Written by With a mix of snow and rain falling from the February sky on a Nashua ice arena parking lot players from opposing schools gathered with their teams out in the weather. There was not a school bus anywhere in sight. High school student drivers got out of their vehicles and unloaded their gear not unlike middle aged men and women showing up for another day of work. The word drudgery came to my mind.
It struck me like a blow to the head, that this isn’t how high school student athlete life is supposed to go. I am sure it’s nice to arrive in your own ride but then again, the onus, all of it, is on the kid. That is not a weight that is supposed to fall completely on their shoulders, at least not yet. They should be able to sit back on the team bus, relaxed among friends and teammates, not worried about weather, traffic, or directions. Show up as a team, leave together as a team, win or lose. Let the adults shoulder the load of the comings and goings so that the student athletes can be free to be young, unencumbered, living out the days of their lives.
Not now though, they still had to line up and go through the arena doors where they had to scan in to the building like they were punching the clock at work. As if somehow personal humanness is only recognized if one is equipped with some inanimate smart device attached to our otherwise incapable hands. In a world, full of cubicles and partitions they were assigned their space, the corner of the rink, out in the open at the end of the ice rink. It wasn’t any better for the home team either. This is not kids just being allowed to be kids. There will be way too many more years in the future to not be kids. There is no need whatsoever to speed up these fleeting years. The scenes make my heart hurt as I watch innocence and the true joy of partial responsibility being stripped away layer by layer thanks to the quite bridled thought process of those who were also, just innocent kids once.
Once the players got finished getting ready in view of the very limited number of people even allowed into the building, and the zamboni cruised past the dressing areas for a half dozen minutes it was time to take to the ice. Music blared during the pre-game warm-up and the players weaved and skated and shot on their goalies like a normal day at the rink.
Sage robs Dodge on a scoring bid just after the opening face-off. (Pic from Hudl video)
The teams lined up on their respective goallines while the starting lines were announced over the loudspeaker. All was close to the procedure you would expect after decades of attending games from high school on up. Then as two dozen parents occupying the bleachers, that hold 1,000+ people, stood and players started removing their helmets from where they stood spaced evenly out on the ice, an announcement was made over the same speaker that had just been rocking the house with a 10-minute concert of sorts during warm-up. Something to the effect of this: To the ensure the health and safety of the players we will forego the playing of our National Anthem. I immediately got a little bit sick to my stomach, while shaking my head. I have no problem with Metallica but I wondered if Roger Goodell was in the house. I guess they were supposed to listen to the anthem while huddled in the corner cubicle. Either way, it was time for some hockey.
The game turned out to be quite the intense contest with tremendous goaltending, an overtime winner, a celly that only kids could appreciate, and a 3-2 win for the home team. But back in the beginning, it only took a few seconds of game time before all the time spent to get warmed up was tested at full speed, and point blank. Maddie Sage made a great save against the day’s hero to be, Will Dodge, as he walked in all alone on a tremendous scoring chance. Maddie would make many saves on the day, including another brilliant save with her left pad half way through the period on a shot from the slot by Cam Dykstra.
DesRuisseaux rings a shot off of the post for the Grizzlies. (pic from Hudl video)
The consortium of Nashua North – Souhegan, known in some circles as ‘Norhegan’ (I won’t use that again, I will go with NNS, or with Saber-Titans, which were thought to be extinct) got on the board first, at 7:54 of the opening period. It was a bit of some bad puck luck for the Grizzlies but I contend that you create your own puck luck. After Sage made another nice save to hold the score at zero, the Saber-Titans retained possession of the puck. Michael Dodge whipped a pass from one side board, through the crease, to the other side board without touching anyone before Will Dodge grabbed the puck and dropped it back to Peter Lennox at the right point. With nothing to shoot at, Lennox threw the puck toward the net, but it caromed off of winger Luc Ouellette (GHS) who was covering the point. The bouncing puck rattled in the slot between Will Dodge’s and Grady Chretien’s skates before appearing briefly on the blade of Dodge’s stick. Dodge fired the puck past Sage to give the home team a 1-0 lead. Less than two minutes later the Grizzlies had a great chance of their own. Grady Chretien found Eric DesRuisseaux with a great pass as Eric came in from the left point. DesRuisseaux walked in, picked his spot, and drilled a shot past Colin Duckless in net but it hit the post and stayed out of the goal. Both teams were up and down the ice with chances throughout the opening period, with NNS getting the better of the chances. After one period, the score remained 1-0, with the home team getting 12 shots on goal while the Grizzlies ripped off 15 shots.
