Mar 13, 2008
Tomahawks chop down Ram icemen in double overtime
|
New Canaan High School boys’ ice hockey coach Bo Hickey doesn’t come across as the sentimental type, but when recounting his team’s performance this winter, Hickey pointed to a team dynamic which wasn’t always apparent from the outside.
“We’ve been close in past years, but this is a very close-knit group,” Hickey said. “That makes up for a lot of weaknesses and can be a difference. They worked off each other, reacted off each other and stood up for each other. It’s been a fun group to coach.”
That closeness, and the fact that the Rams were a darn good hockey team, played a big part in a turn-around season, as New Canaan went from 10-13-1 last year to 16-8 this year.
The end came after a long battle against the Glastonbury Tomahawks in the opening round of the CIAC Division I tournament last Wednesday at Trinity College in Hartford. The Rams outshot the Tomahawks 55-39, including 17-3 in overtime, but fell 2-1 in two overtimes after Tyler Bouchard netted the deciding goal.
New Canaan, the 12th seed, finished eight games over the .500 mark, while Glastonbury, the No. 5 seed, is 18-3-1 after knocking off Tri-Town 5-1 in Saturday’s quarterfinals.
As for the Rams’ final game, Hickey felt New Canaan out-skated Glastonbury, but struggled to find the back of the net.
“If you take out the two scoring plays they had, I thought we were the better team,” the coach said. “We had some problems finishing, but defensively, we played real well and the goaltending was good. It was a great game to watch.
“The first overtime was even and then the second overtime was 4-on-4 but we had a 4-3 advantage for the first 1:50 with a carry-over penalty. We had a lot of opportunities but they just wouldn’t go in.”
Each team scored in the first period, with junior Brandon Sorbara getting the Rams’ only goal with assists from junior Mark Simone and senior co-captain George Russell, to tie the game at 1-1.
From there, the teams were scoreless through regulation and a first overtime. The second overtime was 4v4 and that’s when Bouchard scored his game-winner for the Tomahawks.
The season finale was similar to last season’s for New Canaan. Both years, the Rams scored big wins in the FCIAC semifinals, lost emotional games in the conference final and were then ousted in the first round of the States just four days later.
This year, FCIAC champion Darien suffered the same fate, losing to Conard 4-3 in the first round, while Ridgefield’s, New Canaan’s semifinal victim last Wednesday, also lost by a goal, 3-2 to Tri-Town.
“Two teams (New Canaan and Darien) played three games within a week and at this time of the year, that’s a tough strain to put on a team,” Hickey said. “The conference championship and the size of the crowd that was involved was an emotional thing and it winds up that the teams involved in the finals and the semifinals are all gone in Division I.”
The Rams graduate 11 seniors this season, including co-captains George Russell and Andrew Krieger, George McGinniss and goalie Wil Goldsholl on defense. On offense, New Canaan loses co-captain Max Shaw, Fergus Campbell and Ted Finan.
“There’s 11 seniors and there are some key seniors graduating, but I think we have enough with what’s here, never mind whatever bonuses may be coming in. We were a better team this year and we played real well.”
The toughest shoes to fill will likely be on defense, which loses three-fourths of the regular rotation along with its goalkeeper.
This from a unit which played stellar hockey in 2007-08. In 24 games, New Canaan allowed more than two goals just six times and two of those games during wins. They allowed two goals nine times, one goal six times and pitched three shutouts.
“Defensively, this is one of the better efforts that we’ve gotten in my time here,” Hickey said. “Four goals was a lot for us to give up in a game and that didn’t happen a whole lot.”
Junior Andrew Stinchfield will be the top returning veteran on D, with Stuart MacKenzie and Bo McGinniss looking to be solid replacements after coming on at the end of this season.
“Defensively, we’re replacing one of the better players in the State (Russell), AK had a great year and Goldsholl might have been the most improved player I’ve seen in a number of years,” Hickey said. “Last year, he struggled a bit because he got thrown in, but this year he had worked very hard, he had the confidence and he had a real good season.”
On offense, New Canaan returns its top line of Sorbara, Simone and Frank Granito, along with up and comers Kris Nugent, Jimmy Joe Granito, Tim Robustelli and Andrew Leslie.
“Nugent’s going to be a real good high school hockey player and Jimmy Joe has come a long way this season” Hickey said. “It’s tough taking a freshman and giving him responsibilities on a varsity team, but he’s done well. Robustelli’s another really good hockey player and Andrew Leslie’s going to be a good hockey player and the big thing for them is getting physically stronger.
“And there are a couple of kids coming that can play a little bit, but I’m not as worried about what we have coming in as I was last year. We have a good nucleus of kids coming back.”
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
|
