Written by The trip over to West Side Arena didn’t take very long for the Goffstown hockey team to make, but getting through the afternoon affair seemed like it took several hours. And that didn’t even have anything to do with the pregame ceremony to recognize Merrimack’s senior players.
After a scoreless first period, Merrimack erupted for four goals in the second period and continued the onslaught with three more goals in the final period. Tomahawk goaltender, Ben Hardy was rock solid when he had to be and kept the Grizzlies off of the scoreboard, especially when the balance of the game was largely undecided.
Goffstown definitely had some really good scoring opportunities in the first half of the game, but they could not cash in. The problem was that they kept giving up odd-man rushes to the Tomahawks. When you are trying to score against one of the best goaltenders in New Hampshire high school hockey, you need to finish on your opportunities and allow next to none. That did not happen. Hardy has been named a 2nd Team All-State selection each of the last two seasons.
Goffstown allowed 7 goals in the game, yet their goaltending was pretty amazing in the game. The Grizzlies could have been down by five goals after one period if it wasn’t for James Amorelli making point blank saves all over the place. Just 16 seconds into the contest, James made a quick glove save on a shot from the slot. Dominic Carozza spun and centered a beautiful pass to Dylan Sadowski in the slot and ripped a shot inside the far post that Amorelli saved with his glove as seemed to be moving in two directions at the same time. A little over a minute later, Amorelli robbed Evan Roy on a point blank breakaway chance. While the Grizzlies were on the power play, James committed straight up larceny when he gloved a clean breakaway shorthanded shot from Eliot Medlock who was flying around the ice all day. Unfortunately for Goffstown, these chances against their goaltender kept happening throughout the entire game. This is how things are going for the Grizzlies this season. They are paying for every mistake it seems. You get a sense that their lifeline is frayed and thin at the moment, but consistent hard work can reinforce that line shift by shift.
During 4-on-4 play Jackson Burke broke free with a breakaway bid for the Grizzlies but Ben Hardy stayed patient and steady, sliding over to stop Burke’s shot after a nice move to set up the shot. The period would end up being scoreless despite the Tomahawks getting 16 shots on goal, many of which were at close range. The Grizzlies would end the period with 10 shots on goal, and also shorthanded. Grady Chretien was called for just the third minor penalty of his four-year career at 13:34 of the period. It was about as benign a hockey hit that you will see.
At the end of the power play for the Tomahawks, 31 seconds into the second period, Merrimack got one past Amorelli. Evan Roy worked the puck from the blue line over to Medlock on the right wing half wall. Medlock put a perfect pass across the ice, through a massive gap in the zone defense, and into Sadowski’s wheelhouse for a one-timer. As Amorelli had to get from one side of the crease to the other, Sadowski’s slap shot from the low circle found the net.
Merrimack took a 2-0 lead when they won a defensive zone face-off and Jason DeBeaucourt flipped a clearing attempt past Chretien and a pinching defenseman which led to an immediate 3-on-2 rush up ice. The puck landed on Carozza’s stick and he was flying up ice. Amorelli made a nice poke check save on Carozza, but the puck came right to the trailing Owen Miner who slammed the puck into the open net.
Medlock scored on a clean, shorthanded breakaway after a few Grizzlies swung and missed at an elusive puck to make it 3-0 at 13:41 of the period. Then a sloppy play at their own blue line led to another goal against the Grizzlies when Miner made a simple pass at center ice over to Brayden Guaglinmi who skated through two Goffstown defensemen and backhanded a shot into the net to make it 4-0 with 27 seconds left in the period. Through two periods, the score was 4-0, and Goffstown had been outshot 33-18.
In the third period Merrimack had 16 more shots on goal, to Goffstown’s 5. The Tomahawks scored their second power play goal when Kyle Dunn was set up perfectly by Carozza and Sadowski for the goal at 7:16. Then it was Medlock scoring an even strength goal that really captured the tone of the whole day. The Grizzlies were lackadaisical in their handling of the puck out by their defensive blueline and in a second Guaglinmi skated through the defense and took a shot that Amorelli saved and thought he had covered. The puck was loose though, to the right of the goaltender and Eliot Medlock cut in front of two Grizzlies, diving as he put the puck in the net while Goffstown was left watching him slide to the corner, the aggressor, with an apparent 6-0 lead. Somehow though, the only people in the rink that didn’t see what I just described, were the referees, and they waved off the goal. Baffling. Medlock scored a goal on a breakaway bid just a moment later, and that one counted.
Finally, with a 6 goal spread and running time Merrimack put one more in the net as they just kept skating hard, swarming the net and making hockey plays. Medlock won an offensive zone face-off and Guaglinmi grabbed the puck, sending back to the left point to Conor Dunn who fired a low hard shot on goal. Maddie Sage, now in net, made the initial save but left a rebound in front of the net. With two forwards on the doorstep against one defenseman, Medlock snapped the rebound shot past Sage for a 7-0 lead with a minute to play.
Goffstown ended up being outshot 49 to 23 on the day and limped out of West Side Arena on the short end of a 7-0 score. One phrase was in my mind at the conclusion of the game, “to the aggressors, the spoils”.
Goffstown plays next on Monday night at 8pm against Trinity at Sullivan Arena (St. A’s) as the road team.
Updated records.
Goffstown (0-6-0) at Merrimack (1-0-0)
West Side Arena, Manchester, NH
Saturday, January 30, 2021. 4:13 PM Start:
Summary:
Goals:
Goffstown: 0-0-0 = 0
Merrimack: 0-4-3 = 7
Shots:
Goffstown: 10-08-05 = 23
Merrimack: 16-17-16 = 49
Scoring:
1st Period: No scoring
2nd Merrimack at 0:31. PPG. Dylan Sadowski from Eliot Medlock and Evan Roy.
2nd Merrimack at 7:57. Even. Owen Miner from Dominic Carozza and Jason DeBeaucourt.
2nd Merrimack at 13:41. SHG. Eliot Medlock unassisted.
2nd Merrimack at 14:33. Even. Brayden Guaglinmi from Owen Miner.
3rd Merrimack at 7:16. PPG. Kyle Dunn from Dominic Carozza and Dylan Sadowski.
3rd Merrimack at 9:49. Even. Eliot Medlock unassisted.
3rd Merrimack at 9:24. Even. Eliot Medlock from Conor Dunn and Brayden Guaglinmi.
Special Teams:
Goffstown Power Play: 0 for 3.
Merrimack Power Play: 2 for 4.
Saves:
Goffstown: James Amorelli 39 of 45 (39:49)
Goffstown: Maddie Sage 3 of 4. (5:11)
Merrimack: Ben Hardy 23 of 23. (45:00)
The beginning of every article. (C) 1inawesomewonder 2017.
The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the individual contributors, mostly mine, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the schools, coaches, players, or characters listed in any of these blog posts. Or, maybe they do, but you would have to ask them directly.
Either way, “It’s a great day for hockey” ~ the late “Badger” Bob Johnson.