RallyNorth.net

Headers can learn from this experience

On Hockey
Phil Stacey

WORCESTER | You can look at this game one of two ways.

The pessimist would say that Marblehead was in over its head in the Division 3 state semifinal last night, giving up four goals before the game was eight-and-a-half minutes old and got hammered, 8-2, by the defending state champions from Scituate.
Then there would be the view from the intelligent hockey observer.

True, you can't dismiss Scituate's win as a fluke; they were clearly the bigger, faster, stronger and just plain better team on this, or any other, night. But the Headers and their fans shouldn't dwell on what happened here at the DCU Center last night as much as they should cherish how they got to this point | and how it will help them in both the short and long term future.

"We'd like to eventually be where they are," Marblehead junior winger Andrew Bates said of the victorious Sailors. "They capitalized on our mistakes, which is what all good teams do. And they were very composed. We can learn a lot from them."
The facts, it has been said, don't lie.

So here are the facts: Scituate will be going to the state championship game for the second straight year and the fourth time in the last five seasons. They have played in five consecutive state semifinal contests, and have tournament experience up and down the roster, led by its eight seniors.

Marblehead, on the other hand, began the playoffs as the 12th seed in a 13-team North bracket. Over the last two-plus weeks, the Headers made a slew of memories that will last their players a lifetime, reeling off four straight upset victories to improbably capture the North championship. They did this despite having just two seniors and a staggering eight freshmen on their varsity roster.

Remember, too, that this is still high school sports, folks, where size, speed and experience trumps smaller, slower and inexperienced 999 times out of 1,000.
So while Marblehead's season may have come crashing down last night in the middle of Central Massachusetts and its chance of skating at the TD Banknorth Garden for the state title Sunday afternoon was taken away from them, the lessons learned here last night will have long, reverberating effects for the program.

"This game definitely helps us (for the future). We've got the experience now," said 16-year-old junior goaltender Aaron Reny. "They showed us what it takes."
The Scituate Sailors are not your typical Division 3 high school hockey program. To a man, the Marblehead players and coaches agreed they looked more like a strong Division 2 club, such as those the Headers face during the Northeastern Conference season.

"They're fast and aggressive like Gloucester," said Marblehead assistant Gary Conn.
"They reminded me a lot of Peabody with their size and speed," added head coach Bobby Jackson. "They could play with Peabody, Danvers, Gloucester."

Like those above mentioned clubs like to do, the Sailors made Marblehead pay the price physically. A look inside the Headers' dressing room after last night's game bore witness to a lot of physically sore players, several of whom were sporting ice packs.
The Sailors' talent, combined with an aggressive nature that had them flying at the Headers right off the opening drop of the puck, may have intimidated some of their younger players on this big a stage, Jackson admitted. A few mistakes and holes in coverage later, it was 4-0 and Marblehead was forced to alter its defensive game plan drastically in an effort to catch up.

"We came out flat -- and paid the price," said Reny.

Marblehead, you may recall, had given up a grand total of six goals in its first four tournament games, using a clampdown defense to suffocate the offensive live out of their opponents. But that wasn't going to happen last night, not against a team as talented and relentless as the Sailors. They scored their sixth goal of the contest before the second period even ended.

"I think we were a little bit in awe at first," added Jackson, whose team went further than any Marblehead squad since the 1985 edition fell to St. John's Prep in the Division 1 state final. "Plus, the experience and poised that Scituate showed was excellent. You can see why they've been so successful."

You can also see why Marblehead has reason to be extremely optimistic.

For starters, the Headers only lose two players off of this team; senior wing Eric Fader and senior Jackson Barber, who plays both center and defense. That means 20 varsity players | including both goalies, six defensemen and 10 forwards | will all be returning in 2008-09.

Without a true superstar | Marblehead's best player, sophomore defenseman/forward Anders Gundersen, is still growing, but possesses excellent skill and hockey smarts | the team relies on the whole, rather than a select few individuals, to attain their goals. This will make it tough for opponents to stop them.

Let's not forget the support the team received. The good people of Marblehead | a true hockey town in every sense of the word, dating back to the program's glory days of the 1960s, '70s and into the '80s | got behind these lovable underdogs and enjoyed  this magical run as much as the players themselves.

Yes, they need to get bigger and stronger in the offseason. A return to the state semifinals is hardly a given; the Headers won't be sneaking up on anybody next season, so they'll have to work that much harder to achieve this same level of success.

But there's no reason to think these Headers can't do it again next season, either.
"We have the talent," said Bates. "The underclassmen are going to be that much better, we'll have some great senior leadership, and we'll all have that big-game tournament experience.

"I'm very proud of what we were able to accomplish. Proving everyone wrong who said we'd be out (of the tournament) early was great. This is all about building towards next year."

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

Additional stories:

• The magic ends for Marblehead
• Headers eager to prove this season was no fluke