Woburn, MA – In what was one of the best D2 matchups of the MIAA season, MassNZ stopped by O’Brien Rink to catch the Clash of the Titans as the undefeated #1 Billerica Indians took on the hometown #2 Woburn Tanners. Yesterday, we saw the D3 top seed Nauset maintain their perfect record and ranking, would history repeat itself this afternoon? We would soon see in one of the toughest tests either squad has faced all year.
The physicality of both teams was evident from the drop of the puck. Each team played a dump-and-chase style early and wanted to put a lot of pressure and dish out hard hits on the opposing defensemen. Woburn carried the play early on but Billerica did a good job of keeping them outside the dots and clogging up the middle but with 10:20 left in the period Woburn would get on the board first. The Billerica defenseman lost the puck on the offensive blue line, and senior captain Jack Lee picked it up and went in on a two-on-one with junior Dillon Scalesse. Lee made a great pass through the Billerica defenseman onto Scalesse’s tape and he buried it in the open corner to give the Tanners the 1-0 lead. The game was back and forth and both teams traded scoring opportunities but both goalies were up to the task, keeping it a 1-0 lead for Woburn going into the second.
The first five minutes of the second period belonged to Billerica. Their forecheck was relentless. They were pressuring Woburn’s defensemen and causing a few turnovers. Woburn was forced to ice the puck multiple times to relieve some of the pressure. With twelve minutes to go in the period their hard work would pay off and Billerica would tie the game. Senior defenseman John Burns collected the puck at the point and fired it towards the net. Senior forward James Columbus cut through the top of the crease, picked up the puck and pulled it around junior goalie Adam Gerry sliding it home. Woburn would take a tripping penalty with 11:50 to go and Billerica would go on the power play. They had some good looks but Woburn was able to get a shorthanded goal and go up 2-1. Senior captain Finn Murphy went in hard on the forecheck and he stripped the puck off the Billerica defenseman’s stick. Murphy drove the net hard and beat senior goalie Steve MacIntosh with a quick backhand shot high short side. Both teams traded power plays to finish off the period. Billerica would go on the power play first with four minutes to go in the period. They created a couple of good chances but Gerry was there to keep them off the board. Then with two minutes left, Woburn would take their turn on the power play and they would take advantage of it. Lee got the puck on the wall at the blue line, walked to the middle and put a quick shot on net. There was some traffic in front of the net and the shot beat MacIntosh giving Woburn the 3-1 lead going into the third period with all the momentum.
Woburn came out with a quicker start in the third period and extended their lead within the first minute. Just 40 seconds into the period, senior captain Jack McEleney tipped a shot from junior defenseman Matt Hughes past MacIntosh giving Woburn the 4-1 lead. Woburn took a tripping penalty with 11:50 to go in the period giving Billerica another chance to get back into the game on the power play. Woburn was disciplined and kept any Billerica chances to the perimeter, killing off the penalty and holding their three-goal advantage. The game was getting chippy and with under nine minutes to go Woburn would go on the power play once again and they would capitalize on it. Lee playing the top of the power play slid the puck to McEleney at the right elbow. McEleney found Scalesse on the doorstep and he tipped the puck past MacIntosh for his second of the game and Woburn’s fifth. Billerica worked hard right to the buzzer but the Tanners would hand the Indians their first loss of the season 5-1.
Three Stars:
- F Dillon Scalesse, Woburn
- F Jack Lee, Woburn
- F Jack McEleney, Woburn