Billerica, MA – Thanks to the magic of our friends at LiveBarn, we were able to catch another great Sweet 16 game this evening. The Boston Latin School traveled to the Hallenborg Ice Pavilion to face off against Billerica High School in the D2 Sweet 16 to see who would face Concord-Carlisle in the Elite 8.
Both teams came out strong, forechecking hard and feeling each other out in the opening 15. The home team seemed to have a strategy: get pucks behind the Boston Latin defensemen and make them pay. Billerica’s F1 got on Latin’s defensemen fast and was very physical. Every time a Latin player went back for a puck they had to make a quick decision before they took a big hit. On the other side, Latin got pucks deep as well but played a more passive-style forecheck. They got some pressure on Billerica but they ran a 1-2-2 style forecheck and tried to trap them on their first pass out of the zone. Each team had chances on the power play but both special teams were stingy, not giving the other team an inch. The period ended 0-0.
The second period was a special teams bonanza as there were 5 penalties taken, one 5-minute major going against Billerica for boarding. It was starting to look like the penalty kill units were going to win out today, but Billerica had other ideas. They went on a power play at the 9:50 second mark of the period. Junior forward Dan Viscione carried the puck down the right wall and into Latin’s zone. He slid the puck to his teammate sophomore forward Tim Murphy who cut across the slot and let a quick shot go through a screen beating Latin sophomore goalie Oliver Murphy. With 8:07 to go Latin would go back on the power play and this time they would capitalize. Senior captain Matt Carrara, playing the right elbow on the power play, got a pass from junior Shane Dunning at the top of the power play and ripped one past Billerica junior goalie Stephen Macintosh to tie the game at 1-1. Billerica then took a 5-minute boarding penalty with 5:27 left in the period and Latin had a couple of minutes of power play time before taking another penalty of their own. The teams finished 4-on-4 and the period ended 1-1.
The third period was played mostly 5-on-5 with only one penalty called on Latin. It was a tough, hard-fought, scrappy period for both teams. No one wanted to give an inch with the game being tied. However, Billerica would break the tie with 7:53 left in the period. Junior Mikey Giordano chipped a puck past a defender to the streaking sophomore forward Ryan Johnson. Johnson beat the defenseman wide, drove the net, and slid one past Murphy giving them the 2-1 lead. Two minutes later Latin would respond. Senior captain Aidan Fitzpatrick took the puck around the back of Billerica’s net and found Carrara on the back door for his second of the game. Both teams played sound hockey for the final five minutes to close out the period tied 2-2, and would need overtime to decide a winner.
Right from the start, and playing 4v4, both teams created chances and both goalies made some great saves to keep it tied. It looked like this game was going to need a 3v3 double overtime period but Latin senior captain Robert Banks had other plans. With the puck in Billerica’s end, Latin was cycling and looking for a soft spot to get a scoring chance, and Banks found it. He moved down from the blue line and sat in the slot, where his teammate Fitzpatrick slid him the puck. Banks snapped off a quick shot that beat Macintosh far side. That gave Latin the 3-2 win and will move them on to the Elite 8 where they get second-seeded Concord-Carlisle at a to-be-announced date and location.
Three Stars:
- F Matt Carrara, Boston Latin
- F Aidan Fitzpatrick, Boston Latin
- D Robert Banks, Boston Latin
