Michael Fortin looks to beat Wes Anderson and get to the net for a shot. (Photo by Charron)
Have you ever felt like you are a part of an event that appears to have been a massive afterthought? That’s kind of how it felt in Salem this evening. Playing on the lower rink, where the clock is difficult to read, the puck marred glass above the boards severely impairs everyone’s vision, and the facilities are better suited for Middle School hockey or a practice, the main event of Timberlane hosting Goffstown in a NHIAA Division II regular season game seemed completely out of place.
Theo Milanes, Grady Chretien, and Michael Fortin faceoff against Samuel Davies and the Bobcats. (Photo by Charron)The Grizzlies gather just before their game at Oyster River. (Photo by Charron)
From the Whittemore Center on the campus of UNH –
I find that as I am getting older that I may be getting a little more critical in some areas. Even though my playing days are well behind me, it turns out that I still have this deep sense of competitiveness that bubbles up inside me. My mind is still in tune (as far as I know) with preparation, process, and the effort it takes in tirelessly crafting the skills of anything I ever wanted to compete in. With that mindset and background I watch the Goffstown Grizzlies play every shift, of every game, and work very diligently to be observant while accurately sharing the game as I see it. My mom always told me that if I didn’t have something nice to say, that I should say nothing at all. So, instead of being too brief, I am looking for the silver linings to the dark clouds that always seem to hover over the Whittemore Center every time the Grizzlies visit the Bobcats of Oyster River.
From Sullivan Arena on the campus of St. Anselm College –
In recent years, it seems that whenever Goffstown is scheduled to play Lebanon-Stevens in hockey, either the game is snowed out, or the game is played closely contested, with a pinch of physicality. This afternoon when Lebanon-Stevens (0-1) came into the Grizzlies Den to play Goffstown (1-0), things played out like they usually do. At least the weather was nice though.
Thanks to mother nature, the Goffstown High School Grizzlies hockey team opened the 2017-2018 hockey season at home, with a 3-1 win over the visiting Portsmouth-Newmarket Clipper Mules. Not much came easy for the home team, as Portsmouth-Newmarket (Ports-New) was feisty, and challenged every chance that they could.
Well, the results are in, and the Nationals are over with. New Hampshire high school hockey was pretty well represented in Michigan and also in Texas. The New Hampshire Avalanche 18U and the Manchester Flames 16U teams both made the trip to their respective Tier II National Championship tournaments. I purchased a subscription to HockeyTV so that I could watch both teams play.
The New Hampshire Avalanche 18U team is playing for the Tier II Division 2A USA Hockey National Championship tomorrow at 10am! This press release is meant to be informational and also serve as a summary of how the NH Avalanche 18U team reached the final.
Well, the results are in, and the Nationals are over with. New Hampshire high school hockey was pretty well represented in Michigan and also in Texas. The New Hampshire Avalanche 18U and the Manchester Flames 16U teams both made the trip to their respective Tier II National Championship tournaments. I purchased a subscription to HockeyTV so that I could watch both teams play.
The New Hampshire Avalanche 18U team is playing for the Tier II Division 2A USA Hockey National Championship tomorrow at 10am! This press release is meant to be informational and also serve as a summary of how the NH Avalanche 18U team reached the final.
CONGRATULATIONS to the Grizzlies Honored This Season! The 2016-2017 Hockey Season was a special one, and there is a wonderful tradition building right here in Goffstown. Who will step up next season and take their…
Sullivan Arena, St. Anselm College, Goffstown, NH.
Saturday, February 25, 2017.
Goffstown v. Windham, 11:30am. Senior Day.
The 2016-2017 Goffstown Grizzlies Varsity Hockey team. Regular season record of 12-6, earning the #4 seed in the tournament. (C) 1inawesomewonder 2017.
Campion Ice Arena, West Lebanon, NH. Tuesday, February 21, 2017. Goffstown at Lebanon-Stevens, 445pm. Maturity and growth are signs that lessons are being learned. They are signs that messages are being received. They are the…
West Side Arena, Manchester, NH. Saturday, February 18, 2017. Goffstown at Merrimack, 500pm. Merrimack and Goffstown are not too fond of one another. At least the high school hockey teams from these two towns tend…
Skate 3, Tyngsboro, MA. Wednesday, February 15, 2017. Goffstown at Alvirne, 550pm. Maybe a gaffe; a faux pas, as it were. See, the game sheet last night read: Home Team: Alvirne. Visiting Team: Goofstown. I…
Sullivan Arena, St. Anselm College, Goffstown, NH.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017.
Goffstown v. Keene, 730pm.
Misery and gloom are associated with distress and anxiety. And these emotions could have played major roles in tonight’s home game against the undefeated Keene Blackbirds. Especially when Keene scored six unanswered goals over a span of 17 minutes. But the Grizzlies kept skating. They kept competing. They kept getting scoring chances. The final score was 8-3 in favor of the Blackbirds, who improved to 13-0 on the season. Goffstown did battle, and they did get some great chances to score. Myles Ditkoff was solid in net for the visiting Keene squad, making 26 saves on 29 shots. Keene had only allowed as many as 2 goals in a single game, just once this season. Tonight, they allowed 3 goals to the Grizzlies.
Dover Arena, Dover, NH. Wednesday, January 25, 2017. Goffstown at St. Thomas, 530pm. Maybe all Goffstown’s away games will be decided in overtime. Early this evening, the Grizzlies traveled to Dover to play the Saints of…
Sullivan Arena, St. Anselm College, Goffstown, NH. Saturday, January 21, 2017. Goffstown v. Winnacunnet, 730pm. Most athletic games are decided later in the contest than this one was. Winnacunnet came into Goffstown looking for their first…
Welcome to September hockey fans! Believe it or not, it’s time to get the 17th year of the Friends of Goffstown Hockey started. There is a board meeting coming up, and we would like to…
Also, back on March 27, 2016, The Union Leader published to the Hockey All-State teams. Congratulations to all of the players named, especially to Goffstown Senior, Goaltender, Colin Holt who was named to the 1st Team. You can see that brief article by clicking the link below.
I heard it in the voices of the returning families, I saw it in the smiles on the players faces. I felt it being around the rink and witnessing the countless gestures of kindness and support.
In short, Merrimack was prepared, they were sharp, and they were better. Right from go. Their intensity waned not. After all was said and done, the Merrimack Tomahawks advanced to the Semi-Finals with an 8-5 victory over the upset-minded Goffstown Grizzlies.
Obviously, no team is any hotter than the white-hot Tomahawks. Then again, they haven’t played a meaningful game since Feb. 25th. By tomorrow, that will be 16 days since they last played. The Grizzlies are now 6-2-1 in their last 9 outings and have started to generate some momentum themselves. Anything can happen as we all know, and tomorrow we will find out if any of these numbers mean a thing.
