Spaulding Skates Past Goffstown
Bottom line: The Red Raiders of Spaulding literally skated right past the No. 4 Seed, Goffstown. On Goffstown’s home ice no less. I had a hard time watching the video of this game. Not because of any surprises, but rather confirmation of what I thought I saw from ice level.
Period 1
Spaulding scored the only goal of the opening period just 3:00 into the period. The Red Raiders swarmed all over the Grizzlies, outshooting them 15-6. To put it another way, Spaulding skated, Goffstown didn’t. The goal replay shows a lot of standing around. So as to count on Kyle? I don’t know. On the other hand, I know it is not a good look. This was a them for the QF effort from Goffstown.
After a few opportunities to clear the puck Goffstown gave up the first goal of the game. The Grizzlies had four players below the dots but they were stationed in a loose formation like a bunch of light poles in a mall parking lot.
Evan Trepanier chipped the puck back to Brayden Comeau at the point. Comeau’s shot was saved by Kyle Bennett but there was a rebound. The only player close to the rebound was Cole Enman and he fired the puck into the net.
Period 2
In the second period Goffstown actually mounted some offense and won the shots battle, 13-8. Be that as it may be the Grizzlies were not matching the pace of the game being dictated by Spaulding. That was quite obvious on the next goal that the visitors scored.
GWG
Goffstown lost a face-off just outside their defensive zone. Jackson Shapleigh pushed the puck into the zone and slipped it over to Rowen Hughes. Hughes ripped a shot that Bennett deflected over the net. The puck bounced off of the end boards and bounced toward the net. Hughes was still in motion, following his own shot, and he slipped the puck into the net for the goal.
Yes, the puck took a bad bounce for the Grizzlies. Though Hughes moved like he was the only one allowed to move at full speed. He beat every other player in the area to the puck.
Record Tying
Goffstown got on the board on one of the few times they had a secondary shot opportunity in the game. Owen St. Onge grabbed a loose puck behind his own net and he already had some speed. He turned the net and sped up the wing. Two defenders collided as St. Onge dumped a bounce pass off the side wall. Zack Tarrier picked up the loose puck and fed the trailer, Connor Bernard. Bernard let a low shot go that Collin McIntyre was forced to save. He made the save. St. Onge was right there to flip the rebound into the net for the goal.
On the play, Zack Tarrier picked up the second assist. The assist was Tarrier’s 74th career assist, and 109th career point. To emphasize this moment, Tarrier tied the all-time record for career assists. He tied Griffin Cook (2019) for number one all-time. He also tied Dan Mercier (2002) for 7th all-time with 109 career points. Congratulations Zack!
All The Bounces
Spaulding took a 3-1 lead with 15 seconds left in the second period. Goffstown failed to clear the puck and once again, it ended up in their net.
Jack Vitas kept the puck in at the top of the circle and immediately flipped a shot toward the net. The puck hit Rowen Hughes in the backside then dropped to the ice. Hughes pushed it toward the net, but it was well wide. The puck hit some combination of Griffin Wilkinson’s skate and Christian Smith’s stick before sliding behind Kyle Bennett for the goal.
The Grizzlies back was all but broken.
Period 3
Goffstown scored 6:27 into the third period, cutting the deficit to, 3-2. Van Eames from Gavin Matatall. The shot beat Collin McIntyre clean. Then Brayden Comeau knocked the net half way to the end boards, and the official started waving his arms, signalling ‘no goal’. I have seen a lot of calls that were pure fiction over the last 12 seasons at ice level.
1:32 later Spaulding scored. Tyler Jean blew past Wilkinson and Zach Lessard for a breakaway shot that was saved by Bennett. Cole Enman was next on the puck and he tucked the rebound under the crossbar. The net was off, or it was on, it didn’t matter. (Fast forward to tonight’s SF game where Somersworth-Coe-Brown scored twice against Spaulding but the net was knocked off, neither one impacted the goal result. Both calls were taken off the board).
Shorthanded Empty
Goffstown was on the power play and had pulled Kyle Bennett from the net. 6-on-4. Nonetheless attention to detail (lacking all season) and urgency were gone. Then, so was the puck. The Grizzlies were unable to break cleanly out of their own end with the puck. Cole Enman picked a pocket and skated in alone to ice the game, and an afternoon hat trick.
Finale
Spaulding was the better team from start to finish. They out-skated Goffstown all afternoon. That was the difference. They advanced to play the winner of the #1 Alvirne-Milford vs. #8 Somersworth-Coe-Brown game. Alvirne-Milford was stunned, 6-1, and the #1 Seed was gone.
I don’t know what to make of this
Goffstown has played in the D2 Quarterfinals in 15 of the last 16 seasons. Three times they had to win a game first, to get to the QF game, they won all three of those. In those 15 QF games since 2010, Goffstown lost all of them. Twice in OT.
Thank you for being a gentleman
Once in a while I get a chance to talk with an opposing player on the ice. In this case, Cole Enman was on the ice when I stepped onto the ice. Explicitly I wanted to congratulate him on his hat trick and his team’s win. Furthermore I wanted to check on the status of Evan Trepanier. After that I told him that we would get a copy of the game sheet to their dressing room shortly. He was in a hurry to celebrate with his team. I apologized for holding him up, as well as thanking him for taking a moment to speak with me. Lastly, I wanted to let people know that he was kind, respectful, and a complete gentleman during this brief interaction. Thank you, Cole.
Oddly I was watching hockey
1st Period Scoring
- 3:00 – Spaulding Red Raiders – Even Strength – Cole Enman from Brayden Comeau and Evan Trepanier.
2nd Period Scoring
- 4:59 – Spaulding Red Raiders – Even Strength – Rowen Hughes from Jackson Shapleigh – GWG.
- 13:49 – Goffstown Grizzlies – Even Strength – Owen St. Onge from Connor Bernard and Zack Tarrier – *Record-Tying Assist*.
- 14:45 – Spaulding Red Raiders – Even Strength – Christian Smith from Jack Vitas and Rowen Hughes.
3rd Period Scoring
- 7:59 – Spaulding Red Raiders – Even Strength – Cole Enman from Tyler Jean.
- 14:22 – Spaulding Red Raiders – Empty – Shorthanded – Cole Enman unassisted. *Hat Trick*.
Goffstown Grizzlies vs. Spaulding Red Raiders
Sullivan Arena, St. Anselm College, Goffstown, NH.
NHIAA Hockey: Game twenty-two.
Saturday, March 07, 2026.
NHIAA Hockey:
Scoring:
Goffstown Grizzlies: 00 – 01 – 00 = 01
Spaulding Red Raiders: 01 – 02 – 02 = 05
Shots on goal:
Goffstown Grizzlies: 06 – 13 – 09 = 28
Spaulding Red Raiders: 15 – 08 – 13 = 36
Goffstown Grizzlies Penalties:
- 3rd – Beland – 2:00 – Interference.
Goffstown was 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Spaulding Red Raiders were 0-for-1.
- Goffstown Grizzlies – Kyle Bennett (Jr.) made 31 saves on 35 shots (.886).
- Spaulding Red Raiders – Collin McIntyre made 27 saves on 28 shots (.964).
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