-Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey-

Grizzlies Dominate the Bearcats – February 12, 2025.

The Bearcats came to Sullivan Arena to play the Goffstown Grizzlies hockey team on a Wednesday night in February. They were already down five players when they arrived. Then they were down five goals. Goffstown skated to an 8-0 win versus a shorthanded roster.

 

 

By gametime, the Goffstown kids already knew that the following day would be a modern snow day versus the old fashioned snow day that they had the previous Thursday. Whatever effect the news had it didn’t stop the Grizzlies hockey team from posting their third shutout in the last five games.

You never know what you’re going to see at any of these games. Like, ‘5 roughing minors for a quarter’ flash sales. Or a Sam Chapman hat-trick. Or, what about Ryan Dutton’s first career assist. Ya, all that happened on Wednesday night, and more.

As The P Three have referred to a ‘stretch of winnable games’ for the Grizzlies since the Oyster River tie, the Grizzlies have embraced the winnable-ness. You have to show up and play good team hockey to win in this league, and they have been doing that. They have won the last five games they have played since the tie with Oyster River. I still say that the Oyster River game was the best game the Grizzlies hockey team has played this season.

If they play games with a high hockey IQ and a consistent level of execution, most games should be in the ‘winnable’ category. Up next for the Grizzlies hockey squad is a trip to Conway Arena for a tilt with the Nashua North-Souhegan Saber Titans. Hopefully the weather will hold out. Stay tuned…for the weather and the results.

Oh, and before I get to the rest of this game. I asked AI something like ‘would a Grizzlie or a Bearcat win in a battle’.

This is what I got: A grizzly bear would almost certainly beat a bearcat in a fight due to its significantly larger size and strength; a bearcat, despite its aggressive nature and sharp claws, would be easily overpowered by a grizzly bear’s sheer physical dominance. What does AI know anyways?

 

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Goffstown Grizzlies vs. Somersworth-Coe-Brown Bearcats

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

NHIAA Hockey: Game seventeen.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025.

 

 

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NHIAA Hockey:

Scoring:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 03 – 02 – 03 = 08 

SCB Bearcats: 00 – 00 – 00 = 00

 

Shots on goal:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 15 – 16 – 12 = 43

SCB Bearcats: 03 – 04 – 02 = 09

 

Goffstown Grizzlies Penalties: 

• Horne – 2:00 – Roughing.
• St. Onge – 2:00 – Roughing.
• C. Chapman – 2:00 – Roughing.
• Hill – 2:00 – Interference.
• Burnett – 2:00 – Hooking.

Goffstown was 3-for-4 on the power play, while the Bearcats were 0-for-2.

• Goffstown Grizzlies – Kyle Bennett (So.) made 9 saves on 9 shots (1.000).
• SCB Bearcats – Colby Strum made 26 saves on 31 shots (.839).
• SCB Bearcats – Payton Cone made 9 saves on 12 shots (.750).

 

The Grizzlies hockey team was in control of this game from start to finish.

