From the Whittemore Center, UNH, Durham, NH – Saturday, February 22, 2020

In what turned out to be, maybe, the best game of the season so far, the Grizzlies found themselves on the wrong end of a 3-2 count. Both teams played excellent hockey, especially the goaltenders. The game was tied after the first, tied after the second, and one goal in the third was the difference.

It’s amazing to me that some teams enjoy as much success as they do, especially if it’s year after year. There are so many dynamics that play into every moment on the ice on any given day or night. I could list more distractions, stumbling blocks, and opportunities for failure than anyone would care to read. I write this only because many, if not all teams go through things that would be on the list, but some teams seem to find a way to win, to succeed, to grow, better than others. I know some of the stories, or maybe just a few. I also know there are many more that I know nothing of. Then I look around a rink like I did Saturday night and see who is there, who isn’t there, who was here last year, or even earlier this year. And I wonder how is this team, or that, so good? Or at least how is it that they have the record they have? Anyway, there is something to be said for an atmosphere that allows players the room to make mistakes but also an environment in which to grow, create, and thrive. That’s what I felt in the rink Saturday night.

(Sage Photo)

I was already a little bit down on my way to the UNH campus for the Goffstown game the other night after my youngest son’s team lost a tough 1-0 tournament game just an hour earlier. As history would repeat, being at the rink and around the hockey family already makes me feel better just by proximity. Then, to watch an exciting game played by two good teams playing at a high level all night, even though the team I cheer for lost, it was hard not to feel good about the many positives displayed on the evening.

Oyster River ultimately won the game 3-2. They had two goals called off in the first period. One goal was waived off for being kicked into the net. Ok, fair enough. The second one was blown dead after James Amorelli made a great save and the puck was still near his pad, at the goal line but the ref lost sight of it and blew the play dead before the puck was driven into the net. Oyster River overcame the misfortune and kept doing what they do. They play sound, structured hockey and rarely beat themselves. That is not to say that Goffstown had no effect in the matter because they certainly did. The Bobcats relied on every layer of defense they could muster, which often meant that Claden Daubney was the last straw that just wouldn’t break. What a game.

(Sage Photo)

Oyster River scored first, at 3:13 when Alden Swiesz was set up by Andy Carlson and Declan Daubney when they turned a defensive play in their own end into a goal in a few seconds. The Grizzlies answered two minutes later when Colby Gamache scored on a backhand shot in tight. Grady Chretien and Drew O’Brien had assists on the goal. Isaac McGregor wrapped the puck behind the net and Grady Chretien wired a clearing attempt off of the glass and out to center ice. The puck bounced through center ice and off of Drew O’Brien right to Gamache. Colby did the rest, finishing with a tremendous backhand shot for the goal. For Colby, it was his 50th career goal, making him only the fifth Grizzlie player to eclipse that mark. Add Colby to the 50-career goal club with Grady Chretien (77), Dan Mercier (60), Noah Charron (60), and Sean Naughton (54). The first period would end with the score tied 1-1. The Bobcats outshot the Grizzlies 13-9, and it seemed the margin was wider than that but Goffstown did pick up their play and finish the period with a flurry.

