-Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey-

The 2024 Brian C. Stone Memorial Christmas Hockey Tournament

 

Grizzlies Win Twice at Christmas Tourney – December 26-28, 2024

The Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey team was once again the only NHIAA Hockey team from Division 2 in the annual Christmas Tournament played at JFK Memorial Coliseum. The 8-team field played games over the three days following Christmas. Concord beat Exeter in the Final. The Grizzlies took 3rd, going 2-1 in the tourney.

 

 

On the day after Christmas, the first day of the tournament, I was fortunate enough to be a part of Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey, the Brian C. Stone Memorial Christmas Hockey Tournament, and Grappone In the Community. All at the same time. My good friend Phil, and I worked the Beech Street entrance to JFK Memorial Coliseum for the first shift of the day. We had a great time talking with players, coaches, families, and tournament organizers while at our post. You can read some of the details in the link above. This was just one of the #100 Acts of Kindness initiative for to celebrate Grappone’s 100th Birthday in 2024.

Later in the evening, Goffstown beat Bedford, 5-2. The Grizzlies played well and earned a date to play NH power house, the Concord Crimson Tide on Friday night in the Winner’s Bracket. Sam Chapman had four points (1g-3a) and Tyler Lessard netted a hat trick. Jake O’Neil played well in net and got the win with 21 saves.

Goffstown had no chance against a well coached Concord roster that looked to be exactly excellent in all areas with all skaters interchangeable. The Grizzlies did get a few chances to score in the game but Luukas Mayer saved all 13 shots that he faced. On the other end, Kyle Bennett made several saves that I marked with a star in my notes. He was 44 for 48, allowing only one even strength goal (2 were power play goals, and 1 was while on a 5-on-3 Grizzlies power play).

Concord went on to play Exeter in the Final, and beat them, 3-1. Goffstown played Bow in the 3rd place game, on Saturday night.

Against the Falcons, Tyler Lessard had four points, including his second hat trick in three days. Owen St. Onge added a goal and an assist. Cooper Chapman had two assists and Goffstown’s third different Sophomore goalie of the Tourney, Kai Tupper made 26 saves to earn the win in net.

With the Grizzlies going 2-1 in the Brian C. Stone Memorial Christmas Hockey Tournament it marked only the 2nd time in the last 11 seasons that they had won more than one game in the tourney. They went 3-1 in the 2018 Tourney, losing to Bedford in the Final, 4-3.

 

 

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Goffstown Grizzlies at Bedford Bulldogs.

JFK Memorial Coliseum, Manchester, NH.

NHIAA Hockey: Game Four.

Brian C. Stone Memorial Christmas Hockey Tournament (BCSMCHT 24).

Game One.

Thursday, December 26, 2024.

 

NHIAA Hockey:

Scoring:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 01 – 04 – 00 = 05

Bedford Bulldogs: 00 – 01 – 01 = 02 

 

Shots on goal:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 06 – 12 – 13 = 31

Bedford Bulldogs: 08 – 10 – 05 = 23

 

Goffstown Grizzlies Penalties:

• St. Onge – 2:00 – Roughing.
• Diodati – 2:00 – Tripping.
• Hill – 2:00 – Unsportsmanlike.

Goffstown was 1-for-3 on the power play, while the Bulldogs were 0-for-2.

• Goffstown Grizzlies – Jake O’Neil (So.) made 21 saves on 23 shots (.913).
• Bedford Bulldogs – Savo Ftorek made 26 saves on 31 shots (.839).

 

Christmas Tourney, Game One. How the Grizzlies scored:

