RallyNorth.net

Sat, Dec 22, 2007 04:00 PM @ Beverly

Team	1	2	3	Final
Peabody	0	1	1	2
Beverly	1	3	1	5

Irving's two goals power Panthers past Peabody

Saturday, December, 22 By Phil Stacey
Sports editor

SALEM | It was a gift that not even Santa Claus could have given Kyle Irving. Only he could get it for himself.

And get it he did.

Irving treated himself to the first 2-goal game of his high school hockey career Saturday afternoon, paving the way for the unbeaten Beverly Panthers to skate past Peabody, 5-2, before a festive crowd at the Rockett Arena.

A checking specialist who uses speed and savvy to be effective, Irving had scored one goal in each of his first three varsity seasons. Against the Tanners on Saturday, he nearly doubled that in one afternoon, burying a shorthanded tally two minutes in, then adding an even strength goal with 14 seconds to play in the second period, giving his team a commanding 4-1 lead.

"One-goal games I've had ... this is something nice and different," said the 17-year-old Irving, flashing a wide smile.

"I know a lot of the guys who play for Peabody; we played together on the North Suburban Wings. James Noftle, Zack Brown, Pat Yeo, Taylor Shalin ... they're all great players. But me, I love playing against kids I know. It's a great way for me to challenge myself."

Irving skated left wing on the second line with center Jack Liacos and right wing Chris Freni Saturday. That unit was assigned the task of shutting down Peabody's top line (Matty Rodgers-Elijah Cohen-Noftle), and did an effective job doing so.

Beverly (3-0-1) used a stifling defensive scheme, keeping a third man high in the slot to neutralize Peabody's speed and scoring prowess up front. The hosts also managed to kill off all eight penalties they were whistled for while scoring twice while shorthanded.

That, along with some terrific goaltending from Panther freshman Tony Walsh (23 saves in only his 2nd varsity start), enabled Bobby Gilligan's crew to skate off with its most satisfying win of the young season.

"We moved the puck well, took the body and covered their forwards well in our own end," said Gilligan, the Panthers' head coach. "We didn't let them get comfortable in our end, either. We attacked them with aggressive pressure."

Walsh, the 14-year-old between the Panther pipes, was much more confident and sure of himself than three days earlier, when he admittedly was "very nervous" in his first-ever varsity contest, a 4-4 tie with Danvers. Against the Tanners, he squared himself to the shots he faced and stayed calm during the stretches of Peabody pressure he faced.

"I'm finally getting adjusted to the shots and the speed at this level," Walsh said. "The biggest difference from youth hockey is that these kids screen you on almost every shot and tip any shot they're close to. As a goalie, I have to adjust."

He was able to do that against the Tanners, a team that many people feel could end up winning the Northeastern Conference Large title in this, their first year in the league. Among several fine stops, Walsh's best came midway through the third period when he flashed a right pad to rob Cohen on the doorstep.

Beverly broke the game open with three goals in the final 3<1/2> minutes of the second period, turning a 1-1 stalemate into a 4-1 advantage. Senior center Jack Leathersich broke the tie for good with a beautiful goal, rifling a wrist shot into a tiny sliver of space past Peabody keeper Jonathan Camara (14 saves in 2 periods) at 11:27. Fellow seniors Chris Bushey and Irving followed with tallies 36 seconds apart in the final minute of the frame.

"They definitely wanted it more than we did," said Peabody (3-2) head coach Mark Leonard. "We weren't willing to pay the physical price; we lost all the 1-on-1 and loose puck battles. Plus, we didn't skate tonight or stick to our game plan of attacking the net."

Cohen's third goal of the season, with Noftle (who scored earlier) assisting, cut the lead to 4-2 with 6:26 to play, but Beverly iced the game on captain Mike Boches' shorthanded, empty net shot from center ice with 48 seconds to play.

"We keep getting better, which is the important thing," Gilligan said of his team, which is off until Thursday, when it plays the hosts in the Gloucester Savings Bank Tournament. "There are always things we need to keep working on, but this was a good step."

Phil Stacey is the sports editor of The Salem News. Contact him at pstacey@ecnnews.com, or at 978-338-2650.