-Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey-

Lessons On Ice – January 11, 2025

The Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey team trailed, then came back and led. Then trailed again, came back and led. Then they trailed in the final two minutes and scored to send the game to OT. On a night that turned into a month worth of on ice lessons, the Grizzlies fell in OT. I do believe they will be better for it though.

 

 

 

References to pond hockey came up during this game. You know, when it’s fun to be out on the ice with your buddies for some hockey. Go hard for a minute or two, then stand or glide and watch someone else’s turn at expending energy in hopes of expanding expertise. Except, this was an NHIAA Hockey game that counted toward the standings, playoff seeds, career records, etc.

I was fortunate enough to see some notes from this game shared on Hudl by the Goffstown coaching staff. It was good stuff. There were positives and negatives, all chances to learn and to get better. Lessons on ice. I do think the Grizzlies can be, and will be a lot better going forward. Hopefully it will happen during this season.

Yes, the Grizzlies absolutely could have won this game. But as it should be, they didn’t play well enough to win the game. They made some brilliant plays. They made several errors, forced and unforced. It happened. They lost in OT. The question becomes, How do you come back from it?

With Manchester, St. Thomas, and Oyster River lined up for the next 3 games, lessons on ice need to be learned and applied, quickly. I have faith. I like the make up of this group. In my mind, the sky is the limit. We shall see.

 

 

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Goffstown Grizzlies vs. Alvirne-Milford Admirals.

Sullivan Arena, St. Anselm College, Goffstown, NH.

NHIAA Hockey: Game nine.

Saturday, January 11, 2025.

 

 

NHIAA Hockey:

Scoring:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 00 – 03 – 03 – 00 = 06  (OT)

Alvirne-Milford Admirals: 01 – 03 – 02 – 01 = 07  (OT)

 

Shots on goal:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 10 – 13 – 16 – 03 = 42

Alvirne-Milford Admirals: 08 – 16 – 07 – 01 = 32 

 

Goffstown Grizzlies Penalties:

• C. Chapman – 2:00 – Elbowing.
• S. Chapman – 2:00 – Roughing. PPGA.
• Hill – 2:00 – Tripping. PPGA.
• B. Bennett – 2:00 – Cross-Checking.
• Horne – 2:00 – Roughing.

Goffstown was 1-for-2 on the power play, while the Admirals were 2-for-4.

• Goffstown Grizzlies – Jake O’Neil (So.) made 25 saves on 32 shots (.781).
• Alvirne-Milford Admirals – Ari Scarbro made 36 saves on 42 shots (.857).

 

 

The Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey team piled up six goals, but it wasn’t enough on Saturday. Here’s how they happened.

1. 2nd 2:41 – After a loosely played break out of the D zone by the Grizzlies, Brock Bennett got his stick on the puck at the side of his own net. The Admirals were buzzing and pressuring. The puck went to the slot where Sam Chapman won the puck away from an Admiral for a second as he was turning to exit the zone. The puck got away but Tyler Lessard tapped it back to Sam in stride, and he was gone. Chapman beat two Admirals to the front of the net and fired a shot past Ari Scarbro to get the Grizzlies on the board. Even – S. Chapman (6) from T. Lessard (5) and B. Bennett (5). 1-1.
2. 2nd 5:33 – The Grizzlies won the defensive draw but failed to clear the puck, allowing a few shots that probably should have never happened. Eventually, Cooper Chapman somehow got his stick on the puck between two Admirals, pushing the puck forward toward Sam Chapman. Sam grabbed the puck and expertly avoided a run at him from Ricard. The puck slid to Tyler Lessard who led the charge up the ice. Lessard dropped a pass to Sam and went to the net. Sam returned the pass to Lessard in the low slot and he continued to the nearside post. Lessard could have shot but he slid a pass back to Sam at the post and he banged it into the net for the goal. Scarbro was left alone to pick her poison with Lessard and Chapman. Great passing to set up the goal. Even – S. Chapman (7) from T. Lessard (6) and C. Chapman (10). 2-1.
   

