KINGSTON — Don’t simply inform your teammates. Present them.
That’s the duty senior captain Ben Berian felt to make one thing occur as his No. 15 Marshfield boys hockey crew trailed within the first intermission of a Div. 1 first spherical matchup Thursday evening. And it’s with that spark he wanted simply 22 seconds into the second interval to attain the game-tying aim, earlier than scoring an insurance coverage aim within the third to assist the Rams (16-6-1) rally for a 3-1 win over No. 18 Natick in entrance of a packed home at The Lavatory.
“We will say all of it we wish within the locker room, proper?” Berian mentioned. “But it surely actually all comes right down to displaying the boys find out how to lead on the ice, find out how to play physique, find out how to lay our bodies, simply doing all the suitable issues on the ice, and that was in a position to lead us to a win tonight. … All my teammates, they have been all pushing for me, I needed to push again for them. Solely appeared honest.”
The RedHawks, on a 7-1-1 stretch coming into the matchup, put Marshfield in that gap early with Rocco DeLuca’s go-ahead aim simply 22 seconds in. Rams head coach Dan Connolly had a number of changes in thoughts between intervals, as goalie Brauer Malcolm (19 saves) and a hard-skating Natick group held that 1-0 lead coming into the second.
“Wasn’t the beginning we wished clearly,” Connolly mentioned. “However the youngsters have been resilient. I don’t suppose we had a superb first, however a part of that was the best way they play. They play onerous, they’re a superb membership. … We thought we settled it down within the second interval.”
The forecheck and the way Marshfield was breaking out have been chief amongst Connolly’s dialogue factors between intervals.
Nicely, simply as quick as Natick took the lead within the first, Marshfield tied it up off a type of breakouts. Senior Brendan Kiziuk received it out of the zone forward to Brendan McLaughlin, who put it on internet and main scorer Berian completed off the rebound to tie it up at 1-1.
“Workhorse,” Connolly mentioned. “He’s not going to be denied. … You’re not going to discover a child that’s going to outwork him, we love teaching youngsters like that.”
Natick received Marshfield on its heels a bit in response, ending the second even with it in photographs on aim, 9-9. That wouldn’t cease Joe Merrick from netting the game-winner halfway via the body, although, getting a shot from the purpose via site visitors off a Natick defenseman for a 2-1 lead.
“It’s what we tried to evangelise all recreation lengthy, get pucks to the online, our bodies to the online,” Connolly mentioned. “Merrick received it fast and hit any individual in entrance. … Good issues will occur should you get pucks to the online.”
The RedHawks weren’t completed combating, out-shooting Marshfield 13-6 within the third in an try and tie it again up. Connolly felt the Rams did effectively to restrict the harmful alternatives, and Sal Digicam (26 saves) was glorious in internet to put up a shutout over the past 44:38 of motion.
“Sal was nice tonight,” Berian mentioned. “He stood on his head after we wanted him. … We wouldn’t have gained with out him tonight, for certain.”
Berian, after all, aided that effort halfway via the third, potting a much-needed insurance coverage aim — showcasing his management together with McLaughlin, who had a hand on each of Berian’s objectives.
