Hockey: OT Thriller – Goffstown 3 at Spaulding 2

January 4, 2023 – OT Thriller From Rochester, NH –

On a rainy night in Rochester, New Hampshire, the Grizzlies hockey team somehow managed to escape with a 3-2 win over Spaulding in an OT thriller. The goaltenders combined to make 70 saves on 75 shots on goal. And the last two shots of the game were not even on goal.

Goffstown scores to win the OT thriller, beating Spaulding, 3-2. (Photo from Facebook Live Broadcast)

After a scoreless first period that started with both teams looking to hit each other before playing the puck, things settled a bit, into an exciting finish, an OT thriller.

In the first period, Spaulding and Goffstown each were 0 for 2 on the power play. Spaulding ended the period with 15 shots on goal, while Goffstown fired 13 shots on net, themselves. At one point, the home team was able to get 5 shots on goal in a span of 19 seconds of game time while on the power play.

Both goaltenders were excellent all night. Ethan Santoro would end up with a whopping 39 saves for the Grizzlies. Annabel Prochilo more than held her own with 31 saves of her own.

The second period ended up providing 80% of the goals scored in the game, with each team scoring 2 apiece. Goffstown scored the first two goals, and the Red Raiders scored the next goals, with one coming on the power play.

The Grizzlies got on the board first with a great pass, a good bounce, and some blazing speed. Brennan Pierce lofted a pass out of the defensive zone that bounced past Spaulding defenders at center ice, and allowed Andrew Skora to use his speed to an advantage. Skora scooped up the puck, got behind the defense, and skated in on a breakaway chance that he put into the back of the net. Skora from Pierce.

Later in the period, Goffstown took advantage of a missed clearing attempt by Spaulding and turned it into a goal, to go up, 2-0. Skora and Connor Bernard took turns batting the puck around until it slipped toward the crease, onto the stick of Brandon Bograd. Bograd was all alone, and had a second or two to make a quick move down low and put the puck into the net. Bograd from Skora and Bernard.

The Red Raiders outshot the Grizzlies 15-9 in the second period. And eventually, the scoreboard reflected the number of quality shots that Spaulding was barraging the net with. Owen Nesbitt scored on a play where Spaulding moved the puck the entire length of the ice, and into the net in just 8 seconds.

Nesbitt won a defensive zone face-off and the puck ended up behind their own net with Ben Vaillancourt. Ben a short pass to Cam Taylor in the corner. Taylor made a great pass diagonally all the way out to center ice that tipped off of Trevor Brennan and into the offensive zone. Somehow, Nesbitt who had won the face-off, beat all the Grizzlies down the ice and grabbed the puck in time to get a mini breakaway chance that he converted into a goal. It was now, 2-1. Nesbitt from Brennan and Taylor. There were 3 freshmen on the ice for the Grizzlies, but year of graduation shouldn’t affect effort.

Spaulding scored to tie the game on their third power play opportunity of the game. Even then I doubt that anyone was thinking the game was headed for an OT thriller.

Ok, the power play goal for Spaulding was on a great shot by Nate Gagnon. Vaillancourt and Cole Enman set the goal up. Mostly though, Gagnon was allowed to skate through the zone unmolested before ripping a wrist shot from out by the blue line that found the top left corner to tie the game. Jackson Farrow was stationed in front of the crease and left alone to screen Ethan Santoro like he had paid extra for the parking space he occupied. Gagnon from Vaillancourt and Enman on the power play, 2-2.

I drew a star in my notepad in noting a pair of saves made by Ethan Santoro in the second period. Without these saves, the Grizzlies could have been trailing by two goals going to the final period. Then I also ‘starred’ a save by Prochilo in the 3rd period that obviously kept the game tied. Both of teams put up 11 shots on goal in the third period. But the score remained tied at 2-2 after three full periods of play. This, of course, set up the OT thriller.

The OT thriller was almost written by Nate Gagnon of Spaulding. He blew by the Goffstown defense and tried to beat Santoro in the top corner, near-side, and just missed his target. Seconds later, as the Grizzlies went into transition mode, Zack Tarrier flew toward the offensive blue line with the puck before losing it to Jake Klardie. Klardie held on and threw the puck to the open wing before getting bumped in the corner.

The puck bounced off of the half wall where Brock Bennett stepped in from the right point to play the puck. Bennett fired the puck toward the net, but it was wide of the net. The puck hit Jackson Farrow’s stick and slid in slow motion over the goal line behind Annabel Prochilo. On successive rushes up ice, the puck could have bounced for either team.

The bounce tonight favored the Grizzlies and Brock Bennett. Bennett scored to win the OT thriller, from Klardie and Tarrier, 3-2. GWG.

It was not the prettiest of games, but it was an exciting finish.

I must point out that each time I visit Rochester Arena it seems to get better. It’s definitely a small ice surface, but with the excellent lighting, improved sound system, the heated seating areas, the concessions, and friendly people selling tickets at the door, it’s a great place to watch high school hockey.

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.