Boys hockey tops Woburn, 2-1, advances to MIAA quarterfinals
CCHS is to take on No. 4 Burlington on Thursday at the Chelmsford Forum after upsetting the No. 5 seed Woburn Tanners.
In front of a boisterous capacity crowd at O’Brien Arena in Woburn — and despite being outshot 45-14 — the Acton-Carlisle boys hockey team upset the No. 5 seed Woburn Tanners, 2-1, on February 28 to progress to the quarterfinals of the MIAA state playoffs.
- Team record: Overall: 13-7-3; Dual County League 8-3-1
- Big game: Co-captain Sam Griswold starred in net, turning away 44 shots and recording his 1,000th save as a CCHS goaltender. In his two games since returning from injury, Griswold has played almost flawlessly, stopping 70 of 71 shots on goal.
- Turning points: With less than a minute left in the first period, Will Steffens won the puck at the offensive blue line, sidestepped a defender, and passed to Joe Grasso cutting across the ice. Grasso gauged the goalie’s position and beat him to the blocker side to give the Patriots a 1-0 lead. With nine minutes left in the third period and the game tied 1-1, Ben Brooks picked up the puck in the neutral zone, crossed the blue line, and unleashed a furious slap shot that clanged off the crossbar and into the net to give the Patriots a 2-1 lead and momentum that carried them to the final buzzer.
- Unsung heroes: Christopher Bono turned in an unrelenting performance on defense, repeatedly frustrating Woburn attackers. He and fellow defensemen James Jenney, Cam McWalter, and Fisher Tibbitt helped kill three penalties during a key stretch in the second period.
- Up next: CCHS is to take on No. 4 Burlington on Thursday at the Chelmsford Forum.
CCHS 1, Melrose 0
Griswold made a triumphant return from injury, leading the Patriots to a 1-0 victory over Melrose on February 25 in the first round of the MIAA Division 2 playoffs. Griswold made 26 saves for the shutout win; Declan Daley scored the game’s only goal, with assists by Brooks and Grasso.
- Big game: Midway through the second period, Daley beat a Melrose defender to pounce on the rebound of a Brooks shot. Daley flashed in front of the Melrose net and beat the goaltender to give the Patriots a lead they would not relinquish.
- Game changer: On the play immediately prior to CC’s goal, Jenney prevented Melrose from getting the puck out of their defensive zone, won control, and forced the faceoff that led to the Patriots’ goal.
- Unsung heroes: Earlier in the third period, Cam McWalter swept away a puck dangerously close to the CCHS net to maintain the lead. With one minute left in regulation and an extra attacker on for Melrose, Theo Price delivered a thundering check at the blue line that brought the CCHS fans to their feet and enabled the Pats to clear the zone and preserve the victory. Tommy McKenna led the Pats with three blocked shots.
