Marlboro, MA – In the second game of our weekend double dip, MassNZ made the trip over to New England Sports Center to watch the Hillers of Hopkinton take on the Wolverines of Westwood in a top-shelf D2 matchup (20th-ranked vs 7th-ranked according to the MIAA Power Rankings). In the pregame, there was a special ceremony as senior captain Cory DeCosta got on the mic and thanked the fans for their attendance and donations as part of this Hockey Fights Cancer game and many of the players wore blue ribbons and/or blue tape on their sticks. Former Hopkinton girls hockey player Keelan Boyle got on the mic next to explain how this tradition started with the Hopkinton girls team a decade ago and this was the first year the boys joined in on the cause. Proceeds from today’s game all go to Hockey Fights Cancer and we recommend all readers to take a moment and consider a donation as well. After the starting lineups and anthems ran their course – it was time for some hockey.
In the first period, Westwood took control early and held control for the balance of the frame. There was a great deal of back-and-forth action with the teams trading chances but the Wolverines had far more puck possession in the opening 15. The message on the Hiller bench was clear that the pace had to quicken and as the period progressed, Hopkinton began to create more Grade A chances. The period went scoreless for the first 5 minutes but at the 6:42 mark Westwood would break through. What initially looked like a harmless point shot by sophomore Caleb Fengler deflected off a Hopkinton defender’s leg and caromed into the net: 1-0 Westwood. Hopkinton would make a push late on the frame but were unable to match that score and 1-0 is how both teams went to the room.
In the second period, it was a continuation of the first as Westwood once again owned the majority of the possession. Hopkinton picked up the physicality from the jump and that led to a couple of the Hillers’ best scoring chances around the net. Westwood was focused on playing keep away but they moved the puck well from the back end and that led to lots of good looks in transition. Both goaltenders were the team’s best defenders in this period as junior Colton Spavento for Hopkinton and senior Sean Joyce for Westwood kicked out every shot they saw and you could see both of them started to feel more confident and owned their respective creases. Both teams were trading chances, but neither found the back of the net, onto the third period we went.
In the final frame, both teams made a strong push to take control of the game and both goalies once again stood tall. Spavento made a critical glove save on the rush and Joyce made a toe save on a second chance to keep this a 1-0 game. Both teams once again traded chances on nearly every change of possession but the defenses were stout, and nothing was getting through. Westwood had the slight edge in terms of possession and as this period progressed, they put the hammer down. This was exemplified by junior Matt Donovan who took a big hit at center ice and was evaluated on the bench for a shift before returning to the ice and making a couple of critical plays late to help seal the dub for his team. He was not quite as physical the way he had earlier in the game, but he was still getting into lanes to block shots and made two big plays in the final minute to shut down Grade A looks for Hopkinton. The Hillers had called their timeout with 2:20 left in the frame, but Donovan’s hard work in the house kept them off the board. The buzzer would sound and the whole team would dogpile Joyce as this clinched the 43rd consecutive season of the Wolverines clinching a spot in the State Tournament. Not only is this a state record, but it’s a legacy for the school as both fathers and sons have contributed over the years. Our final was 1-0 Westwood.
Three Stars:
- G Sean Joyce, Westwood
- D Caleb Fengler, Westwood
- G Colton Spavento, Hopkinton