Winchendon, MA- From the drop on Friday night at the Winchendon School, the Cushing Academy Penguins controlled most of the play. One minute into the opening stanza, Winchendon was sent to the box for a trip. It did not take long for the Penguins to Capitalize as senior Emerson Marshall (Gloucester, MA) found the back of the net on the power play, with assists to AJ Sacco and Ryland Randle. Cushing was off and running 1:15 into the game. Cushing added another to double their lead when senior Tanner Hunt (Long Beach, NY) buried a goal from the dirty area in front of the net to make it 2-0 Penguins. Assists went to Brendan Agnew and Troy Maldonado. That is how the first period ended, with shots on net 10-4 in favor of Cushing.
The second period started much like the first one and ended with Cushing playing a possession game in the Winchendon zone. Just 1:14 into the period, junior Kole Hyles (Newfield, NH) made it 3-0 on a nice finish on a 2v1 from Maldonado and Marshall. From then on, Winchendon junior goalie Dylan Michelow made several highlight reel and acrobatic saves to keep the game 3-0 at the end of two periods. The Wapiti’s best chance in the period came off the stick of Trevor Pellechia when he got all of a one-timer only to be stopped by Cushing Academy goalie Marco Bilic to keep the shutout alive. Shots in the second period: Cushing had 16, a two-period total of 26; Winchendon had six, a two-period total of 10.
Winchendon had many chances on the power play in the third period but could not connect with the back of the net. Marko Bilic completed the shutout, including keeping Winchendon off the board and killing a 5-minute major. Cushing added a powerplay goal by senior Bronson Hunt from Maldonado and Randle; their second assists of the night to finish the Penguins scoring—final Shots Cushing 39 Winchendon 16. Final score 4-0.
Three Stars
Ryland Randle (Cushing Academy)
Tanner Hunt (Cushing Academy)
Dylan Michelow (Winchendon School)
