Frosh Griffin helps Salem to sizzling 4-1 start
Trailing 4-1 early in the third period against Pinkerton Academy back on Dec. 27, freshman goalie Thomas Griffin came off the bench for Salem and played for the final 13 minutes, making nine saves.
Since then, he has been the team’s No. 1 goalie and has reeled off four straight wins, while posting a very impressive 1.77 GAA and a .925 save percentage.
Lacroix lifts Astros
A year ago, Hunter Lacroix was playing club hockey and this year the senior defenseman returned to play for Pinkerton Academy as has provided a big spark to the team.
“We’re thankful that he came back to us,” said head coach Jon Chabot. “He’s a hardworking, respectful, and focused teammate. He’s also a valuable asset to our defensive core and in creating offense. We’re lucky to have him as both a leader and defenseman within our program.”
Jags ride rock-solid Robles
After reaching the Division I state final last year, the Windham Jaguars have a new head coach and a lot of new players this season, yet the team is 5-3 overall. First-year head coach Shawn Quaglietta said goalie Roberto Robles has been a huge reason behind the strong start, including five wins and three shutouts.
“He’s a true competitor and never wants to come out of the net,” said Quaglietta. “We’re very confident in his abilities and to keep us in every game we play.
Andover’s Conley-Carlin connection
Sophomore Luke Conley has been a pleasant surprise for the Golden Warriors. He has nine points (2 goals, 7 assists) through nine games.
“My linemate Liam Carlin has helped a lot, and we have great chemistry,” said Conley. “I’ve just been getting shots on net. I’m on the power play and I feel like I’m a key player on that.”
Young Raiders learning
Between youth and inexperience, lack of consistency on the offensive end, and an extremely tough schedule, the Central Catholic Raiders are off to a tough 2-8 start.
“Like many teams, we are struggling to find some consistency in offensive production. A few of our younger newcomers are developing quickly and we hope for a much better outcome as we approach our mid-way point in the season,” said head coach DJ Conte.
Haverhill on rebound
After starting the season out with a 0-3 record, the Hillies started to climb back toward the .500 mark, winning three of their last four games. In the team’s latest game, a wild 7-6 loss to Methuen, the Hillies had just 14 dressed players due to multiple injuries, and trailed 6-1 before making a terrific comeback which just fell short.
“The group that is playing is logging an exorbitant number of minutes every game and enduring a very tough workload. They come off the ice gasping for air but recover quickly to get right back on the ice to do it all over again,” said head coach Joe Roberts.
Unsung Ranger trio
A big part of Methuen’s (5-0-2) success is the unexpected play of the third line of sophomore Liam Worden (0-3-3), senior Bryce Murray (1-1-2) and junior Cody Lambert (2-1-3).
“Coming into the season we felt like we had some veteran goal scorers along with some talented young players,” said head coach Bill Blackwell. “The question we had was who could we trust for our third line and play team defense? Liam, Bryce and Cody not only are playing selfless defense but have contributed offensively.”
Steady Sullivan anchoring Knights
Every team needs a stay-at-home defenseman, and North Andover has just that in senior Sean Sullivan.
“Sean has steadily worked his way into more of a regular role since his junior year,” said coach Scott Greene. “Sean has a great hockey IQ and is regularly checking in with me during the school day to talk about things he watched in NHL and how we could incorporate it into our team system. He has come up huge this year defending a few too many 3-on-1 rushes by the other team.”
Guertin steady for A-W
The Amesbury-Whittier co-op team is off to a 3-5-0 start competing in the Cape Ann League Baker Division. Take away one loss and the Redhawks are giving up just 2.5 goals per game. Defenseman Riley Guertin has played a big part in that.
“Riley is a full effort defensive minded defenseman who never backs down from a challenge. He always has words of encouragement for teammates and landed an ‘A’ on his jersey this year,” said head coach Steve Costa.