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Sweeping In
Woodstock’s Don Sousa sweeps in and scores a goal against Trumbull in a CIAC Division II 1st-round state tournament game won by the Centaurs, 5-2. Photo by Sean Saucier/The Woodstock Academy.
It was a heartbreaker. The Woodstock boys’ hockey team held the lead three times in its CIAC Division II state tournament quarterfinal game with Lyman Hall March 11.
On all three occasions, the second-seeded Trojans were able to fight back to tie the game and eventually downed the 10th-seeded Centaurs in overtime, 4-3.
“That’s what you get when you play a great team,” said coach Kevin Bisson. “I think our seeding of No. 10 was a bit false considering we only played 18 games and how the way the points are added up. I don’t feel like it was a 10 vs. 2, but they were definitely a two, a top team in the division, and there was no question they were going to keep coming at us and keep battling.”
The Centaurs took a 1-0 first period lead when freshman Maxx Corradi scored his 15th goal of the season 11 minutes, 21 seconds into the game off assists from linemates Don Sousa and Noah Sampson.
Lyman Hall was able to tie 6:41 into the second period on a goal by Ryan Arduini.
The Centaurs went up by a goal again with 3:24 left in the second on the 19th goal of the season for Sampson.
But it would be 2-2 going into the third when Jack Roberts, who scored over 80 points this season alone, tallied for a first time on a power play with 1:50 left in the second period.
The see-saw continued with senior Kyle Brennan getting an unassisted tally 6:10 into the third for the Centaurs to go up 3-2.
Bisson thought Woodstock held the advantage, at the time, and not just because of the numbers on the scoreboard. “We put them in such a position that I was able to play all three lines and they were only playing two because of the desperation they were (feeling). I had thought we had done a really good job of eliminating their top line for the most part,” he said.
But then … On a Woodstock Academy power play, a face off took place in the Centaurs end.
Senior captain Kenny Mackenzie got that shot through and the game-tying goal with 6:18 left to play.
The Centaurs had a couple of good chances in the remaining regulation time. Don Sousa tried to field a pop up and had an essentially empty net to shoot at. Unfortunately, he had to wait for the puck to come down so he wouldn’t be called for a high stick. In the process, a Lyman Hall defender hit him as he was hitting the shot and the collision caused Sousa to pull the shot wide.
Sampson also had an opportunity late but Trojan’s freshman goalie Dylan Florio made the stop. Woodstock’s freshman goalie Dante Sousa was also up to the task.
Unfortunately, 7:40 into overtime, Lyman Hall’s Roberts, in a face off in the Centaurs defensive end, poked the puck between Zach Girard’s skates, stepped around the Centaur senior captain and rifled a shot. The loss ended the Centaurs season at 15-7.
But there was a lot to be happy about. The Centaurs started off with a 4-5 record, went on a 10-game win streak, advanced to the Nutmeg Conference championship and fell just two wins shy of making it to a state championship game.
A three-goal second period separated the Centaurs from the Trumbull in a Div. II state tournament 1st-round game played earlier in the week and that allowed Woodstock to advance to the quarterfinal game against Lyman Hall.
The Centaurs rebounded from a 1-0 deficit to tie the game at the end of the first period and then scored three times in the second en route to a 5-2 win over the No. 7 Eagles.
Fortunately, Trumbull only got one goal in the early portions of the game. The Centaurs tied the game with 40 seconds left in the opening period on a goal by sophomore Don Sousa off a Chris Thibault assist.
Corradi put the Centaurs up 2-1 off an assist from Don Sousa 7 minutes, 47 seconds into the period. Troy Daviau tallied off a Jared Nielsen pass and a minute and a half after that, Sousa scored off a Corradi assist to put the game firmly into the Centaurs’ hands.
The Eagles scored their second goal in the second period. Corradi hit is second goal into an empty net with an assist awarded to Sampson.
Next season looks positive. The production of the first line was impressive with Sampson (19 goals, 23 assists), Sousa (21 goals, 11 assists) and Corradi (15 goals, 13 assists), two sophomores and a freshman, combining to produce 102 points this season. They also had Sousa, a freshman, in net.
But, as always, there will be losses that will be felt especially behind the blue line.
“We’re losing some fantastic kids, fantastic hockey talent, especially on the defensive side when it comes to the minutes. Chris Thibault, especially after Brendan Hill (broken hand) got hurt, managed to log some of the most minutes that a kid could possibly play and he really stepped up. Chris was playing the best hockey he had played in his four years. The Lyman Hall coach (Dave Sagnella) commented on Chris’ play and how significant he was on the ice, stopping their best player,” Bisson said. “There is always that pause of what you will lose because that’s just how high school works with these kids graduating and moving on to the next chapter.”
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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