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- Category: Past Issues
captions
Top:
Congrats
Red Wings and Bruins meet up for post-game congratulations after Saturday’s playoff game. Courtesy photos.
Lower Right:
Presentation
Griffin Youth Hockey’s House League Director John Normington, center, presents his daughter Samantha Normington with flowers following her final game in the program after seven years. Dawson Normington on right.
Inside Middle:
Watching
Right, Ellie Jellison watches her Lightning teammates clear the puck out of their zone, against the Avalanche in the playoff game March 5.
This past weekend Griffin Youth Hockey closed out its 2010-2011 recreational youth hockey season with the annual Championship series of games with Avalanche winning the Atoms Division President’s Cup for the second season in a row.
March 5, Atoms Division playoffs were held with the Division’s first game of the day saw a match-up of the third-place Bruins against the second-place Red Wings. These two evenly matched teams ended the first period tired at zero and that back and forth game play continued until 1:44 remained in the second period when Zach Smith scored the first goal of the game, with an assist from Jordan Bartlett. Heading into the third period, the two teams found themselves tied once again after Zach Gagnon netted a goal with an assist from Kyle Prouty at 9:15 of the third period. With one second remaining prior to the 3-minute mark line change buzzer, Will Liscomb was able to sneak one past Bruin’s goalie Nathan DeLuca putting the Red Wings up by one. During the B-Line’s last shift of the playoff game, Will Bernier put his Red Wings’ team up by two goals with an assist from Ryan Wojciechowski. With time clearly running out, the Bruins were desperate for a goal, but Red Wings’ goaltender Bethany Oliver kept her team into the game stopping a total of 18 shots. At 1:06 left in game time, Red Wings’ Zach Smith scored his second goal of the game, with the assist being credited to Will Liscomb. Final score: Red Wings 4 – Bruins 1
The second playoff game of the day would see the first-place Avalanche being matched up with the fourth-place Lightning. The Lightning, which trailed most of the regular season, came out with a vengeance and lit the scoreboard within the first minute of game play with an unassisted goal by Jon-Luc Cournoyer. For the remainder of the first period, both teams battled it out away from their nets with less than a handful of shots taken at each goalie. At the 1:55 mark of the first period, Lightning’s Jon-Luc Cournoyer netted his second goal of the game. The Lighting found themselves up by two goals against the number one Avalanche. Unfortunately, with twenty seven seconds left on the clock, Avalanche’s Nick Allesandro answered with a goal, aided by a pass from Alex Benoit putting the Avalanche back into the game by one goal before the end of the first period. Throughout the remainder of the game, the Lightning were shut out of scoring, and with second a period goal by Avalanche’s Edward Matatall (assist Robert Totten) and a third period goal by Marco Suriano (assist Edward Matatell), the Avalanche found themselves headed to Sunday’s Championship game. Shots on goal; Lightning, 12 and Avalanche, 13. Final score: Avalanche 3 – Lightning 2
Prior to the March 6 championship game, the Lightning pulled out a decisive win against the Bruins during the Atom Division Consolation game. Lightning goals were credited to Jon-Luc Cournoyer, Jake Black, Jordan Lamothe and Joshua McFadden with assists by Jordan Lamothe, Jacob Privee and Garrett Hooper. This effort resulted in a 4-1 win over the Bruins who were hampered with the loss of their regular season goalie due to a wrist injury sustained the previous day during the playoff game. Matt Grauer bravely strapped on the goalie equipment and was thoroughly tested for his first time in the net this season. The Bruin’s lone goal was netted by Devin White.
Once the player names were announced, national anthem played and the drop of the puck was made, the Avalanche and Red Wings started their final season meeting against one another for the Championship game. With zero goals throughout much of the first period, Red Wings lit the board first with Zach Smith (assist Jordan Bartlett) getting one past Avalanche goalie Connor Bavosi (14 shots - 11 saves) , however that one goal lead was short lived as Avalanche’s Nick Allesandro tied it up with an unassisted goal. Throughout the second period, the Avalanche dominated the goal scoring with four more goals, two by Edward Mattatall, one by Robert Totten and another from Nick Allesandro. By the end of the period, Red Wings were able to answer with only one goal by Jake Farrell (assists Jordan Bartlett, Zach Smith). Red Wings’ goalie Bethany Oliver (24 shots – 19 saves) shut out the Avalanche’s eleven third period attempts, but even with a mid-period goal by Zach Smith, the Red Wing’s found themselves short by two as the game ending buzzer sounded and the Avalanche win the Atom Division President’s Cup for the second season in a row with a final score of Avalanche 5 – Red Wings 3.
These two final games can be seen on local television. Tune into Charter Community Access TV (Channel 14) March 19 at 8 p.m.: Bruins/Lightning Consolation Game and March 20 at 7 p.m.: Avalanche/Red Wings Championship Game.
Youth Hockey at Lightning Speed
Feb. 26 Griffin Youth Hockey held its 2nd Annual Big Meltdown Tournament with the Vipers, Black Bats, Baystate Brawlers and The Other Guys taking first in their division.
The games were played cross ice, 3 vs 3, 8 minute running time for high-speed action.
Twenty four teams, divided into four divisions, competed in five games each. The Mites, players 8 and younger, were on the ice first. In the Mite I Division, The Vipers took the first-place trophy with 21 goals scored. The Avalanche came in second place with 17 goals, and The Mud Bugz took third with 13 goals.
The Mite II Division winners were The Black Bats with 20 goals, The Bobcats with 15 goals, and The Hammer Heads with 12.
The Squirt Division winners, The Baystate Brawlers, scored 47 goals. The Big Griffins came in second, with 45 goals, and third-place winners was Zoe’s Team with 20 goals scored.
The PeeWee Division wrapped the tournament up with The Other Guys taking 1first-place trophies with 43 goals, The Eagles in second with 36 goals, and The No Names in third with 25 goals.