Cushing Academy vs. Winchendon
11/30/18- 7:00 PM
Cushing came out on top with a 4-0 win over Winchendon Friday night, in an early season rivalry game. Both teams came out with a lot of pace, energy and physicality. The first period saw some back and forth play- Cushing controlled most of the play for the beginning and end of the period, while Winchendon was able to generate some energy during the middle frame. Cushing’s Cody Sealey (Worcester, MA) created some good chances early, including an end to end rush and jumping up into the play during some quick transitions.
In net for Winchendon, Max Caouette made several key saves during the first, flashing the glove a couple times. Cushing opened the scoring at the 7:57 mark. Nick Cafarelli (Middleton, MA) broke down the right side on a 2 on 1, cut to the middle and beat Caouette on the blocker side, a nice shot and a goal scorers goal. In net for Cushing, Joe Sharib (Natick, MA) made a big save on Winchendon’s Niklas Aropelto with 7 minutes remaining to preserve the one goal lead.
The second period saw Cushing control the momentum and take a commanding 3-0 lead. The penguins would score on the powerplay with 16:01 left in the period. Off a low and hard shot from blueliner Lukas Gustafsson (Alpharetta, GA), Jake Hewitt (Ashburnham, MA) got his stick on the puck for a nice redirection that found the back of the net. Special teams would come into play once again for the home team, but this time on the penalty kill. Jacob Banks (Westminster, MA) and Shane Zarcone (Huntington, NY) did a nice job forcing the puck up top. Banks took advantage of a loose puck, broke away with a nice burst of speed a buried one on the breakaway. Cushing controlled most of the play in the 2nd period, and never really looked back. Caouette was solid in net for Winchendon, keeping the score tight for most of the game, and finishing the night with 45 saves.
While Winchendon was pushing to gain some momentum, Cushing continued their solid play and Billy Norcross (Lynn, MA) would convert on a rebound with 14:10 left in the final frame, putting the game out of reach for the visitors. Cushing’s defensive unit did a nice job of keeping Winchendon to the outside and not allowing them to generate much offense in front of the net. Nonetheless, Sharib was solid in net, earning the shutout for their second win of the season.
“We came out playing hard and fast, and pretty much sustained that at both ends for most of the game. We made plays and our energy and battle level were high. We have a ways to go but this was a good win” said Cushing Coach Steve Jabobs.
NZ’s Take: Cushing played a smart game. Worked and kept Winchendon on the perimeter allowing Sharib to make easy saves. Quality win from the net out.
Three Stars of the Game:
1st Star: F Nick Cafarelli, Cushing 1-0-1
2nd Star: G Joe Sharib, Cushing 22 saves
3rd Star: D Brad Zona, Cushing 0-3-3