Playing For Position

Playing For Position

Whether or not you are playing for position, or for personal improvement, play you must. If the schedule says start your hockey game by noon on a Friday then you must show up and play your best hockey. For the most part, Goffstown did just that.

It has been a difficult season for the Brady-Valley Giants. Even so, they do have some talent on the roster, they just need a few more players to come out and play. With a shorter bench, it becomes very difficult to keep pace with teams rolling two or three lines of players for three full periods.

As a result, the Giants wear down over the course of the game, and the gap between the teams widens. Goffstown scored twice in the opening period and twice more in the second period. Then they put up four goals in the final period. In other words, the gap widened as the game wore on.

Consequently, the Grizzlies had eight different goal scorers in the game against Brady-Valley. In addition, fifteen different Goffstown players registered one point or more in the game.

 

 

Standings

As of Thursday night here are the NHIAA DII Boys Ice Hockey Standings. Goffstown is playing out the schedule in the hope that they could secure a #4 seed, and host one more game this season.

The visitors from Goffstown earned their 12th win of the season on Friday. Lord willing, they will travel to Exeter on Saturday and play one more regular season game. After that, it’s a whole new season, the post season.

Let’s get to the scoring from the game at Delta Dental Arena. Yes, the arena was renamed 175 days ago, on September 5, 2025. It’s still new to most of us. The name change followed a multi-year naming rights partnership between the New Hampshire Mountain Kings and Northeast Delta Dental.

Goal 1

The Grizzlies got on the board just 2:00 into the game. It was a simple play really. Goffstown got the puck deep, and Van Eames pushed it back to the point. Jackson Horne stepped into a low shot from the blue line. Peyton Cone made a pad save but the rebound came right to Eames who fired the puck into the near side of the net. It was Eames first goal of the season that wasn’t a shootout goal.

Goal 2

Goffstown’s third line was out on the ice again, and again, they scored. AJ Tramontozzi carried the puck over the blue line before running into a check and separating from the puck. Van Eames was right there and grabbed the puck. At this instant, Eames made a quick pass to Jackson Horne. Horne stepped in from the top of the circle and wired a wrist shot into the net.

Goal 3

The Giants were whistled for a 5-minute major penalty on Ian Miller in the second period. Honestly, the Giants did a great job of killing the penalty for almost four minutes. Then reality struck. AJ Hill ripped a shot on goal and Cone made the save. The rebound came to Jaden Booth and he gathered the puck behind the net. While Booth took a quick look around he didn’t delay in sending a pass to AJ Tramontozzi at the bottom of the circle. Van Eames was on the far post ready for a rebound. Tramontozzi ripped a shot toward the net. In any event, there was no rebound as the shot snuck inside the far post for the power play goal.

Goal 4

Goffstown scored on another power play chance later in the second period. In fact, the play was a little bit of tough luck for the Giants. Zack Tarrier won a face-off but the Giants had a chance to clear. The clearing attempt hit Owen St. Onge and bounced to AJ Hill at the point. Hill skated to the middle and ripped a low shot from the high slot. His shot was headed toward the near side post. Like many passes on the day for the Grizzlies, the puck hit a teammate’s skate. That teammate was Gavin Matatall. The redirection of the puck had Cone trying to get to the other side of the net now. On the positive side for Goffstown, the puck had come right to Owen St. Onge who slipped the shot through Cone who was trying to recover from the change of direction.

 

 

 

Simple Hockey – Not Glamorous

It was the final period of the game, and as has been noted, the gap between the teams was widening, just a little bit each shift. Peyton Cone made a save and held onto the puck for a stoppage. Goffstown set up in the O zone with Cam Desruisseaux, Corey Beland, and Teddy Beal up front, while Jaden Booth and Griffin Wilkinson held the D positions. These boys like to cycle the puck. Given that they do it fairly well, that is what they did on this play. Puck up the wall, back down to the corner. Puck behind the net, looking, always looking.

Goal 5

Then, the puck is moved, out to Beland, low to Beal, over to Desruisseaux behind the net. The other players were rotating in and out of the slot. Desruisseaux back to Beal. Beland moved to the bottom of the circle. Desruisseaux rotated to the weakside post. All of this at the same time. Then, there it was. Not particularly beautiful but effective. Beal pass to Beland in the low circle. Beland tried to shoot but the shot whimpered off of his stick as he was partially tied up. The puck slid to the low slot while Desruisseaux was moving in anticipation of what might happen next. All of a sudden there it was, Desruisseaux, the puck, a sliver of an opening, and a timely shot away before being checked. Desruisseaux’s shot found the net before Ray Weatherbee toppled Cam over a prone Cam Carrington. No harm. Good goal.

Never Give Up

Although Gavin Matatall didn’t score his first goal until a Saturday night during his junior season, he didn’t wait long to get his second goal.

For one thing, never give up. Will Gavin go down as an all-time great GHS Hockey player in the annals of the program’s history? Probably not. Did he help provide an unforgettable ending to a great hockey game on a Saturday night in February, 2026? He ABSOLUTELY did. Maybe none of those celebrations happen at all had he given up.

Goal 6

On Friday, midday, Matatall pounded home a rebound from a point blank shot by Noah Paris. Cone made a few saves in the entire sequence, including the one on Paris, but left a rebound. Matatall blasted the rebound into the net, a power play goal.

