Grizzlies Slip Past Spaulding – Goffstown Hockey

– Grizzlies Slip Past Spaulding – Goffstown Hockey –

– Goffstown at Spaulding – Rochester Arena –

The Goffstown hockey team fell behind early out in Rochester to a solid Spaulding team and the prospects of a come from behind win looked more like a fall further behind loss. Then the second and third periods were played. As it unfolded, Grizzlies slip past Spaulding, 4-3.

Rochester Arena was nearly full on Wednesday night as the Spaulding Red Raiders took to the home ice against the visiting Goffstown Grizzlies. There were Spaulding hockey fans and students in the bleachers and all around the glass at ice’s edge. There was an energy in the building that was brimming with anticipation and excitement, and quite frankly I thought it was warmly welcomed on the last day of a wet, unsunny January. And for about two hours it was just a fun place to be.

Goffstown was outshot 12-6 in the first period. This was a product of two key factors. One, the Grizzlies defensemen were way too aggressive at the offensive blue line. They would hold the line, or worse, be in too deep without possession of the puck. Spaulding routinely turned these situations into easy breakouts and odd-man rushes. These, in turn, put pressure on the Goffstown hockey team that led to penalties. They took three penalties in the first 9:13 of the 1st period.

At 5:11 of the first period, and then again at 6:00 of the first period, the Grizzlies were penalized. This led to a 5-on-3 advantage for the Spaulding Red Raiders. Goffstown killed the first penalty, but five second later, the first goal of the game was scored by Spaulding, on the power play. Ryan Dube carried the puck and made a great pass to Trevor Brennan who ripped a shot on goal, but Kyle Bennett made the save. The rebound came out to the slot and Cole Enman followed the shot with a shot of his own, for the goal.

Spaulding’s second goal of the first period was scored from the right point by Leighton Ducharme. Goffstown’s Owen Matatall sent a clearing bid through the middle of the zone, and right on to Ducharme’s blade. Ducharme fired and found the net. The Grizzlies trailed, 2-0 after one period.

I don’t know Spaulding hockey’s default mode this season, but I am guessing that it is not 1980’s up and down the ice, wide open hockey. I base this on the last three minutes of the second period and various moments in the final period, when Spaulding hemmed the Grizzlies in their own end for long periods of time. Once the Goffstown defense corps stopped getting caught in the offensive zone, the odd-man breaks slowed significantly for the Red Raiders.

In the second period, Spaulding still outshot Goffstown, 13-10, but the visitors were ahead in this count until the last three minutes of the period. With Goffstown leading, 3-2 on the scoreboard, Spaulding owned the final minutes of the period.

The third period was intense. Spaulding was playing in front of their home crowd and every offensive chance grew louder in volume as it also weighed more in importance. Half way through the period, with Colin McIntyre having made some brilliant saves to keep the deficit at one goal, the Spaulding Red Raiders scored to tie the game. Trevor Brennan approached the blue line and sent a pass to Ryan Dube on his left. Dube had a defender near him, but he was able to rip a wrist shot from the top of the circle that found the far side top corner for the tying goal. Total snipe. The building was rocking.

Then, with 3:09 left in the game, the Goffstown hockey team was whistled for their 5th of 6 penalties against them on the night. Spaulding was whistled for just one penalty, on which the Grizzlies scored only their third power play goal of the season. Any way, with Spaulding on the power play, in a tie game, with less than two minutes left in regulation, Sam Chapman picked his spot. On this trip behind the net, as Spaulding set up their breakout play, Chapman left the slot and charged behind the net and took the puck off of the defenseman. As he turned the net with the puck and Tyler Lessard approaching to help, Chapman fired and scored.

There was 1:40 left to play in regulation. The Spaulding Red Raiders were still on the power play but the Goffstown Grizzlies allowed no more shots to reach Kyle Bennett in net. The Grizzlies did slip past Spaulding in the narrowest of margins on Wednesday night, and the win propelled them ahead in the NHIAA DII Hockey Standings as well.

What a game! I thought teams played well. The goaltenders were awesome. There were great chances to score for both sides, throughout the game. It was an excellent high school hockey game on a Wednesday night in January.

