Peabody hockey ousted

SALEM – The Peabody hockey team did everything but put the puck in the net during the third period of Friday’s Division 2 North final against Newburyport at Salem State’s Rockett Arena.The Tanners had the defending state champs fighting for their life, but goaltender Anthony Federico stonewalled Peabody in the last minutes to give the Clippers a 3-2 win and a return date at TD Garden next Sunday.”We gave it everything we had,” Peabody coach Mark Leonard said. “They never gave up, but Newburyport is a great team and state champions for a reason. We just couldn’t get the bounce we needed and (Federico) made some great saves.”http://itemlive.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=957373&CategoryID=40800>Click here for photo gallery.Newburyport got the brilliant goaltending of Federico and outstanding play by its defense down the stretch, blocking shot after shot in its zone as the Tanners desperately pushed for the tying goal.”That was a sign of a gutsy team,” Newburyport coach Paul Yameen said about his club’s play in the third. “They knew what had to be done ? But give Peabody all the credit in the world. That is as talented a team, maybe the most talented, we’ve played all season. They easily could have come out on the winning end.”Peabody (18-4-2) just might have come out with the win if not for Federico continuing his stellar tournament play.Staring down the barrel of an ambush in the second half of the third period, the junior came up with the save of the game on Matt Rodgers’ point blank chance off an Andrew Bucci feed with 3:20 remaining.”I thought Matty had that one,” Leonard said. “We were all over them in the third, but just couldn’t get one home. I think if we got one, we might have gotten two or three.”Newburyport stunned the Peabody faithful right away as Cameron Roy took advantage of a turnover and fed Derek Freeman for a goal just 1:14 in to put the Clippers in front.”Derek has been a dominant player this year. He was just a little snakebit when it came to goals,” Yameen said. “But he’s been our leader in the tournament.”Peabody took the opening punch and then began to take back control of the game and midway through the period drew even when Bucci pounced on a turnover and ripped his 32nd goal of the season past Federico.Then late in the first, Bucci struck again as he took a nifty pass from Derrik Pereira and blew a shot past Federico’s glove with 39 ticks remaining to make it 2-1 Tanners after a period.”I thought we came out and played a pretty good first,” Leonard said. “And then they got us running around in the second.”Federico turned the game’s momentum completely around early in the second when he stopped Rodgers from nearly point blank. Two minutes later, Sean Hickman fed Kyle McElroy in front to tie the game at 2-2.Later in the period, Pereira was called for slashing and the Clippers jumped on the chance as Freeman netted his second of the night when he picked up a Billy Boudreau rebound and beat Derek Savage.”It sounds kind of funny, but I was worried about a letdown after we beat Wilmington,” Yameen said. “I was very happy to get out of the first only down a goal because I think we settled down after that and played well.”The Clippers came out flying in the third, trying to put Peabody down for the count. The Tanners fought off the ropes and had a chance to tie midway through, but Bucci missed from in close.