Hockey jamboree gets season off on right foot

SALEM – Rivalries were on the agenda Saturday at Rockett Arena during the second annual Salem State Hockey Jamboree as many of the Northeastern Conference’s top teams renewed acquaintances for the first time since last March.Perhaps no game was more anticipated than Peabody’s encounter with cross-town rival Bishop Fenwick in the Tanners first official contest as the newest member of the Northeastern Conference.And it was the Tanners who put on a skating and passing show on the spacious ice at Salem State in a 5-2 win.”We love playing on the big ice,” Peabody coach Mark Leonard said. “This was good for our confidence and a good way to get ready for Wednesday night against Salem.”Peabody put the pressure on the Crusaders right away as James Noftle was tackled in the Fenwick zone by James Gattuso, resulting in a penalty at the 20 second mark.The Tanners power play had a couple of early chances against Craig Forrest but couldn’t find the mark. But with five seconds left on the man advantage, Fenwick couldn’t clear the zone and Patrick Yeo’s drive from the left point found its mark for a 1-0 lead at 2:25 of the first 20 minute, running time period.The pressure kept coming from Peabody, especially from the top line of Matt Rodgers-James Noftle-Elijah Cohen. Rodgers made it 2-0 at 8:30 when he scored on a Noftle rebound and gave Peabody a 3-0 lead after one when he finished off a Noftle pass with a tap in at the left post.”That first line is going to be a really good line for us,” Leonard said.Fenwick got going early in the second period as Pat Doliber beat Jon Camara at 6:15, assisted by Mark Speraco, to make it 3-1. But the Tanners top line got back in the act on the power play at 9:55 as Cohen scored off a Noftle pass to make it 4-1.Chris Renzulli cut the lead back to two at 12:05 before Zack Brown closed things out at 17:10, assisted by Cohen and Rodgers.Saugus 4, Triton 0The Sachems put on a defensive display against one of the of the top teams in the Cape Ann League and Division 2 North, holding the Vikings off the board and without a quality scoring chance for nearly 25 minutes.”It was a good start for us,” Saugus coach Chris Connors said. “But our focus is now on Marblehead on Wednesday.”Saugus got a pair of power plays in the first three minutes of the game and would convert on the second when Derek Stretton scored from the point at 2:58.Tom DiFraia made it 2-0 after one off a Steve Strangie assist at 9:20.The defense took over from there as Paul Essery had to make only four stops in the second 20 minutes. Ryan McManus picked up a power play goal at 11:40 to make it 3-0 before Mike Scuzzarella finished off a pretty give-and-go play with Joe Vecchione at 15:30 for the final goal.Marblehead 3, S’cott 2Zack Whitmore scored with 11.5 seconds left in regulation to give the Headers the win.Marblehead had a 2-0 lead after the first period on a pair of Andrew Bates tallies. It was still 2-0 with five minutes left when Anthony DiPietro and Alex DiDonato scored 40 seconds apart for the Big Blue to tie the game.Revere 2, Winthrop 1 (SO)In a defensive struggle, the Patriots prevailed with a 2-1 win in the shootout. Vinnie Eruzione gave the Vikings a 1-0 lead with six minutes left in regulation before Jay Sasso tied it on the power play with 2:10 remaining.The Vikings went 1-for-3 in the shootout but Chris Mastropietro and Paul Pellitier scored on Revere’s final two shots for the win.Gloucester 2, Danvers 0The Fishermen served notice that they are still going to be one of the favorites in the NEC.The two teams put on a skating clinic for the first 20 minutes, going end-to-end with plenty of chances before Gloucester finally broke the ice thanks to its first line of Andrew Fulford, Brett Biondo and Jeremy Fanning.Biondo scored at the 14:00 mark off a nifty 2-on-1 with Fulford. Seconds later, Fulford stole the puck at center ice and beat Pat O’Kane on a breakaway for the 2-0 final.Beverly 1, Salem 0 (SO)The game went scoreless through regu