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. Hockey: Portsmouth-Newmarket 1 at Goffstown 3
#2 Bow (17-2-1) vs. #1 Keene (18-0) – Division II Championship
Mettlesome and gritty are a pair of words that come to mind when I look to describe the Bow Falcons in their game this afternoon. See, Bow entered the tournament as the #2 seed, and they owned an awesome regular season record of 15-2-1. As these kind of things often work themselves out, the pair of losses for Bow came at the hands of this afternoon’s opponent, the Keene BlackBirds. Bow lost to Keene 3-0 just before Christmas, and then they lost again, 5-3 in mid-February. In today’s Division II State Championship game, the #1 BlackBirds (18-0) looked to remain undefeated, and cap their perfect season with their first ever hockey title. Though, as we have learned over the years, in sports, and in rivalries, it is very difficult to beat a good opponent three straight times, especially in the same season. Today was no different.NHIAA Hockey: Div. II Final: Bow Hands Keene First Loss, 4-2
Mumbled and garbled audio aside, the atmosphere in Exeter was electric. The Bow student section was in place early. The Windham throngs seemed to show up at exactly the same time. Keene packed their side with orange and black. St. Thomas showed their various blues. Before long the seats were full. The areas all around the glass where people were allowed to stand, were accounted for. The crowds for all of the Final Four teams were loud, present, and noticeable. Despite my hometown Grizzlies being absent from the semifinals, it was fun to watch some good high school hockey. Storylines run in every direction when there are a few of us, or more, gathered at events like these. Then, there comes the time when the game is played, and legends are born.NHIAA Hockey: Div. II Semi-Finals, It'll Be 1 vs. 2
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… GHS Hockey: Goffstown 4 at Lebanon-Stevens 3
