-Goffstown Grizzlies Hockey-

That Is All – February 15, 2025.

If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. Except, I describe the goals (read on) and a few facts. That is all.

 

 

It’s 2025 so someone has to be to blame. Goffstown 14 penalties. Nashua North-Souhegan Saber Titans 8 penalties. 22 times in 45 minutes that a player sent to the penalty box. The home team was 0-for-10 on the power play, three of which were 5-on-3 opportunities. So, if home town officiating was the angle that didn’t work. The Goffstown Grizzlies hockey was 2-for-5 on the power play. They added a shorthanded goal and another goal as the penalty expired. Special teams advantage to the Grizzlies. Although I think they could proven that with about ten less penalties.

I wrote in my notes that if Saturday’s first period was at St. Thomas, the Grizzlies would have been down, 5-0. So, I question the team’s preparation for this tilt at Conway Arena. Did both teams wake up on the wrong side of the bed? That was also in my notes. Were the refs on some sort of penalty quota? Okay, my say nothing at all, has been too much already.

 

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The ice time started roughly half an hour late. The NECHA Conference Playoffs played their SemiFinal games before hand. They ran late. Roger Williams University lost to Vermont, 2-0 in their game which was right before the NHIAA Hockey game between Goffstown and NNS. Goffstown’s All-Time leading scorer, Grady Chretien was on the ice for Roger Williams. Chretien, at last count, had 35 goals in 24 games for the RWU Hawks this season. Awesome player, tremendous person.

 

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Goffstown Grizzlies at Nashua North Saber Titans

Conway Arena, Nashua, NH.

NHIAA Hockey: Game eighteen.

Saturday, February 15, 2025.

 

 

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NHIAA Hockey:

Scoring:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 02 – 01 – 02 = 05 

NNS Saber Titans: 01 – 00 – 00 = 01

 

Shots on goal:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 07 – 10 – 15 = 32

NNS Saber Titans: 09 – 07 – 09 = 25

 

Goffstown Grizzlies Penalties: 

• Z. Lessard – 2:00 – Slashing.
• Ellbeg – 2:00 – Roughing.
• C. Chapman – 2:00 – Roughing.
• Tarrier – 2:00 – High Sticking.
• C. Chapman – 2:00 – Roughing.
• S. Chapman – 2:00 – Slashing.
• S. Chapman – 2:00 – Cross-Checking.
• C. Chapman – 2:00 – Slashing.
• T. Lessard – 2:00 – Charging.
• Z. Lessard – 2:00 – High Sticking.
• Diodati – 2:00 – Slashing.
• S. Chapman – 2:00 – Cross-Checking.
• T. Lessard – 2:00 – Hooking.
• Campbell – 2:00 – Roughing.

Goffstown was 2-for-5 on the power play, while NNS 0-for-10.

• Goffstown Grizzlies – Kyle Bennett (So.) made 24 saves on 25 shots (.960).
• NNS Saber Titans – Tony Venzia made 26 saves on 31 shots (.839).

The Chapman’s beat the Lessard’s, 6-4 in Minors. The Grizzlies took 14 penalties in a span of 26:52. That is something.

It appeared that nobody was in control of this game at anytime. That is all.

 

