-Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey-

Wave After Wave – February 10, 2025

The Giants gave everything they had, but a shorter bench lost steam as the game went along. The Grizzlies Hockey team kept coming in waves. Wave after wave on the attack, they eventually built on their lead en route to victory.

 

 

The Grizzlies played the Giants on Monday night, at Sullivan Arena. Goffstown Senior, Hilde Hieronymus sang the National Anthem on the ice before the game started. As always, the depth and richness in her voice blew me away. The lyrics we all know had a special warmth as she sang, like an endearing hug to all those who ever stood for our flag. There are moments so beautiful, like these, all around us. I hope we all pay close attention and don’t miss them.

Goffstown played the game with two defensemen down, and a backup goalie who was sick and didn’t dress for the game. 19 skaters, 1 goalie. Only Ryan Dutton, Sean Burnett, Teddy Beal, and Liam McGrail played shifts during which neither team scored. All 19 skaters got at least one shift each. 11 Grizzlies players had at least one point in the game.

 

 

I know that the score ended up 8-2 in favor of the home team. But if Ronan Hetherman hadn’t played the way he did, especially in the second period (19 saves in the period) the Giants might have been down by 10 after two periods. Wave after wave of shots whistled through the Sullivan Arena air during the middle period. Hetherman faced a shot on goal every 41 seconds on average, not to mention all the other shots that were attempted. Talk about being on high alert.

The Giants did cash in on two first period goals, immediately making the Grizzlies pay for mistakes in their own end. The Giants played hard, but their all wasn’t enough to overcome the team on the other side. I give them credit for playing hard for all 45 minutes. Both teams are in the top 9 in the D2 NHIAA Hockey standings and vying for playoff spots.

 

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Goffstown Grizzlies vs. Brady-Valley Giants

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

NHIAA Hockey: Game sixteen.

Monday, February 10, 2025.

 

 

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NHIAA Hockey:

Scoring:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 03 – 03 – 02 = 08 

BBV Giants: 02 – 00 – 00 = 02

 

Shots on goal:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 19 – 22 – 08 = 49

BBV Giants: 06 – 05 – 05 = 16

 

Goffstown Grizzlies Penalties: 

• Diodati – 2:00 – Roughing.

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

• Goffstown Grizzlies – Kyle Bennett (So.) made 14 saves on 16 shots (.875).
• BBV Giants – Ronan Hetherman made 39 saves on 47 shots (.830).
• BBV Giants – Payton Cone made 2 saves on 2 shots (1.000).

 

 

The Grizzlies hockey team took a 3-2 lead into the first intermission, and they never looked back, scoring the next five goals of the game. Wave after wave, three goal period, three goal period, two more in the third.

1. 1st 1:52 – The Grizzlies scoring chance developed out of a BBV Giants rush that got out of their control. AJ Hill beat the Giants back to the puck and turned it to the corner. Brady-Valley got the puck and generated a shot from the point. Hill blocked the shot in front of the net and moved the puck forward to Owen St. Onge. St. Onge lost the puck to Cooper Chapman who was looking to exit the zone in a hurry. Years from now, St. Onge will tell the story differently. He didn’t lose the puck to Cooper, he passed it to him. Anyways, Cooper looked up with the puck and threaded a perfect pass through the defense to his brother Sam. This allowed Sam Chapman to get in all alone behind the D. He patiently made a move outside the crease for the goal. Great block, pass and finish. Even – S. Chapman (13) from C. Chapman (19) and St. Onge (5). 1-0.
2. 1st 10:28 – On the power play – The Grizzlies were tied, 1-1 after the Giants scored. Goffstown had the puck in possession at center ice, but a pass wasn’t completed and Anthony Dow tipped the puck ahead to Tyler Carter. Carter skated into the zone and avoided a big hit attempt that took two Grizzlies out of the play. With all the Goffstown defenders up high, the pass from Carter to Chase Connor skating in the back door, was the perfect play. Connor was all alone in the low slot and he slipped a shot past Kyle Bennett for the tying goal. Much later in the period, the Grizzlies were on the power play for 59 seconds before they scored. Dylan Ellbeg and Austin Campbell worked a nice give and go working up the left side of the ice that led to a shot on goal for Campbell. The shot was saved, but the rebound was gathered in the corner by Sam Chapman. Sam made a quick pass back to Zack Tarrier who gave it right back down low to Sam. Ellbeg skated down the slot and got a feed from Sam for a shot. The shot was partially blocked off of a skate. The puck skidded right to Tyler Lessard at the bottom of the circle and he fired it into the net before Hetherman could get over to make the save. PPG – T. Lessard (20) from Ellbeg (6) and S. Chapman (9). Goffstown up, 2-1.
   