1. 1. 1st 7:10 – In the offensive zone, Sam Chapman worked the puck along the boards back to the left point. AJ Hill fired from the point, a low shot with traffic in front of the net. Tyler Lessard got his blade on the shot as it went by. The puck changed direction just enough to slip past Ftorek who was  in net for Bedford. Even – T. Lessard from Hill and S. Chapman. 1-0.
   2. 2nd 0:32 – The Grizzlies were on a power play that had begun in the final minute of the opening period. While Goffstown was getting chances to score with a lengthy possession in the offensive zone, they finally got a puck by Ftorek. Tarrier and Sam Chapman played catch with the puck out high. Then a shot wide of the net was picked up by Cooper Chapman behind the net. Cooper fed his brother Sam with a perfect pass and the older Chapman smacked a one-time shot into the net for the power play goal. PPG – S. Chapman from C. Chapman and Tarrier. 2-0. 
   3. 2nd 8:42 – Goffstown built their lead to 3-0 a little more than half way through the game. Austin Campbell and Jackson Horne were back on D and moved the puck quickly. Campbell to Horne. Then Horne hit Sam Chapman with a pass up the right wing boards. Chapman motored into the offensive zone and dropped a pass to Tyler Lessard in the middle. Lessard ripped a one-timer into the back of the net. The play covered almost the entire 185 feet of the JFK ice surface. Even – T. Lessard from S. Chapman and Horne. GWG. 3-0.
   4. 2nd 14:42 – This goal was loosely played from end to end. Austin Campbell got a stick on the puck in the D zone to get it out of the zone. Tyler Lessard took it and rushed up ice. He spun, and sent a pass behind Sam Chapman. Chapman got enough of the pass to try a weak return pass to Lessard. The pass hit a defender’s stick and caromed right to Lessard all by himself in front of the net. Lessard patiently made a move and once the goaltender committed he slipped the puck into the net. Even – T. Lessard from S. Chapman and Campbell. Hat Trick. 4-1.
   5. 2nd 14:58 – Just seconds later, the Grizzlies scored their fourth goal of the second period. Dylan Ellbeg won the offensive zone face-off back to Zack Tarrier. Tarrier delivered a perfect pass to the far side post. Brock Bennett who had lined up on the far right for the draw had stepped forward to the post when the puck was dropped. Tarrier’s pass hit Bennett just as he arrived. Bennett only had to tap the puck into the open side of the net, and he did. Beautiful play off the draw. Even – B. Bennett from Tarrier and Ellbeg. 5-1.

 

 

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Goffstown Grizzlies at Concord Crimson Tide.

JFK Memorial Coliseum, Manchester, NH.

NHIAA Hockey: Game Five.

Brian C. Stone Memorial Christmas Hockey Tournament (BCSMCHT 24).

Game Two.

Friday, December 27, 2024.

 

NHIAA Hockey:

Scoring:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 00 – 00 – 00 = 00

Concord Crimson Tide: 00 – 02 – 02 = 04 

 

Shots on goal:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 05 – 04 – 04 = 13

Concord Crimson Tide: 16 – 14 – 18 = 48

 

Goffstown Grizzlies Penalties:

• S. Chapman – 2:00 – Roughing.
• Hill – 2:00 – Roughing. PPGA.
• S. Chapman – 2:00 – Interference.
• Hill – 2:00 – Holding. PPGA.
• Horne – 2:00 – Tripping.

Goffstown was 0-for-2 on the power play, while the Crimson Tide were 2-for-4.

• Goffstown Grizzlies – Kyle Bennett (So.) made 44 saves on 48 shots (.917).
• Concord Crimson Tide – Luukas Mayer made 13 saves on 13 shots (1.000).

 

Christmas Tourney, Game Two. No scoring by the Grizzlies.

 

 

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Goffstown Grizzlies at Bow Falcons.

JFK Memorial Coliseum, Manchester, NH.

NHIAA Hockey: Game Six.

Brian C. Stone Memorial Christmas Hockey Tournament (BCSMCHT 24).

Game Three. 3rd Place Game.

Saturday, December 28, 2024.

 

NHIAA Hockey:

Scoring:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 02 – 01 – 02 = 05

Bow Falcons: 00 – 02 – 00 = 02 

 

Shots on goal:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 13 – 09 – 10 = 32

Bow Falcons: 09 – 12 – 07 = 28

 

Goffstown Grizzlies Penalties:

• B. Bennett – 5:00 – Boarding.
• Campbell – 2:00 – Cross-Checking. PPGA.
• S. Chapman – 2:00 – Elbowing.
• S. Chapman – 2:00 – Interference.
• Tarrier – 2:00 – Unsportsmanlike.
• Campbell – 2:00 – Roughing.

