Lawrence Academy Survives NMH Upset Bid
Groton, MA– In front of a packed Grant Arena on the campus of Lawrence Academy Providence College commit Riley Duran (Woburn, MA) scored 4:26 into overtime to beat Northfield Mount Hermon 2-1. The first period was all NMH, but saw Lawrence Academy strike first as David Sacco (Middleton, MA) beat NMH goalie, Connor Hasley (North Tonawanda, NY) in transition to take a 1-0 lead just 1:51 into the game. The goal came after Lawrence Academy goalie, Brandon Milberg (Thornhill, ON) made a big save. The Hoggers outshot the Spartans 16-4 in the first frame. Both goalies made some key saves in the period to keep the game tight early.
The second and third periods were more of a chess match as both teams buckled down defensively and caused quite a few Fturnovers in the neutral zone. Lawrence Academy had an odd man rush early in the second period, but Hasley made a great post to post save. Hasley made some nice saves for the Hoggers in penalty kill situations including a one timer from Lawrence Academy defenseman Drew Bavaro (Bradenton, FL).
It was more of the same in the third period as both teams traded chances. Northfield Mount Hermon’s best chance was off a turnover with just under nine minutes remaining in regulation as the puck was left right in front of the Spartans net, but Milberg made a fantastic stop. With just over four minutes remaining in regulation, Northfield Mount Hermon had an offensive zone faceoff to the right of the Lawrence Academy net. Hoggers forward, Devin Tongue (Hampden, MA) walked the Spartans center off the faceoff and threw the puck to the middle of the ice where it found its way to defenseman Michael Kennedy (Holyoke, MA) who snapped it over Milberg’s glove to tie the game 1-1.
Northfield Mount Hermon was on the attack early in overtime as a Hogger walked in all alone through the slot, but Milberg made a timely kick save just twenty seconds into overtime. Sam Colangelo (Stoneham, MA) picked up a puck in the neutral zone and came down his off side and drew a hooking penalty on the Hoggers’ defenseman with 15:08 remaining in overtime. The Spartans would cash in a minute and half later as Riley Duran found himself with the puck below the goal line and drove to the front of the net where he banged home the game winning goal through Hasley’s five hole. Lawrence Academy moves on to play Kimball Union in the Elite 8 semifinals on Saturday.
Three Stars
1st Star: Brandon Milberg, Lawrence Academy
2nd Star: Riley Duran, Lawrence Academy
3rd Star: Connor Hasley, Northfield Mount Hermon
NZ’s Take: Northfield Mount Hermon controlled much of the game. The Hoggers brought a physical presence which disrupted the Spartans flow throughout the evening. Both teams had a couple of power plays, but overall the officiating was very good and let the players decide the outcome. Both goaltenders were excellent in this one; Brandon Milberg made thirty-three saves in the win while Connor Hasley stopped thirty-three on the other end for the Hoggers. Lawrence did use its depth to the its advantage as the Hoggers seemed a bit worn out, but did find a burst late in the third period. Riley Duran came alive in the second half of the game as he had scoring opportunities (including the game winner) and was very effective below the dots. David Sacco played very hard for the Spartans bringing an edge to every shift. Jack Quinn (Lancaster, MA) and Devin Tongue were dominant for Northfield Mount Hermon tonight. Both had quite a few scoring chances, showed quite a bit of strength, and made simple plays. Great season for the Hoggers! Good Luck to the Spartans on Saturday!
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images