SALEM — Rarely do you get a win-win scenario in Northeastern Conference hockey. But Saturday night was the rare instance in which both coaching staffs were relatively happy afterwards.
A three-point night from junior London McDonald and a defensive effort that allowed just 14 shots on net gave the defending Division 3 state champions from Marblehead a 3-1 decision over Peabody/Saugus/Swampscott at Rockett Arena.
“The effort was much better than what we’d seen the previous two games,” said head coach Mark Marfione, referring to a loss against Medfield and a lackluster tie with Hopkinton. “It was refreshing; it’s the first time we (i.e., the coaching staff) has recognized this team in a few games. It wasn’t perfect, but it’s definitely something we can build off of.”
The visiting Tanners (now 3-3) didn’t prevail, but against the best team they’ve played to date they more than held their own.
“I just reminded our guys (postgame) that it obviously wasn’t the result we wanted, but we established ourselves tonight. We’re a legit threat,” said Peabody/Saugus/Swampscott head coach Jason Marshall. “We didn’t win a lot the last two years, but it’s night and day this season. We feel we can win any game we step on the ice.
“I’m really proud of the way the guys played tonight. This was the first time for a lot of these guys playing in a game of this magnitude, and they were in it the entire way.”
“Peabody is so improved,” added Marfione, his team now 6-1-1 on the season. “They’re fast, they’re deeper … I’m happy to see them get so much better.”
Having scored 31 goals in their first five games, Peabody/Saugus/Swampscott did not have a plethora of shots on goal Saturday, but several of the chances they did have were Grade-A.
Nick Muse, a senior left wing who had netted a North Shore leading 14 goals coming in, had two great bids in the opening frame. Gaining a step on a Marblehead defenseman, he carried the puck through the slot and let a shot go that sailed over the cage. He had an even better opportunity late in the period when he gathered the puck at center ice and broke in alone on senior netminder Leo Burdge, dekeing and putting a low, hard backhand on net that the Header captain turned aside with a quick left pad save.
Captain Tyson Higgins also found himself alone out from of the MHS cage after taking a behind-the-net pass from Muse and one-timed a shot that Burdge denied with 13.4 seconds left in the first. In the second period, dangerous winger Brandon Barone was ready to let one rip from his off-wing circle when Marblehead sophomore defenseman timed his dive perfectly, extending his stick to break up the attempt.
“Leo’s not a volume-dependent goalie, so even if he’s not seeing constant action he can still come up with the big saves,” said Marfione. “We don’t worry about him getting cold down there.”
The Headers took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission after cashing in on a 5-on-3 power play. Moving the puck crisply and quickly, captain Crew Monaco worked it from the point down to McDonald, who drew a defender to him in the slot before dishing off to a wide open Kyle Hart. The senior captain one-timed a shot home easily at the 9:05 mark.
The Headers carried the play offensively in the middle stanza and had plenty of chances to increase their lead before finally getting one at 13:22. Junior right wing Avin Rodovsky was the marksman, coming off the right wing boards and snapping a shot bar down on the glove side to make it 2-0 after 30 minutes.
Muse was able to get the Tanners on the scoreboard with 6:54 to go, slicing his team’s deficit in half. Stationed at the backdoor of the Marblehead crease, he easily banged home a pass from behind the net by Higgins while on the power play.
An empty net goal by McDonald, assisted by Monaco, sealed the win for Marblehead.
“It was the toughest game we’ve played, and the effort we gave was really something we can build off of,” said Marshall.
Marblehead 3, Peabody/Saugus/Swampscott 1
at Rockett Arena, Salem
P/S/S;0;0;1;1
Marblehead;1;1;1;3
First period: M, Kyle Hart (London McDonald, Crew Monaco), ppg, 9:05.
Second period: M, Avin Rodovsky (Teddy Dulac, McDonald), 13:22.
Third period: P/S/S, Nick Muse (Tyson Higgins, Demetri Breton), ppg, 8:06; M, McDonald (Monaco), eng, 14:25.
Saves: P/S/S, Dom Pappalardo 23; M, Leo Burdge 8.
Records: M, 6-1-1; P/S/S, 3-3.