This game was so exciting that I actually scored a season high 63, on the official Paul Lessard Excited and Fired Up-Ness Scale (PLEFUS). The scale runs from 1-100, with a 1 rating being that a person is arguably alive, and a 100 rating being Paul Lessard after four Red Bulls while watching his son score a goal to tie the game. My baseline is about a 27 on the scale.

I talked to Paul after the game and we had a 45-minute conversation in three and a half minutes. Yes, we were both pretty excited about the Grizzlies road win. I poke fun here, but Paul has always been good to me, and to my family. I am laughing with him.

1. The Grizzlies cut into the Spaulding lead, 2nd period – Zack Tarrier had the puck behind his own net when he rifled a pass along the boards to Sam Chapman. Chapman raced up the left wing and into the offensive zone. He had Owen Matatall skating with him on his right. Matatall did what all good wingers are supposed to do, he skated to the far post. Chapman cut to the middle, in the slot and slid a pass low, to Matatall who slammed it home. Great play all the way from behind their own net. Matatall (1) from Chapman (6) and Tarrier (9). 1-2.
2. Goffstown ties it, 2-2 at 8:04 of the middle period – What did Gretzky say about shots not taken? Well, Nick Caldwell was at the right point, not too deep, just holding the line, while Spaulding took the puck in the corner. Tyler Lessard did a quick skate-by of token forechecking, but it was enough to have the defender send the puck up the boards toward the line. This is where Caldwell stepped in, grabbed the puck, and threw a shot toward the net. The puck was a skidder and it bounced off of McIntyre’s pad to the slot. Lessard had circle to that area and Tarrier was there too. Lessard spun in the slot as Tarrier let up, and fired a shot into the net. Innocent play, great execution of simple hockey. Lessard (10) from Caldwell (1). 2-2.
3. Grizzlies come all the way back and take the lead, 2nd period – This was the one power play opportunity that the Grizzlies had in the game. After a save by McIntyre, Brock Bennett made a tremendous play on Spaulding’s clearing attempt while shorthanded. He not only kept the puck in the zone, but maintained possession. This turned very quickly into a Goffstown goal. Bennett moved the puck to Lessard in the corner. Lessard skated out of the corner from below the goal line. As he approached the near side post, he slid a perfect pass between the goalie’s stick and the defender’s stick right to the back door where Sam Chapman had rotated down on the weak side. Chapman made no mistake and one-timed the puck into the open side of the net. Great play! PPG – Chapman (7) from Lessard (5) and Bennett (4). 3-2.
4. Goffstown scores the game-winner with 1:40 to play – Chapman subtly circled behind the net and came away with the puck. Two Red Raiders skaters had circled low into the their breakout pattern like you see on every NHL game on TV. They were winding up for a charge. As they circled in front, Chapman stole the puck behind the net and beat any defenders to the front of the net where he fired early and his shot was true. Great play. Great goal. It kind of came out of nowhere. SHG – Chapman (8) unassisted. GWG. 4-3.

The Goffstown hockey team overcame a 2-0 deficit, six penalties, and a raucous Rochester Arena crowd to get their 5th win of the season, and second in a row. They improved to 5-3-0 in league play so far. They return to Sullivan Arena on Saturday afternoon at 3pm to play the ever improving, always strong, Dover Green Wave (6-3-3). It should be a great game and a big challenge to the Grizzlies. Dover has won 2 of the last 3 NHIAA D-II Ice Hockey Championships. They are the defending champs.

NHIAA Hockey:

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Rochester Arena – Rochester, NH

Scoring:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 00 – 03 – 01 = 04

Spaulding Red Raiders: 02 – 00 – 01 = 03

Shots on goal:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 06 – 10 – 12 = 28

Spaulding Red Raiders: 12 – 13 – 10 = 35

Goffstown Grizzlies Penalties:

1. AJ Hill (2:00-Roughing)
2. B. Bennett (2:00-Tripping) (PPGA)
3. Ellbeg (2:00-Roughing)
4. Chapman (2:00-Cross Checking)
5. Horne (2:00-Interference)
6. Chapman (2:00-Slashing)

Goffstown was 1-for-1 on the power play, while Spaulding was 1-for-6. Goffstown scored the game-winner while shorthanded.

Spaulding Red Raiders – Colin McIntyre made 24 saves on 28 shots (.857).

Goffstown Grizzlies – Kyle Bennett (Fr.) made 32 saves on 35 shots (.914).

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.