Goffstown was 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Falcons were 1-for-4.

• Goffstown Grizzlies – Kai Tupper (So.) made 26 saves on 28 shots (.929).
• Bow Falcons – Kian O’Leary made 27 saves on 32 shots (.844).

 

Brian C. Stone Memorial Christmas Hockey Tournament, Game Three, 3rd Place Game. How the Grizzlies scored:

1. 1. 1st 6:48 – Goffstown got on the board first when Tyler Lessard fed a puck back to the left point for a slap shot bid by Austin Campbell. Campbell ripped a low shot along the ice. Owen St. Onge was in the slot and tipped the shot. The puck rose about two feet off of the ice after the deflection and over the pad of the goaltender. Cam Fratus was also in front of the net. It looked like the puck went over Cam’s stick en route to the net. Hard to tell. The goal was awarded to St. Onge. Even – St. Onge from Campbell and T. Lessard. 1-0.
   2. 1st 9:06 – Brock Bennett settled the puck in the corner of the defensive end. He looked up and saw Tyler Lessard bolting through center ice. Bennett let a pass fly intended for Lessard. The pass connected with Lessard and he skated in all alone and buried a shot inside the far post. Great pass and superb finish. Even – T. Lessard from B. Bennett. 2-0.
   3. 2nd 14:10 – A centering pass by Bow was tipped and the puck bounced and rolled all the way to the other end of the ice. Tyler Lessard, on the forecheck, blocked a clearing attempt by the D and the puck bounced to the corner. Bow had the puck and tried to wrap it around the boards behind the net. Gavin Diodati reached in and tipped the wrap around out of the air. The puck bounced toward Owen St. Onge in the slot. The threesome were on the forecheck and created this chance. St. Onge got off a nice backhand shot that was saved. But there was a rebound and Lessard pounced on it. He slipped the puck between the goalie’s skate and the post. Something out of nothing. Even – T. Lessard from St. Onge and Diodati. GWG. 3-2.
   4. 3rd 1:51 – Offensive zone face-off. Cooper Chapman put in some extra effort to win the draw. While diving forward he put a backhand pass right on Tyler Lessard’s tape. Awesome little play. Lessard immediately ripped a shot inside the post for the goal. The puck was in play for just a few seconds. Great play on the draw. Even – T. Lessard from C. Chapman. Hat Trick #2 of the Tourney. 4-2.
   5. 3rd 4:29 – Offensive zone face-off Part II. Cooper Chapman won a quick draw to his brother Sam. Sam dragged a wicked wrister before anyone really had moved. The puck was a blur until it rested in the net. Even – S. Chapman from C. Chapman. 5-2.

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Each, a Grizzlie

 

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Grizzlies Win Twice

Over the three day Tournament, Goffstown won two games and lost one. They scored 10 goals while allowing 8. The Grizzlies had 11 different players register at least one point, and 8 players took a penalty. The trio of Sophomore goaltenders combined to make 91 saves on 99 shots faced. That’s an impressive 91.92% save rate.

I don’t know what to make of this stat, but at even strength, the Grizzlies outscored their opponents, 9-4. Maybe Grizzlies like to make plays in more traffic. I am not sure.

It was fun, as it always is, to be at the tournament and watch high school hockey. For this tournament, it’s always great to see family, friends, and teammates new and old coming and going at the wonderful old barn we call JFK.

Grizzlies win twice. The tournament ends faster than it crept up on us. Before you know it a New Year has begun. Then it’s back to league play and more rink fun. When I slow down for a moment or two. I reflect on the imagery we are so blessed to see, the kids doing what they do. Along the way we are both witness and encouragement. Enjoy it. It goes so fast, then there in the corner, a pile of old equipment. So make the most of each moment, players, coaches, and parents. Because in our rush to do the next things, don’t miss the invaluable presence.

You can find news, video, updates, and all kinds of interesting tidbits involving Goffstown Grizzlies hockey here, Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey.

 

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BCSMCHT 24

 

 

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The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the individual contributors, mostly mine. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the leagues, schools, coaches, players, or characters listed in any of these blog posts. Or, maybe they do. Either way, you would have to ask them directly.