts, but with three minutes left, the Rockets would finally find the back of the net. Sophomore Aidan Shaughnessy picked up a blocked shot in the slot and beat junior Macklin O’Flynn with a quick snapshot to give his team the 1-0 lead. Reading would not take their foot off the gas: applying constant pressure on the Winchester defenseman and with 1:50 left in the period they would strike again. Sophomore forward Kamden Greatorex won a puck battle at the right side of the net, finding sophomore Jack Sullivan in front of the net and Sullivan banged home the Rockets’ second of the period. The Red and Black goalie O’Flynn made some key saves down the stretch and was busy early and often in this period.
Winchester came out of the gate in the third period trying to push the pace and played in the Reading zone for the first couple of shifts but the Rockets found their legs and tilted the ice back to even. With 9:30 left, the Red and Black would go on a power play looking to get on the board. They had some good looks, but Holland was up to the task making a few key saves to keep the game 2-0. The Rockets would counter when senior captain Nate Mulvey beat the Winchester defenseman down the left side and cut in front of O’Flynn who made the initial save. The rebound bounced out and senior Liam Hansen knocked it in to give the Rockets the 3-0 lead. Reading did a great job of shutting Winchester down in the last few minutes of the period. They clogged up the neutral zone not allowing Winchester to gain any clean zone entries. The Rockets would skate away with the 3-0 win.
Three Stars:
- G Owen Holland, Reading
- F Aidan Shaughnessy, Reading
- F Jack Sullivan, Reading