From Skate 3, Tyngsborough, MA – January 18, 2020

After a week off from game play, the Goffstown Grizzlies returned to the ice to play the Admirals of Alvirne-Milford (AM). The Admirals came into the game with a record of 2-4 while Goffstown was 7-2. In the end, the Grizzlies managed a 7-3 win on the road.

This game was a lot more than a 7-3 affair though. For one, this was a 4-3 game in the third period. Second, Madeline Sage may not be wrapped in the largest of packages but she was immense in this victory. Third, Colby Gamache and Grady Chretien are pretty good hockey players, and they had a day. Fourth, Goffstown hockey history again was made and I will tell you all about it.

(Sage Photo)

Actually, before I go into this, I had to huddle with myself several times to discuss what I saw. I changed my mind numerous times, and even changed it back. Anyways, the Grizzlies came out on their first shift and held the puck in the offensive zone for what seemed like the first two minutes of the game. They didn’t get any shots on goal, but they held the puck for quite awhile. Arguably, it was Goffstown’s best ‘first shift’ of any game this season. Then, on their first shot of the game, the white hot, Grady Chretien hit the top corner with a shot from the high slot to get Goffstown on the board. Xavier Bibaud had the lead assist on the goal when he kept the puck in at the left point and worked it over to Chretien. Drew O’Brien had worked the puck through the left-wing corner and up the half wall to Colby Gamache who kicked and sticked (new word) the puck to Bibaud. The goal came at 2:24 of the opening period. Really, the first period was just a lot of shots on goal with not a whole lot of defense being played. Well, at least, not a lot of shut down, in your face, challenge every shot kind of defense anyway. Despite that, Maddie Sage was spot on.

(Sage Photo)

At 3:00 of the period, Sage made a great right pad save on an Admiral breakaway opportunity. Alvirne-Milford scored at 5:12 of the period when Hayden Ricard scored from Corey Girouard to tie the game at, 1-1. When the game started, pretty much everyone who counts themselves a part of G-Town Nation knew that Colby Gamache was only a couple of points (exactly three points) away from 100 points in his career. At 8:11 of the period, that became only 2 points away when Chretien struck again, this time set up by Gamache directly off of a face-off win. Then at 9:34 of the period, on the power play, Gamache scored from Theo Milianes and Grady Chretien. Milianes made a nice catch and release of the puck while spinning to get it back to Chretien at the left point. Grady then found Gamache in the right circle, wide open, for his power-play goal. The period would end with Goffstown holding a 3-1 lead. You might think, well this is going to be a runaway, but that was not the case. AM just wouldn’t go away, to their credit. Shots were tallied at 14-13 in favor of the Admirals.

The first half of the second period was littered with penalties, both real and imagined, or even missed. Goffstown would end up winning the shots battle, 10-5, but the period was dysfunctional as a result of the penalties. Both teams scored one goal apiece in the period, and they came just 11 seconds apart. Goffstown struck first, at 9:07, when Colby Gamache scored his 100th career point on a power play goal. Gamache’s historic achievement was set up by Theo Milianes and Brennan Pierce. Pierce made a pass out of his own end that deflected and landed on Milianes’ stick through center ice. Theo gained the blue line and made a dish to Gamache on his right and Colby buried the shot. Teammates celebrated with much exuberance and the Goffstown faithful cheered along with the Grizzlies. While the feeling was still very much alive, the Admirals scored to cut into the Goffstown lead. Zach Greer scored the goal on assists from Chris Bedard and Anthony DeRosa. There would be another penalty called, but that was about it.

(Sage Photo)

After two periods, Goffstown led 4-2, and Gamache was the newest member of the Goffstown 100-point club, joining Griffin Cook 122, Sebastian Beal 114, Noah Charron 110, and Dan Mercier 109.

Even though history was being made, we had a 4-2 game starting the third period. Alvirne-Milford was still very much alive and kicking in this game. Then at 3:18 of the period Zach Sabetti scored on a shot that hit Sean Hunter’s stick and bounced on the way to the net, and hopped past Sage in net. The goal was assisted by Anthony DeRosa who centered a pass from behind the net and made the score, 4-3 in favor of the visitors. What was even more unsettling about the goal was the fact that the Grizzlies couldn’t clear the puck. That, and Sage had already made a pair of saves just before the goal was scored. Less than two minutes later Jackson Burke made a pass off of the half wall to start the breakout. The only problem was that the pass landed right on the stick of Kevin Sullivan for the Admirals. Sullivan got a quick shot away, but Maddie Sage was equal to the task, making the save. At 6:05 of the period I put an asterisk in my note pad for this Grizzlies goal. I love when players make good hockey plays in succession that lead to goals, usually covering the length of the ice. So, Isaac McGregor works the puck from behind his own net to Xavier Bibaud in the corner. The puck got through Bibaud to Jackson Burke on the half wall who took a hit to allow Bibaud to continue up the ice with the puck. Bibaud then flipped a pass to center ice that eluded Grady Chretien for a moment while Burke changed and Drew O’Brien came onto the ice. There was a race to the puck from center ice to the left-wing corner. Chretien turned on the jets and won the race to the puck. Planning ahead, he fired a pass to the front of the net as soon as he reached the puck to where Gamache pushed the puck past King into the net. It was a great goal that came from two players going full speed to attempt making something out of nothing.

(Sage Photo)

Just over a minute later the Admirals were awarded a penalty shot when Jackson Burke was called for picking up the puck in the crease after yet another Sage save. It was close but the whistle had been blown emphatically just before Burke reached for the puck. Matt Ryan took the penalty shot and skated in on Sage with good speed before ripping a shot off of the post. Goffstown and AM exchanged minor penalties over the next few minutes. Then at 11:56 of the period Gamache scored his fourth consecutive goal on assists from Eric DesRuisseaux and Jackson Burke. On the power play, Burke made a nice pass to DesRuisseaux who was wide open and Eric made a quick move then shot the puck as Luke Ouellette swiped at the puck and missed and the puck hit off of Brayden King’s right pad. The rebound came right to Gamache who put the puck in the net. A minute later, Gamache sent Chretien in on a shorthanded break with a pass that hit an Admiral stick and Grady did the rest, beating the defenseman and scoring his third goal of the night. Goffstown led 7-3, and that’s how the game would end. The final shots favored Goffstown 36-34 for the game. Both goaltenders played well in this game. Sage was brilliant with 31 saves on 34 shots. Brayden King may have allowed 7 seven goals on the night, but he did make some very good saves along the way.

Goffstown improved to 8-2 in the season standings and they don’t play again until next month when they go to Rochester for a game against Spaulding on February 1st. Here are the standings in DII through the weekend.

Standings: Boys Ice Hockey Division II

NOTE: The following are not official NHIAA standings. They are only the accumulation of game results as reported by the athletic directors and coaches.

Click here to view the schedules for all of the teams below.

Sage Page

NHIAA Hockey:

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