Earlier in the cycle, Paris had taken a couple of hits (that fell in the ‘I’m going to finish my checks because I’m slightly bigger than you, but not change the outcome of any plays’ category) from Chase Thomas. Although this may be true, Noah and the Grizzlies got the last laugh on that play. Zack Tarrier hit Paris with a beautiful pass to set up Noah’s shot. Then Gavin cleaned it up.

Goal 7

To explain this play it started with Jaden Booth keeping the puck in the zone at the offensive zone blue line. He fired a quick shot toward the net. The puck hit teammate, AJ Tramontozzi in the skate. It stung, but AJ shook it off and took the puck to the slot. He ripped a pretty good shot that actually required a save. Cone made the blocker save. Cam Fratus was in stride and crushed the puck into the net for the goal.

On the negative side, Booth and several other Grizzlies have shown a propensity for hitting teammates with shots or waist-high rocket passes. I do think they all like their teammates but this sort of thing has been an ongoing story all season. (No teammates were harmed in the making of this paragraph).

Goal 8

Finally, Goffstown capped the scoring in the final seconds. Jackson Horne sent a nice diagonal pass to first year player, Jason Matatall. He was tied up in the slot but got a little shot on net that Cone kicked out. The puck came out to Tyler Belanger at the side of the net, and Tyler smacked the puck into the net for the goal. Three freshmen, a first year junior, and Jackson Horne, a seasoned junior on the ice for the Grizzlies.

Next

In conclusion, Goffstown finishes regular season play at Winnacunnet on Saturday afternoon (2/28) at 2:30pm (Phillips Exeter). Together with a few other games on Saturday will be the determining factors of the final seeding for the playoffs. To that end, Goffstown will play the final game of the regular season playing for position.

Thank you

Since people sometimes ask about these articles, many times they ask other people around Goffstown Hockey who might know me. They make comments to me, and to others, in effect, hoping their words will reach me somehow. Thank you. Thank you for taking the time to share feedback. Thank you for supporting the kids. It’s all about the kids.

Blessed

I am fortunate to hear from so many people directly and indirectly. Rather, I prefer, blessed. Blessed by the attention given to the players, coaches, and people that are chronicled here. In brief, my goals are simple for this space. Firstly, tell the truth, no matter what. Secondly, have some fun with ‘tongue-in-cheek’ creativity and references to all kinds of experiences. Thirdly, to honor my Creator, my family, and my country.

How I See It

To be “fortunate” in a biblical sense is to be blessed. In other words, a state of deep spiritual prosperity and divine favor, for He is God and we are not. This fortune unlocks true freedom, which is not the license to do whatever you want, but the liberty to fulfill your purpose. When you are truly blessed, you are free to speak the truth, lift others up, and create with joy, reflecting the character of the One who has set you free.

James 1:25 – New King James

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

 

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1st Period Scoring

1. 2:00 – Goffstown Grizzlies – Even Strength – Van Eames from Jackson Horne – GWG. 1-0.
2. 5:07 – Goffstown Grizzlies – Even Strength – Jackson Horne from Van Eames and AJ Tramontozzi. 2-0.

2nd Period Scoring

1. 8:39 – Goffstown Grizzlies – PPG – AJ Tramontozzi from Jaden Booth and AJ Hill. 3-0.
2. 12:31 – Goffstown Grizzlies – PPG – Owen St. Onge from Gavin Matatall and AJ Hill. 4-0.

3rd Period Scoring

1. 2:09 – Goffstown Grizzlies – Even Strength – Cam Desruisseaux from Corey Beland and Teddy Beal. 5-0.
2. 7:00 – Goffstown Grizzlies – PPG – Gavin Matatall from Noah Paris and Zack Tarrier. 6-0.
3. 8:05 – Goffstown Grizzlies – Even Strength – Cam Fratus from AJ Tramontozzi and Jaden Booth. 7-0.
4. 14:50 – Goffstown Grizzlies – Even Strength – Tyler Belanger from Jason Matatall and Jackson Horne. 8-0.

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Goffstown Grizzlies at Brady-Valley Giants

Delta Dental Arena, South Rink, Hooksett, NH.

NHIAA Hockey: Game twenty.

Friday, February 27, 2026.

NHIAA Hockey:

Scoring:
Goffstown Grizzlies: 02 – 02 – 04 = 08

Brady-Valley Giants: 00 – 00 – 00 = 00 

Shots on goal:

Goffstown Grizzlies: 11 – 17 – 15 = 43

Brady-Valley Giants: 06 – 06 – 03 = 15 

Goffstown Grizzlies Penalties:

• 1st – Wilkinson – 2:00 – Roughing.
• 2nd – Booth – 2:00 – Interference.
• 2nd – Beland – 2:00 – Cross Check.
• 3rd – Tramontozzi – 2:00 – Roughing.
• 3rd – Tramontozzi – 2:00 – Unsportsmanlike.

Goffstown was 3-for-4 on the power play, while the Brady-Valley Giants were 0-for-4.

• Goffstown Grizzlies – Kyle Bennett (Jr.) made 15 saves on 15 shots (1.000).
• Brady-Valley Giants – Peyton Cone (Jr.)  made 35 saves on 43 shots (.814).

 

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