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North Andover falls in semis

Tuesday, March, 03 By Jeff Hamrick

BILLERICA – The season’s end came suddenly and decisively for the North Andover boys hockey. And for the second time in three years, its demise came in the Division 2 North semifinals.

The fifth-seeded Scarlet Knights took second-seed Lincoln-Sudbury to overtime, but after surviving all but two seconds of a four-on-three power play, North Andover saw the Warriors score the game clincher with 1:40 left in the extra frame for a 3-2 victory.

“There’s not too much you can say,” North Andover coach Paul Marfione said after a rowdy and full Chelmsford Forum had emptied. “I’m just proud of the way they battled through tonight and all through the season.

“We had some chances that we could have won. It could have gone either way. (The Warriors) are a great team, but I think we are too. I’m just proud of our character and the way they fought. We were down (by a goal) twice and came back and tied it. We just came up a little short in the end.”

Lincoln-Sudbury (19-3-2) took its initial lead with 7:10 left in the second period when Jayden Cormier scored with 13 seconds left in a power play.

But the Knights (14-4-6) quickly responded when TJ Fredo took a drop pass from junior Adam Heinze for the tying goal 84 seconds later. The play began with a nice clearing pass from junior defenseman Sean Corliss. It was Fredo’s 11th goal of his senior campaign.

“Our penalty kill has been great all year,” Marfione said. “To respond after giving up the power-play goal was good. It was a great play through the neutral zone by Adam and TJ was right where he was supposed to be and he has been finding the back of the net all year.”

Lincoln-Sudbury, which went 2-0-1 against the Knights this season, once again took the lead with 6:56 left in regulation on a fluke goal by Angelo Venuto, who took a swipe at the puck in the air after it bounced off the end boards back over the net in front of Knight goalie Patrick Green.

But once again, the Knights responded on a power-play goal of its own when senior defenseman Keegan Hughes slipped down the right circle and drilled the puck off the left post from a tough angle for the game tightener, 29 seconds after falling behind.

“Keegan’s goal was great.” Marfione said. “He made a great play just to see that opening on the power play. He wouldn’t have taken the shot if he didn’t know he could make it. He’s a smart player, and he would have found a better play if he had one. He just saw that angle and took it.”

The loss was North Andover’s first in eight games and just its second in 16. The Knights will graduate eight seniors, but they will return leading goal scorers in sophomore Andrew Perry (14) and junior Cole Fagan (11). Also coming back will be Green, a sophomore who stopped 35 shots Tuesday and 84 in three postseason matches.

“He’s played awesome all year,” Marfione said. “He’s been the backbone all year. They pick up on his energy and he’s just a great goalie. He squares up to the puck.

“The seniors have been awesome. Every single one of them has given their all every time we go out on the ice. I couldn’t ask for a better group of kids. The captains are all leaders. It was just a great team to work with all season. It’s been fun.”