RallyNorth.net

Thu, Feb 28, 2008 06:00 PM @ Masconomet

Team	1	2	3	OT	Final
Playoff Game Division 2 North - Round 1
Lincoln/Sudbury	0	0	1	0	1
Masconomet	0	0	1	1	2

DiVenuti's overtime goal sinks Lincoln-Sudbury

Thursday, February, 28 By Matt Williams
Staff writer

WOBURN | After two scoreless periods in last night's Division 2 North first round contest against Lincoln-Sudbury, Masconomet hockey coach Bill Blackwell implored his team to keep its composure. The cool and collected team would win the day, he reasoned.

With the teams deadlocked at one and just 1:51 remaining in overtime, junior wing Andrew DiBendetto did just that, making the headiest play of the night.

Fighting for the puck with his stick hooked by a Sudbury defender, the ultra-composed DiBendetto booted the puck to a wide open Andy DiVenuti, who buried the Grade-A chance to lift the seventh-seeded Chieftains over the Warriors, 2-1.

"It was mostly instincts," DiVenuti said of his game-winning strike, his fourth goal of the season. "We realized their goalie (Liam McInerney) has a good glove, so I tried to go to his blocker side. I saw it hit the back of the net and it was unbelievable | euphoria."

The Chieftains (14-7-0) advance to face second-seeded Tewksbury Sunday at Salem State's Rockett Arena. The puck drops at 12:30 p.m.

After 43 minutes of scoreless hockey, Masco looked to have sealed the win when junior Andrew Roach netted the game's first goal with 1:25 left in regulation. L-S' Garrett Moore tripped at his own blue line and turned the puck over to Roach, who raced down ice and lit the lamp for his ninth tally of the year.

The lead was short-lived, however, as the 10th seeded Warriors struck back with just 58 seconds to go in in the third. Liam Martens poked the puck past Masco goalie Mike DiGiorgio to force the extra session.

"Before the second period we said that no matter who scores first, we can't let it be an emotional roller coaster. After our goal, we got excited and sure enough, they got it back," said Blackwell.

True to form, the Chieftains were disciplined in dominating the overtime. They outshot L-S 4-1 in the frame, mostly because the deep squad continued to roll four lines as compared to the Warriors' two. That gave Masco fresh legs, which helped them win the loose pucks along the boards and in the neutral zone.

"We knew that as long as we kept dumping and running we would wear them down," said Blackwell.

In what was a goaltender's duel, DiGiorgio was nearly perfect with 27 saves. Most were of the routine variety | something Blackwell considers one of his netminder's greatest strengths.

"Mike played very well. He made all the regular saves and when you don't notice him it's a great game for him," the coach explained. "He likes to come out and attack all the angles and that's what he did."

Though Lincoln-Sudbury (10-8-2) possessed superior speed, Masco countered with sound defensive positioning and depth.

Junior Keaton Cashin was a force in his own end, controlling the Warriors' leading scorer, Connor Quinn, and ensuring that any rebounds left by DiGiorgio were cleared.

"We were trying to dump it in and make the work with the whole ice, and the defense did a great job of stepping up and not letting them skate by us," said DiVenuti.

By slowing down the game and owning the neutral zone, the Chieftains created outlet passes and eventually wore out the Warriors. Cam Greeley and Ryan Dooley had chances to end it before DeVenuti finally put the game to bed with the shootout looming at 6:09 of OT.

"Every night it's been a different guy and tonight it happened to be 'DiVo.' I told the boys that on Sunday, it could be someone else," said Blackwell.