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Clashing strategies collide tonight when Peabody meets Wilmington

Wednesday, March, 05 By Phil Stacey
Sports editor

It's simply a matter of what your preference is.

On the one hand, you have a team that has scored 101 times this winter, has five different players with at least 20 points and is stacked both up front and on defense. More than one coach has called them the deepest, most talented team in Division 2 hockey.

On the other hand, you have a squad that is neither flashy nor jaw-dropping to watch. They play a defensive style, meant to capitalize on the mistakes of others while squeezing any hope out of their opponents' offensive hopes. You could call their style of play boring | and they'd take it as a compliment. After all, playing that way has led to only two losses in 21 games, earning them the No. 1 seed in the state tournament.

Which one do you like to win tonight's Division 2 North semifinal?

As always when two opposites meet, something's got to give. That something will be determined on the ice at the Richard H. Rockett Arena on the campus of Salem State College (7:30 p.m.), where the defensive-minded and top-ranked Wilmington Wildcats (15-2-4) are all that stands between the offensive juggernaut known as Peabody High (17-5) and its first-ever trip to the Division 2 North final.

"Our guys have worked extremely hard to get this point," said Peabody head coach Mark Leonard. "There's a sky high feeling in our locker room. These guys want to keep that good feeling going."

The second of tonight's two sectional semifinal games at Salem State | Newburyport skates against Tewksbury in the opener (5:30 p.m.) | will be a battle of strength vs. strength: Peabody, which can get offensive production from any number of resources; vs. Wilmington, a club that has allowed just 39 goals and has pitched four shutouts. In a dozen other games, they held their opponents to two goals or less.

"We'll have our hands full with Peabody, no question," said long time Wildcats' head coach Steve Scanlon, who earned Cape Ann League Coach of the Year honors this season after guiding his team to a first place record in the league at 12-1-3.

"We'll need to be better than we were (Sunday, in a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Danvers). We definitely need to clamp down better in our own end, especially against all of those speedy forwards they have. We also need to get scoring help from all three lines."

Leonard is familiar with Wilmington's roster, having coached many of their players in Hockey North. He realizes what their greatest attributes are, and wants his own team to use its own strengths to counteract those that the Wildcats possess.

"We'll have to beat them with our speed," said Leonard. "We won't outmuscle them, but I think our depth matches up well with theirs. And when we're skating and moving our legs, we can play with anyone."

Wilmington's Mike Cabral was the CAL's All-League keeper this season, someone who was up for Player of the Year honors. Steady and consistent, the Wilmington senior plays his angles smartly and covers the top and corners of the net well.

Patrolling in front of the senior netminder is a steady, if unspectacular, defensive unit led by CAL all-star Max Wilkins. As a group, the Wildcat rearguards | big and strong | do what they need to do in order to clear the disc: chip the puck off the glass, dump it out of the zone, and clear the crease in front of Cabral.

It's not as if Wilmington is devoid of offensive talent, however; they have scored 80 goals thus far. All-League star Ernie Mello is dangerous; the co-captain can score and pass equally well from his spot on left wing. He had both assists in his team's 2-1 quarterfinal win over Danvers Sunday night.

Paired with him on the top line are fellow CAL all-stars Eric Siegal at center and Michael Enwright at right wing. Senior Andrew Goossens leads a second line that compliments the first unit well.

To succeed tonight, Wilmington must keep up its season-long trait of staying out of the penalty box, where Peabody and its dangerous power play scores 22 percent of the time (20 of 89).

Peabody, on the other hand, thrives when given the chance to shine offensively. They pounced on Lynnfield's mistakes in their 4-1 quarterfinal win Sunday, using a quick-strike attack to put the Pioneers on their heels.

Sophomore Matt Rodgers has raised his game in the playoffs, having scored five points in two contests. Linemates Elijah Cohen (4 points) and senior captain James Noftle (3) have also been hot; all three of them have two postseason goals, as does sophomore second liner Andrew Bucci.

On the power play, both Cohen and Noftle have eight goals apiece. The Tanners can even crank it up when shorthanded; Cohen and Noftle each have two shorties while Noftle and A.J. Parker have also scored man-down.

Even the defensemen are getting into the act: captain Pat Yeo had his team's first goal against Lynnfield and has three playoff points, while fellow senior rearguard Luke Moran has chipped in with a pair of assists.

Most critical to their success tonight, however, stands in goal. Much-maligned Peabody keeper Jonathan Camara played arguably the best game of his career Sunday, stopping all but one of the 27 shots he faced. Two of those were breakaway bids by one of the state's top scorers, Ryan Smith of Lynnfield.

"For us to be successful (tonight), we have to get their goalie," admitted Scanlon.

It promises to be a classic matchup tonight: the speed and scoring of Peabody vs. the defense and physical strength of the Wildcats.

May the best team win.