The second period may have been the Grizzlies best middle period of the season. They played with great speed and intensity, and if it wasn’t for Daubney making one great save after another, Goffstown may have built a lead in this game. At 2:17 of the period he made a brilliant save, more like highway robbery, to keep the game at 1-1. Theo Milianes had picked off a Bobcat pass out by the blue line, made a nifty move, and fed a doorstep fed on his backhand to Jackson Burke. Burke shot from point blank range and Daubney, seemingly going two directions at the same time, got a glove on the shot. The puck got through him but slid harmlessly up against the post and was blown dead despite not being covered. The Grizzlies mounted offensive attack after offensive attack. Then, on the power play, the Grizzlies gave up a shorthanded breakaway chance but James Amorelli made a sensational left pad save on Alden Swiesz to hold the fort. At 11:57 of the period, despite all of the offensive work done, the Grizzlies fell behind 2-1. Jackson Burke  fired a low hard shot that Daubney saved and directed to the weak side and the rebound came all the way out to the left point. Colby Wright stepped in to one-time the puck back on net and fouled it off at his feet. Jack Poitras, who was skating out to challenge the shot for Oyster River, grabbed the puck and turned it into an instant 2-on-1 break with Sean Moriarty on his left. Poitras held the puck and fired a shot that beat Amorelli to the far side top corner for the goal. The Grizzlies kept coming. Then with 3 seconds left in the second period, Drew O’Brien scored from Grady Chretien and Colby Gamache in a literal storm of Grizzlies in front of the net. Goffstown had been called offside with 10 seconds left in the period and Coach Slocum ran out his top line for the face-off just outside the offensive blue line. For some reason, O’Brien took the face-off instead of Gamache and won the draw into the offensive end. The puck was lobbed into the air where Gamache knocked it down and Chretien got a quick backhand shot off that was blocked in front. O’Brien pounced on the loose puck in the slot and fired through traffic but Daubney made a brilliant left pad save. The puck came out a few feet off of the goaltender’s pad and O’Brien followed his shot, chipping the puck over Daubney and under the bar for the tying goal. The game was tied again, this time at 2-2. Goffstown outshot the Bobcats 17-9 in the period but could not pull ahead on the scoreboard.

(Sage Photo)

There was just one goal scored in the final period and it was scored by John Kell, from Corum Nichols and Declan Daubney at 3:49 of the period after the Grizzlies just missed a chance to keep the puck in at the offensive blue line. Daubney made a clearing pass to center ice off of an Eric DesRuisseaux shot that missed the net. The puck glanced off of Luc Ouellette’s stick and right to Corum Nichols. Nichols made a move at the offensive blue line to his forehand toward the left wing circle. Both Xavier Bibaud and DesRuisseaux went with the puck carrier for some reason, and left John Kell on the right wing side. Nichols slid a prefect pass across to Kell who lifted the puck over a diving Amorelli in net. They completed the pass play even though Theo Milianes was backchecking on the play but Kell had the inside position. Amorelli went down early and kind of dove forward as the puck came across, perhaps thinking that he’d be the first to the puck and stop the chance right there. It just wasn’t to be. Amorelli and Daubney continued to make saves, including a fantastic stop from Amorelli at 12:35 of the period. Goffstown called their timeout at 13:46, and pulled Amorelli for an extra attacker at 13:58. James ended up out of the net for about 40 total seconds but the Grizzlies could not score the equalizer. Both teams played a great game, and it was fun to watch two teams playing at such a level. Goffstown had 33 shots to Oyster River’s 28. Each team was assessed just one penalty in the game, just about everything in this game was even.

Goffstown dropped to 12-5 in league play with just one regular season game remaining. Goffstown will host Alvirne-Milford on Friday night at St. Anselm College for their Senior Night at 7:15 pm.

(Sage Photo)

NHIAA Hockey:

Updated records.

Goffstown (12-8-0) vs. Oyster River (12-3-1)

Whittemore Center, Durham, NH

Saturday, February 22, 2020. 7:20 PM Start:

Summary:

Goals:

Goffstown: 1-1-0 = 2

Oyster River: 1-1-1 = 3

Shots:

Goffstown: 09-17-07 = 33

Oyster River: 13-09-06 = 28

Scoring:

1st Oyster River at 3:13. Even. Alden Swiesz from Andy Carlson and Declan Daubney.

1st Goffstown at 5:13. Even. Colby Gamache (18) from Grady Chretien (12) and Drew O’Brien (15).

2nd Oyster River at 11:57. Even. Jack Poitras unassisted.

2nd Goffstown at 14:57. Even. Drew O’Brien (6) from Grady Chretien (13) and Colby Gamache (28).

3rd Oyster River at 3:49. Even. John Kell from Corum Nichols and Declan Daubney.

Special Teams:

Goffstown Power Play: 0 for 1.

Oyster River Power Play: 0 for 1.

Saves:

Goffstown: James Amorelli 25 of 28. (44:)

Oyster River: Claden Daubney 31 of 33. (45:00)

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

~ Thank you Maureen, your photos are fantastic!

Honestly these articles are so much better with your contributions.

---

The beginning of every article. (C) 1inawesomewonder 2017.