In its largest win of the yr, the No. 4 Hingham boys hockey crew was dealt a tricky break.
The second interval of a Jan. 11 matchup towards No. 5 Arlington began with senior star ahead Cam McKenna – the Harbormen’s main scorer and a captain – tying up the sport at 1-1 on an influence play. Hingham stored the Spy Ponders off the board the remainder of the way in which, and second-line junior heart Brendan McCarthy netted the eventual game-winner within the third as a part of a 2-1 win.
It was important for the Harbormen (8-2-1), two video games after falling 2-0 to No. 1 Catholic Memorial. But it surely is also McKenna’s final recreation on the ice with them, as a dislocated shoulder will hold him sidelined for at the very least some time, if not for the remainder of the yr.
The Harbormen’s mentality shifted from there. However not away from chasing their first state title since 2015.
“I believe the large half was, we simply wish to do it for him,” stated junior linemate Walter Dzavik. “As a result of we all know he’s dying to be out right here proper now in his senior yr.”
“We all know, clearly, he’s a giant a part of the crew,” added senior captain Colman Donohue. “He has a giant function, however we now have a whole lot of youthful guys like (Dzavik) and (sophomore Nick Bigelow) that may step up. We’re actually counting on them, they usually’ve finished a fantastic job of filling in.”
Subsequent-man-up isn’t really easy with regards to changing McKenna, who’s performed essentially the most varsity video games (70) and led the crew with 9 objectives and 71 profession factors on the time of his exit. He’s one of many state’s high forwards.
But, veteran expertise and scoring stability had been two of the primary calling playing cards Hingham already featured this yr as a critical title contender. Bigelow, who’s performed 35 profession video games with 32 factors, is this system’s solely varsity participant who isn’t an upperclassman. High-four senior defensemen Donohue, captain Sean Carroll, Nick Smith and Ryan LaRonde every have at the very least 30 video games of expertise, whereas all however two gamers throughout Hingham’s 4 strains are of their second or third yr on varsity.
“I’m not anxious concerning the offense,” stated Hingham head coach Tony Messina. “We simply have so many skilled gamers. Even among the guys that don’t have a whole lot of objectives, they’ve chipped in too. … Guys are getting photographs on web. Everyone seems to be contributing a technique or one other, and that’s when you’ve gotten a very good crew.”
As McKenna shifts his function to main from the bench, it’s been all-hands-on-deck in Hingham’s two video games with out him.
Six completely different gamers scored in a 7-0 thumping of a surging Needham group — with three objectives coming from the third line. High-liners Dzavik and Bigelow then scored in a 4-2 win over St. Mary’s of Lynn on Monday, wherein Smith (two objectives), Donohue (help) and Carroll (help) had been playmakers.
“It’s wanting fairly good and we’re going to maintain it rolling,” Donohue stated. “Get pucks deep, play bodily, and that’s simply our recreation. And we do it fairly nicely.”
Senior Quinn Allen has stepped as much as the highest line to fill McKenna’s spot at proper wing, and had a power-play purpose within the win over Needham. Chemistry with Dzavik (7-10-17) and Bigelow (3-10-13) is off to a stable begin.
“(Bigelow is) actually a playmaker and purpose scorer,” Messina stated. “Walter Dzavik is a purpose scorer. These guys are all going to attain objectives for us. (Catholic Memorial) is the one recreation (we couldn’t), the place we actually couldn’t get close to the web.”
The second line of junior left wing John Walsh (5-6-11), McCarthy (6-2-8) and senior proper wing Brian Murray (4-9-13) has been a dependable group in huge video games, together with a season-opening 4-4 tie towards St. John’s Prep. Murray additionally scored twice towards Xaverian (6-5 additional time loss), whereas third-line proper wing Colin Garrity (6-1-7) added one other and is tied for the third-most objectives on the crew.
Junior Brett Larson steps into Allen’s spot on the third line alongside Garrity and senior heart Aiden Rotondo (2-2-4), who’s performed in 66 varsity video games. Seniors Charlie Peak, Sean Callahan and Patrick Smith have impressed on the fourth line, too.
“Now we have a lot confidence in all of our strains,” Dzavik stated. “To start out the yr, the fourth line tied the sport towards (St. John’s Prep) late, the second line was main our scoring. I simply suppose we now have a ton of confidence in each single line.”
Other than the expertise throughout the ice, having a powerful quartet of facilities is a key benefit for the Harbormen.
“They’re there for the explanation,” Messina stated. “They’re just like the cornerstones of the road. Might (Rotondo) play up on the opposite strains? In all probability. However I’ve obtained to belief these guys. Even our fourth-line heart, Sean Callahan – it’s his first time on varsity and he’s very dependable.”
In final yr’s state match, the third-seeded Harbormen had been upset within the second spherical by No. 14 St. John’s of Shrewsbury. It was the second time in three years Hingham was upset by the 14 seed, falling to Studying in 2023.
It’s constructing off that have.
“We take final yr’s loss within the playoffs as motivation,” Donohue stated. “It’s type of an early exit for us. Sooner than we anticipated. However we all know this yr, we’ve simply obtained to bear down. We are able to’t go into any recreation anticipating we’re going to win. We actually simply should dial it in.”
“I believe with all of the seniors on the crew, we simply have extra management,” Dzavik added. “With all of the seniors this yr, we’ve finished a very good job staying up with one another. … We’re simply making an attempt to maintain excessive spirits.”
Shut-down Crimson Rangers
Winchester, Peabody/Lynnfield/North Studying and Shawsheen/Bedford/Lowell are the one three groups to attain towards the Methuen/Tewksbury women (11-0) this yr, every tallying only one purpose. The Crimson Rangers have eight shutouts in any other case.
Returning Dream Group goalie Lydia Barnes and a stingy blue line have locked in from the beginning, sporting a state-best 0.27 objectives allowed common halfway by the season. Westwood is the next-best crew with a 0.80 GAA.
Ed Burns Espresso Pot Event
The premier all-public faculty in-season match is again this weekend, that includes most of the state’s chief Div. 1 and Div. 2 public-school title contenders throughout two, eight-team fields.
Tewksbury (11-0), the one unbeaten boys crew left within the state, made the stronger Doherty division to place its report to the check. Different Div. 2 threats Canton and Milton be a part of the Redmen. Hingham grabbed the Doherty’s high seed, joined by Arlington and Studying as high Div. 1 threats. Robust Weymouth and Chelmsford teams problem them.
Marshfield and Harmony-Carlisle kick off the Brinn division on Saturday, earlier than all different video games play Sunday – climate allowing.