1. 1st 6:48 – The Grizzlies had to retreat to their own end to gather the puck and renew their attack. There was a battle along the half wall for the puck and Owen St. Onge threw himself at the puck and those battling for it. He broke it loose and the puck caromed away from the wall. That was the opening that was needed. Cooper Chapman took the puck from St. Onge and made a quick pass ahead to his brother Sam. Sam Chapman accelerated up the ice and turned the corner, cutting toward the net. Then he slipped the puck through the goalie’s pads for the goal. Even – S. Chapman (14) from C. Chapman (21) and St. Onge (8). GWG. 1-0.
2. 1st 7:59 – The Bearcats had taken control of the puck in their D zone after the Grizzlies had been in possession for some time. Then Tyler Lessard and Zack Tarrier turned up the pressure on the forecheck. Next thing you know, Tarrier was skating with the puck behind the net. As he moved from corner to corner he was looking for an open teammate. As he circled to the hash marks on the outside of the circle he rifled a ‘no look’ pass across the ice to a wide open Lessard. Lessard ripped a low shot through the ‘five-hole’ before Colby Strum could get set up after moving from post to post. Great pass. Even – T. Lessard (22) from Tarrier (17). 2-0. 
3. 1st 13:24 – On the power play. Goffstown was set up in the offensive zone. The Bearcats were in their box. Tyler Lessard passed to the crease where Tarrier was set up. But it was tipped away. Tarrier skated behind the net and moved the puck out to Sam Chapman in the circle. He passed back to Brock Bennett at the point. Bennett slid the puck over to AJ Hill at the other point. Hill made a diagonal pass back to Sam across the ice, but it bounced over his stick. Sam got to the puck and banked it off of the wall to Bennett. Bennett to Hill again. But this time all the angles had changed as the Grizzlies moved the puck well. Hill was at the top of the circle and he lasered a pass across to Sam who was low in the circle just outside the slot. Sam one-timed the pass under the crossbar up on the top shelf where Grandma keeps her best batch of peanut butter fudge for special gatherings. Sweet movement, all five skaters touched the puck in sequence until Grandma broke out the fudge. PPG – S. Chapman (15) from Hill (4) and B. Bennett (11). 3-0. 
4. 2nd 4:40 – On the power play. After the flash sale, “Hear ye! Hear ye! Get your 5 roughing penalties for $0.25”. The Grizzlies hockey team was on the power play while 7 skaters sat in the penalty boxes on either side of the scorer’s booth. It only took 23 seconds of power play time for Goffstown to score. After a broken play with a pass to nowhere the Grizzlies reset. Austin Campbell was at the point with the puck. He found Tyler Lessard coming off of the wall and hit him with a pass. Lessard fired. At the side of the net, Zack Tarrier was set up and ready for anything. With his tremendous hand-eye coordination on display, he tipped Lessard’s shot and the puck got behind Strum for the power play goal. PPG – Tarrier (4) from T. Lessard (13) and Campbell (7). 4-0. 
5. 2nd 9:01 – 5-on-3 power play. Raymond Labelle was whistled for his fourth and final penalty of the night. This put the Grizzlies on a 5-on-3 power play for 44 seconds. It only took Goffstown 6 seconds to score. Cooper Chapman won the offensive zone face-off to Connor Bernard. Bernard sent a pass to the point, over to Brock Bennett. Bennett stepped in and pulverized a wrist shot toward the net. The shot was labeled for the far side of the net. But Gavin Diodati was in the slot and the shot hit his stick and redirected past Strum just inside the nearside post. Talk about your misdirections. 5-on-3 PPG – Diodati (8) from B. Bennett (12) and Bernard (5). 5-0. To the player who approached me in the booth after the game, about this goal, a couple of things. 1) I am approachable. But not so good with being confronted. 2) I would have brought this to your coach, your captain, or the player you were discrediting, before ever addressing me. 3) I actually agree with the scenario you presented. But results are results, and the process that leads to the result is almost always more important than the result. (See 2nd point).
6. 3rd 3:46 – The Grizzlies hockey team was at even strength but they worked the puck around so well, it looked like a power play. Maddox Messier started the 3rd period in net for the Bearcats. And, at 3:46 of the period he was put to the test. Brock Bennett kept the puck in the zone on back to back clearing attempts. The second time he took matters into his own hands. He stepped in, hit the circle and snaked a pass ahead to Tyler Lessard. Lessard decided to circle the net with speed and try a wrap around shot or pass. It turned out to be a pass and the recipient was wide open. That turned out to be Dylan Ellbeg, and he slammed the puck into the open net for the goal. Even – Ellbeg (8) from T. Lessard (14) and B. Bennett (13). 6-0. 
7. 3rd 4:40 – AJ Hill rushed in and had a good shot on goal but it was turned away by Messier. The Bearcats had the puck but the clearing attempt was picked off by Brock Bennett. Bennett cut to the circle, below the dot, and absolutely obliterated a shot into the top corner, far side. Even – B. Bennett unassisted. 7-0.
8. 3rd 8:45 – A Bearcats 3-on-3 break turned into not much. Austin Campbell grabbed the puck off of the end boards in the Grizzlies D zone. He moved the puck on a pass up to Ryan Dutton. Dutton turned and sent a pass to a player not yet on the screen. That player turned out to be Sam Chapman, and he was flying, like the wind was at his back. Chapman carried the puck out of the zone, through neutral ice, and over the blue line. He was going top speed when he tucked the puck inside the post for the goal. He skated right out of the building, crossed the baseball field and finally slowed to a stop in Roy Park. Great finish to a pair of short passes. Hat trick goal – Even – S. Chapman (16) from Dutton (1) and Campbell (8). 8-0. 3rd shutout this season.

 

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

I drive a lot. And sometimes, I listen to The P Three and the most recent Grizzlies hockey broadcasts. Great job guys. Thank you. #winnable.

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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.