Ashburnham, MA – St. Sebastian’s travels north to Ashburnham to play a good Cushing Academy team.
Cushing was able to stave off a late St. Sebastian’s push to earn an important win.
The first period was scoreless as both teams traded quality scoring chances to go into
the first intermission 0-0. However, late in the period, the teams took matching penalties
that would finish the first period and start the second at 4 on 4 hockey.
St. Sebastian’s would strike first on this 4 on 4 opportunity when Jameson Needham
found Noah Meyers to give St. Seb’s the 1-0 lead just 1:19 into the second frame.
Chase Warsofsky would knot the game up at 1-1 off a fantastic two-on-two rush with
Sebastian Mogull. Warsofksy took the middle of the ice and made a drop pass to Mogull, who delayed for just enough time for Warsofksy to get back open, receive the pass back, and beat Seb’s netminder Tommy Saulnier short side high. Cushing would strike again
less than three minutes later, when Mogull would find the back of the net off a loose
puck in front to give Cushing the 2-1 lead. Not to be outdone, Seb’s would answer off a
broken rush play where Charlie Delay would get the goal and Needham notching his
second assist of the game. The teams would head into the second intermission 2-2.
Cushing would notch an early goal in the third period, just 1:17 in when Axel Favreau
broke through the coverage on a faceoff play. Ben Marcolini snapped it back to Blake
Cash, who fired it on net and allowed Favreau to deflect it in to put Cushing up 3-2.
St. Sebastian’s took a few penalties in a row to put Cushing on a 5-on-3 power play.
Daniel Porter and Needham were utilized as forwards for the penalty kill,
where both had crucial shot blocks. However, Cushing would create the first two-goal
lead of the game when Mogull displayed great time and patience as the two-man
advantage expired where he found Jeffrey Swartz at the net front. Down two late in the
game, St. Sebastian’s made their push, and Gavin Wainwright was able to fire a shot
through traffic after great puck movement up top on the 6 on 5 from Sam Fishbone and
John Queally.
The game would end in dramatic fashion with some big stops down the stretch from
Cushing netminder Mason Raycroft. The game ended at 4-3, but credit to both teams for
battling in one of the best games we have seen this year.
Three Stars
First – Sebastian Mogull (Cushing)
Second – Jameson Needham (St. Sebastian’s)
Third – Mason Raycroft (Cushing)
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images