PLYMOUTH, NH — Joel Sanborn admitted his players may have been looking ahead a little.
Taking the ice at Plymouth State University’s Hanaway Rink just minutes after top-ranked Berlin-Gorham defeated Lebanon-Stevens-Mount Royal, 4-1, in the first of two Wednesday night semifinals, the Derryfield/Hollis-Brookline ice hockey team appeared poised to force a rematch of last year’s championship game.
It was, however, another B-G team that spoiled the Warriors chance to avenge last year’s 5-1 title tilt loss.
“Maybe we focused on Berlin (Gorham) too much when we should have been focused on (Belmont/Gilford),” said Sanborn.
Third-ranked BG, despite getting out-skated and pushed around for much of the night, managed to squeak out a 2-1 victory to knock second-seeded Derryfield/Hollis-Brookline from the tourney.
“We just couldn’t find the back of the net,” said Sanborn. “I thought we had some great opportunities, but you’ve got to make them count when you get there, right?”
Belmont/Gilford opening the scoring when Aiden McKenzie managed to slip one past Warriors’ net minder Cavan Quinn 10:35 into the first period.
Less than two-minutes later, DS/HB senior forward Jacob Roy intercepted a pass near mid-ice and took it all the way home, beating BG standout sophomore goalie Colin Logan for the equalizer.
The two teams then skated a scoreless second period before, 1:39 into the third and final frame, Owen Guerin fired in a shot from the point that ended up loose in front of the net. Dylan Flannery scooped it up and flipped it in to put BG ahead once again.
“In a game like this, those are the goals that are going to get you, the dirty ones,” said Sanborn. “They’re not usually the pretty ones, it’s the scrappy ones (that find their way in).”
Sanborn said he had no doubt his players gave the game their top effort, especially in the second and third periods, yet the tying goal still evaded them.
“Even 6-on-5 (when Sanborn pulled Quinn inside the final two minutes of the game) we had our opportunities, we just couldn’t get the puck in the net,” he said.
“I tell my guys, these big games, they come down to blocking shots,” said BG head coach Jason Parent . “It comes down to that guy who has his head on his shoulders correctly and makes one big play to save the game, and I’m very fortunate with the guys I have who are willing to sacrifice, and that’s a huge part of hockey.
“(Derryfield/Hollis Brookline) is a great team, very physical, very well-coached. They’ve got some very talented players you’ve got to watch for, and we game-planned for them all week,” Parent continued. “I think my guys did a great job going out there and executing that plan, and that’s what you like to see as a coach.”
Now Sanborn must bid farewell to his own group of talented, selfless upperclassmen who graduate having engineered back-to-back deep playoff runs without a title to show for their efforts.
“The senior class I’m going to have departing, you know, Paul Vachon, Jacob Roy, Conor Sanborn and Torin White and Aidan Rowe, they’ve been a huge part of this team,” said Sanborn, “they’re going to leave big shoes to fill, for sure.”