   (Photo by Meagan Tarrier).

3. 2nd 13:19 – Cooper Chapman disrupted the Admirals during their forecheck and he and Sam worked the puck out of the D zone. It went like this. Sam lost the puck along the wall while being pressured, but kept moving up ice. The puck skidded over to Cooper who was skating up the middle in support of Sam. None of this was clean but they kept moving forward. The puck was getting away from Cooper so he swatted it with one hand on his stick over to Diodati. Cooper got hit by two Admirals while making the play. Ever moving forward. Diodati alertly and quickly put a pass right on Sam’s stick as he had continued up ice. Once again, Sam was in all alone after a concerted effort just to get out of their own end. Sam buried the breakaway bid, and the Grizzlies had tied the game, 3-3. The tie would last for 25 seconds. Natural Hat Trick – Even – S. Chapman (8) from Diodati (3) and C. Chapman (11). 3-3.
4. 3rd 1:30 – The Grizzlies had a 5-on-3 powerplay opportunity but time expired on the first penalty so they continued with 28 seconds left on a 5-on-4 advantage. The Admirals cleared the zone and changed. The Grizzlies set up in the offensive zone looking to set up the tying goal. Austin Campbell in deep to Cooper Chapman. Chapman lost it to Tyler Lessard. Back to Cooper behind the net. From the corner, Cooper to the point to Campbell, back down to Cooper. Holding, Sam cuts through the slot, holding. Magic! Cooper Chapman rips a cross slot pass to Tyler Lessard who snapped a one-timer into the open side of the net. Tremendous pass! Great finish. Power Play Goal – T. Lessard (13) from C. Chapman (12) and Campbell (4). 4-4.
   

   (Photo by Meagan Tarrier).

5. 3rd 7:02 – Brock Bennett sent a nice pass from the D zone up to Sam Chapman. Sam gathered, skated into the O zone and fired a shot that was knocked away by Scarbro. Sam got his own rebound for a second as he and Cooper Chapman battled for the puck in the corner. They pushed the puck toward Bennett at the point but there wasn’t enough juice in the pass to get there. Hiltz tried to clear the puck up the wall just as Cooper lifted his stick which caused the puck to go right to Bennett a couple of inches off of the ice. Brock did a phenomenal job controlling the puck with the blade of his stick and dragging it into shooting position. He fired from out by the blue line with Sam Chapman screening in front. The puck found the twine behind Scarbro for the goal. I thought this could be the game-winner for Goffstown with only 7:58 left to play, but there were still four more goals yet to be scored. Even – B. Bennett (2) from C. Chapman (13) and S. Chapman (6). 5-4.
6. 3rd 13:51 – After the Admirals had scored a pair of goals in less than two and a half minutes, the Grizzlies were down a goal. Austin Campbell carried the puck into the offensive zone from his D position. Sam Chapman covered the point for Campbell. Campbell lost the puck in the corner and cleared the puck up the wall. There was Sam. He kept the puck in and held the puck as if he were going to rip a wrist shot. The D skated to him to block the shot. But there was no shot. He brilliantly feigned the shot and slid a pass to the other side to a wide open Tyler Lessard. Lessard blistered a shot past Scarbro in net, but the puck smacked the post and caromed straight to the circle. Sam Chapman alertly kept playing the puck even though several Grizzlies had their arms in the air, all thinking that Lessard’s shot had hit the back bar in the net. Sam stepped in and calmly pounded a mini-slapshot into the same corner of the net that Lessard had targeted. Wow! 4 Goal Night! Which is different from a 3 Dog Night, but just as much fun. Even – S. Chapman (9) from T. Lessard (7). 6-6, 1:09 left to play.

 

 

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Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey

(Thank you Meagan)

 

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

 

 

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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.