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…
That’s what good teams do, they battle. That’s also what Goffstown did, they battled. They did what they had to do, to get the win.
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.
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.
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.
Prior to the overtime winner scored by Greenwood, there was one name on my tongue, as it related to the one who stole the show; that name is Colin Holt. Senior, Goaltender, Colin Holt, he wears uniform #1 and tonight, he was the #1 defender. Were it not for Holt’s heroics in net, the Grizzlies could have been down 4 or 5 goals after the first period alone.
It wasn’t too long ago, when the Goffstown Grizzlies Ice Hockey team found themselves mired in mediocrity. They were hovering at .500 with a 5-5 record, and were in the bottom half of the standings. It was the end of January and they were looking up at most of the division, with games against perennial powerhouses, Dover and Spaulding staring them in the face.
It wasn’t too long ago, when the Goffstown Grizzlies Ice Hockey team found themselves mired in mediocrity. They were hovering at .500 with a 5-5 record, and were in the bottom half of the standings. It was the end of January and they were looking up at most of the division, with games against perennial powerhouses, Dover and Spaulding staring them in the face.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016. 730pm @ Sullivan Arena, St. Anselm College, Goffstown, NH – Goffstown vs. Windham. It’s Thursday morning, March 3rd, 2016, and I am not certain that I have yet caught my breath from last night’s spectacle…
Monday, February 29, 2016. 730pm @ Sullivan Arena, St. Anselm College, Goffstown, NH – Goffstown vs. Hollis-Brookline-Derryfield. Last night the Goffstown Grizzlies played host to the Warriors from Hollis-Brookline-Derryfield in NHIAA Division II Hockey. Before the game…
Saturday, February 27, 2016. 420pm @ Campion Arena, West Lebanon, NH – Goffstown @ Lebanon. On Saturday afternoon, less than 24 hours after playing Keene at home, the Goffstown Grizzlies traveled to Campion Rink and slugged…
If you think about the kids themselves and how “big” everything in their lives seems to them in these moments, you’d remember how momentous these occasions are in a timeline that is still being written.
They had not come closer to winning a game (in score) than a 6-3 loss in their first game of the season, against Timberlane. Last night though, the team from HBD played well enough to make things difficult for the visiting Grizzlies from Goffstown.
Thursday, February 18, 2016. 730pm @ Sullivan Arena, Goffstown, NH – Goffstown vs. Oyster River. Tonight, the Grizzlies from Goffstown hosted the Bobcats from Oyster River in a Division II hockey game, with the chances to host…
Saturday, February 13, 2016. 400pm @ Sullivan Arena, Goffstown, NH – Goffstown vs. Dover. In the end, Goffstown did make the road upset win at Dover stand up. The Grizzlies came out and beat the high-flying Red…
To the game we go. Honestly, I told myself in the very first minute of the game, that unless something went horribly wrong, Goffstown should be in this game until the end. It was apparent early that Goffstown came to play.
After all was said and done, the Bow Falcons improved to 10-1-1 on the season. Goffstown dropped to 5-5. According to records, streaks, common opponents, etc. Bow was supposed to win this game. Ultimately the young, talented team from Bow did win, but this was a battle from the opening faceoff.
Sunday, January 24, 2016. 330pm @ Sullivan Arena, St. Anselm College, Goffstown, NH – Belmont-Gilford @ Goffstown. Today reminded me of something from a quarter-century or so ago. I remember going to the old Boston Garden,…
As I get into the game itself, I will say that this Windham team is a good team. They appear to be well coached. They skate well as a team. They move the puck quickly, especially in the offensive end.
The play told a too familiar story for Grizzlie fans though, as either of two Goffstown defensemen could have raced behind the net and been the first player to the loose puck, but instead, neither one went, and Oyster River centered the puck to the slot and scored, or didn’t score, officially.
Saturday, January 16, 2016. 5pm @ Keene Ice, Keene, NH – Goffstown @ Keene. The Goffstown Grizzlies came to Keene after a week of practices, playing their first game since blowing out Timberlane last Saturday. As of late,…
Saturday, January 9, 2016. 730pm @ Sullivan Arena, St. Anselm College, Goffstown, NH – Timberlane @ Goffstown. The Goffstown Grizzlies seemed a bit anxious to get out on the ice and play another hockey game after a…
Goffstown definitely took more chances to make plays in the third period, and they would end up getting 13 shots on goal in the final stanza.
Honestly, this roster will be better for having competed in the Bauer Hockey Christmas Classic. They gave Hanover all they could handle for 41 minutes before the Marauders broke through. They are capable. They are learning. The youngsters now have 9 games under their belt, including scrimmages, and I look forward to watching this team develop in 2016. The youngsters from Stephen Provencher to the veterans in Holt, Roy, and Greenwood will keep working. They’ll keep bonding. They’ll continue to develop and there will be wonderful moments on and off of the ice for the next couple of months.