1. 1st 6:52 – The Grizzlies had a scoring chance after Tyler Lessard and Brock Bennett made short passes in transition to set up Dylan Ellbeg skating through the slot. Ellbeg fired but his shot was high and wide. He got to the puck on the end boards, kind of checked himself, and tipped the puck to Lessard. Lessard circled from low to high out to the top of the circle. The shot certainly wasn’t of the highest percentage until you add the scenario. The original shot went high, and off of the end boards. The goaltender, Venezia was unsure where the puck would come from next. He hugged the nearside post as Lessard circled. Like something from Journey…The wheel on the ice I keep on skating…Then Lessard fired a shot through heavy traffic. Ellbeg jumped over the shot, a defenseman was in the lane too. The puck found the net. Even – T. Lessard (23) from Ellbeg (7) and B. Bennett (14). 1-1. The Grizzlies hockey team had allowed a goal earlier on a bad pinch leading to a 2-on-1 break, swing and miss, top shelf goal. Connor O’Neil from Brody Sice.
2. 1st 9:59 – On the weirdest power play I have ever seen. Saber Titan goalie, Tony Venzia, left the net after the Lessard goal. He was having equipment issues. After several minutes, I assume that the officials offered an ultimatum, either skate with 6 skaters or take a delay of game penalty. But I don’t know if that is true. It should be though. The home team went with 6 skaters. This worked for a while because with no goaltender in the net it appeared that Goffstown decided that they would try to stickhandle the puck into the net. That didn’t come close to working. After nearly two minutes of playing without a goaltender the Saber Titans took a penalty. Now the Grizzlies had 5 skaters and a goalie, while Nashua North-Souhegan (NNS) had 5 skaters and no goalie. Brock Bennett tipped a puck at center ice and Zack Tarrier took possession of the puck. He had been on the ice for the Lessard ‘Wheel on the Ice’ goal so he tried his own version. Tarrier’s version was like the old ‘extended play’ version. Eventually, he came slingshotting off of the wheel into the offensive zone. He circled the net and fed a pass to Sam Chapman who ‘matter of factly’ shot the puck past the non-goaltender standing in front of the net. PPG – S. Chapman (17) from Tarrier (18) and B. Bennett (15). 2-1. 
3. 2nd 2:49 – If you want to learn how to get yourself ice time doing something you might find as thankless or beneath you, you should watch the video of this goal. Owen St. Onge doing exactly what I would have him doing if I were coaching. He was like the elusive mosquito with the high-pitched buzz that is heard in one ear then the other, but never swatted to extinction. He was killing one of the 714 penalties that Goffstown was whistled for in this game. Eventually, he became so annoying and disruptive that NNS just gave him the puck behind their own net. St. Onge ain’t no dummy. He spotted Lessard in the slot and passed the puck to him. Tyler shot, but that shot was returned to sender by Venzia. So, Lessard shifted his position slightly, grabbed the rebound and pounded the puck into the net as the penalty expired. Awesome tenacity and desired result bonus. Even – T. Lessard (24) from St. Onge (9). 3-1. Goffstown liked this approach so much that they took SIX more penalties in the 2nd period.
4. 3rd 4:39 – Shorthanded goal. This goal was scored by Brock Bennett from out by the blue line. I wrote on my notepad, “Overhand curveball”. Ok, set this up. Tyler Lessard won an offensive face-off after AJ Hill’s shot from the point had been saved and covered. The face-off win brought the puck to Austin Campbell who was lauded into a quick game of 1-on-2 Patty Puck (it’s like Patty Cake but with sticks and a puck). He swatted and the puck ended going out to the blue line where Brock Bennett slid over and made a play on the puck. I don’t know exactly what happened to the puck in flight but it clearly worked like a big looping right-hander’s overhand curveball. The puck was headed high and to one side but ended up low and inside the far post for the goal. Then again, this was one of the oddest games I’ve seen in quite a while. SHG – B. Bennett (6) from Campbell (9) and T. Lessard (15). 4-1.
5. 3rd 13:38 – On the power play. More wheeling. The puck was behind the net and squirted out to the corner. Tyler Lessard grabbed and surveyed the offensive zone. He skated out high and hit Sam Chapman with a nice pass. Chapman crushed a one-timer that was blocked by Jared Gauthier. Gauthier dropped to the ice. The puck came back to Chapman who calmly fed a gorgeous pass to Zack Tarrier on the weak side doorstep for a tap in goal. I do hope Gauthier is okay. He did get up and skate off the ice under his own power. PPG – Tarrier (5) from S. Chapman (11) and T. Lessard (16). 5-1. Final.

 

 

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.