   (Photo by Meagan Tarrier)

3. 1st 11:10 – Brady-Valley dumped the puck deep into the Goffstown D zone. Brock Bennett was on the puck first and he cycled it along the end boards to AJ Hill. Hill was under some pressure so he continued the cycle up the wall through the corner to Connor Bernard. Bernard looked to hit Owen St. Onge coming up the middle to break out the puck. The pass was a little too strong or out in front, or both. St. Onge did get his stick on the puck and that altered the angle of the pass. Which hit Gavin Diodati in stride coming through center ice. Diodati cut inside a defender in the circle, and took a hard right turn. Then in the low slot he slipped a nice backhand shot into the net past Hetherman. Even – Diodati (6) from St. Onge (6) and Bernard (4). GWG. 3-1. The first period would end with the Grizzlies hockey team leading, 3-2. The Giants scored after it seemed all the Grizzlies had a chance to clear the puck, but could not. Tyler Carter fed a pass to Chase Thomas who misfired. But the puck went right to Colin Reardon who couldn’t control it either. AJ Hill, Sam Chapman, and Brock Bennett were all right there, but nobody played the puck clean. Until the puck bounced from Thomas to Reardon and onto the stick of Tyler Carter. Carter the puck into the top corner from the crease area and that put an end to a series of crazy bounces. 
4. 2nd 4:28 – The Grizzlies hockey team had an incredible offensive zone possession before tucking the puck into the net. The sequence that finally led to the goal went something like this. Tyler Lessard used his snow shoveling skills to flip a backhand pass from below the goal line to Dylan Ellbeg just above the right wing corner. Ellbeg turned as the D collapsed on him. He sent a pass back to Brock Bennett at the point. Bennett fired a low shot that hit a skate in traffic and caromed through the far corner. AJ Hill picked up the puck on the half wall and made a quick pass to Lessard who had circled behind the net and was low in the circle. Lessard made a nice one-touch pass from low to high to Zack Tarrier. Tarrier was cruising in from the blue line and he flipped a backhand shot on goal from between the circles. Ronan Hetherman made one of his 39 saves on the play, but there was a rebound. Ellbeg was at the side door to the net and on his second swipe at the puck he was able to slap the elusive rubber disc into the net. All five skaters touched the puck in succession. And, quite important to notice, the Grizzlies were all moving, skating, changing looks and angles each second. Great possession. Even – Ellbeg (7) from Tarrier (14) and T. Lessard (12). 4-2.
   

   (Photo by Meagan Tarrier)

5. 2nd 12:51 – On the power play – After a lengthy possession in the zone that featured several excellent chances to score, the Giants cleared the zone. But only for a few seconds. Cooper Chapman rescued the puck at center ice and immediately hit Zack Tarrier with a pass as he re-entered the zone. Tarrier drifted toward the right wing circle taking a defender in that direction. The slot was open and Tyler Lessard skated in the open lane and took a perfect feed from Tarrier. Lessard was alone for a second in the low slot and that was all he needed. He pumped a shot up and under the crossbar for the goal. PPG – T. Lessard (21) from Tarrier (15) and C. Chapman (11). 5-2. 
6. 2nd 14:46 – In the final seconds of the second period the Giants were trying to get the puck out of their own end. It looked like the might. AJ Hill said otherwise. He kept the puck in at the left point and fired the puck across ice to the half wall on the other side. The puck caromed off the wall with some gusto and Owen St. Onge picked it up and made a nice spin to get himself onto his forehand with some space. From the top of the circle he sent a beautiful shot-pass to Gavin Diodati alone in the low slot. Diodati redirected the pass expertly into the net. Great play all around. Even – Diodati (7) from St. Onge (7) and Hill (3). 6-2.
   

   AJ Hill got his first varsity goal. Owen St. Onge secured that special puck. Smiles were contagious. (Photo by Meagan Tarrier)

7. 3rd 6:35 – Goffstown was on one of those possessions again. Sam Chapman made a sweet pass from the high slot to low slot to his brother Cooper. Cooper had the puck knocked off his stick at the last second by Hetherman. Cooper got the rebound in the corner and sent the puck behind the net where Sam circled and grabbed it. Sam saw Brock Bennett stepping in from the blue line and hit him with a pass. Bennett fired from between the circles and somehow Hetherman kept the puck out of the net. The puck was loose to the side of the goaltender and AJ Hill found himself in the right place at the right time. Hill tapped the puck into the net before anyone else could get to it. Even – 1st Varsity Goal – Hill (1) from B. Bennett (10) and S. Chapman (10). 7-2.
8. 3rd 7:59 – On a night when the Grizzlies hockey team pummeled the net with shots they scored their last goal on a shot that wasn’t a shot until it went in. Goffstown got the puck in deep and Cam Desruisseaux claimed it before sending it back to Zack Tarrier at the left point. Tarrier made a tough pass diagonally through two defenders in the slot looking for Connor Bernard. The pass didn’t connect cleanly with Bernard who went to the corner to get the puck. He grabbed the puck, spun and sent a shot that was a couple inches in front of the nearside post. It had some speed on it too. As Ronan Hetherman flashed the blade of his stick to redirect the puck out of the crease the puck arrived early. Like the pinball hitting the flipper just before you can get it at an angle where the ball is returned to play. The puck glanced into the net for the goal. Even – Bernard (3) from Tarrier (16) and Desruisseaux (2). 8-2. Final.
   

   (Photo by Meagan Tarrier)

 

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

 

Click on the galleries. Open the pictures, and have a look around. Enjoy!

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Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey

Tarrier’s Treasures – (Thank you Meagan)

 

Brothers in arms but not in the way it sounds. Literally brothers, arm in arm, each the best the other one found. Teammates skate up, each one greets, yes, the whole team. One hugs eight, together they open arms for eighteen. Long ago, I was blessed to play alongside my brother too. For another chance at moments like that, oh what I wouldn’t do.

 

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More Grizzlies hockey pictures

 

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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.