Burke gets behind the defense but his shot hits the crossbar and bounces out of play. (pic from Hudl video)
Chretien scores for the Grizzlies. (pic from Hudl video)
Nashua North – Souhegan is a solid team. They appear to have good goaltending, a dangerous first line, and some pretty decent depth. This means that the Grizzlies would have their hands full all afternoon. Then, to make matters more difficult, Goffstown was whistled for five minor penalties on the day, and that drastically disrupted momentum time and time again. Also factor in that NNS turned up the defensive pressure in the middle period. They didn’t allow a shot on goal until Goffstown went on one of their two power plays in the game, half way through the period. Before that though, Jackson Burke had a great scoring chance but his rocket of a shot hit the crossbar. After an unsuccessful power play for the Grizzlies, they got some offensive pressure going. Andrew Skora made a nice play by firing a puck on net from center ice and ultimately it led to a Goffstown goal. On a clearing attempt by NNS, Brennan Pierce made a nice play to keep the puck in the zone with his skate. Then he flipped a beautiful little pass to open space where Grady Chretien curled and grabbed the puck. Chretien made a quick move and maneuvered in for a shot that beat Duckless and found the net. The game was tied, 1-1. Goffstown took two more penalties in the final four minutes of the period and the second one may have broken their backs. Eventually, the Saber-Titans cashed in on their third power play of the day. Will and Michael Dodge made consecutive passes that ultimately ended up on the stick of Peter Lennox who had krept in all the way from the blue line to between the circles. He was wide open and he buried his shot with 17 seconds left in the period to give NNS a 2-1 lead. After two periods, Goffstown was outshot 26-22, and trailed on the scoreboard.
After a great feed from DesRuisseaux, Chretien buries #99. (pic from Hudl video)
Goffstown started the final period by taking another penalty, but they got past that hurdle. Then Sage made another key save to keep things within reach. Goffstown failed on another power play opportunity, before giving the Saber-Titans another power play. This time though, after another nice save with the blocker by Sage, Eric DesRuisseaux intercepted a centering pass in the crease. Eric skated a couple strides forward and hit Chretien with a perfect pass up the middle. Chretien was slashed on the way to the net but his strength and determination was more than equal to the task as he finished the play with a brilliant shorthanded goal to tie the game at 9:04 of the final period. It was Chretien’s 20th goal in 10 games, and 99th goal of his career. Regulation time would end with the score tied, 2-2. Goffstown had been outshot 38 to 31 over 45:00 minutes of play. Both goaltenders had factored mightily into the score being held at just 2-2. The game was going to an 8-minute sudden death overtime period.
The overtime lasted for 104 seconds. Goffstown did not get a shot on goal. The Saber-Titans got four shots on goal in overtime, the last three of which came from very close range, and in rapid succession. Will Dodge came out of the corner unchecked with the puck and jammed a shot on Sage holding the nearside post, and she made a great save. Then Ryan Catalano tried cramming a shot through the pads that Sage denied. Catalano and Chris Weeden were literally on the doorstep jamming the puck at Sage’s pads. Will Dodge had time to circle back behind the net and come out front from the other side unimpeded to collect the puck that had slid into the slot and flip a backhand into the net for the game-winner. It was a great effort by Dodge, but not the most defiant defensive effort from the Grizzlies. After fighting to overcome penalties and a deficit and ultimately send the game to overtime, it seemed that was all Goffstown wanted. No more. Frankly, and unfortunately, I have seen more spirited play on the team’s Christmas Eve family skate in year’s past. For GTown Nation I hope there is a lot more pride to play for, especially as this senior class closes out their hockey careers.
The win moved NNS to 4-2 on the season, while the Grizzlies dropped to 3-7 after winning three straight. Goffstown returns to the ice on Wednesday night when they travel to Nashua again to play another road game against Hollis-Brookline-Derryfield School at 7:40pm. This will be the third game at Nashua for the Grizzlies which is one more game than they played at their alleged home rink on the campus of St. A’s. Then the Grizzlies finish the season at JFK (home) against Manchester Central on Saturday night at 8pm for their Senior Night.
Updated records.
Goffstown (3-7-0) vs. Nashua North-Souhegan (4-2-0)
Conway Arena, Nashua, NH
Monday, February 22, 2021. 3:15 PM Start:
Summary:
Goals:
Goffstown: 0-1-1-0 = 2
Nashua North-Souhegan: 1-1-0-1 = 3
Shots:
Goffstown: 15-07-09-00 = 31
Nashua North-Souhegan: 12-14-12-04 = 42
Scoring:
1st Nashua North-Souhegan at 8:04. Even. Will Dodge from Peter Lennox and Michael Dodge.
2nd Goffstown at 11:04. Even. Grady Chretien (19) from Brennan Pierce (1).
2nd Nashua North-Souhegan at 14:43. PPG. Peter Lennox from Michael Dodge and Will Dodge.
3rd Goffstown at 9:04. SHG. Grady Chretien (20) from Eric DesRuisseaux (3).
OT Nashua North-Souhegan at 1:44. Even. Will Dodge from Ryan Catalano and Chris Weeden.
Special Teams:
Goffstown Power Play: 0 for 2.
Nashua North-Souhegan Power Play: 1 for 5.
Saves:
Follow the link below to view the article.
Article in the Sunday News that mentions Grady Chretien’s historic career at GHS.
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.