Marblehead boys hockey knocks off unbeaten Concord-Carlisle to claim North title

NORTH BILLERICA – As the buzzer sounded on Saturday at the Chelmsford Forum, Marblehead goalie Tony Cuzner put his hands on his head and looked to the rafters almost in shock of what had just happened.Cuzner had reason to look up with a smile on his face though as the Headers laid claim to their second Division 3 North championship in three years with a 4-2 win over the No. 1 seed ? previously unbeaten Concord-Carlisle.”This is just a tribute to all the guys in that locker room,” Marblehead coach Bob Jackson said. “That’s a team over there that had beaten Peabody and Danvers from our league and were outstanding. It’s a credit to the kids for believing they could get this done.”All tournament long, the Headers (20-2-3) had gotten the job done with their stars firing on all cylinders. On Saturday, however, it was the unsung second line of Hunter Graves, Tyler Gelineau and Austin Haley that stepped into the spotlight.The trio scored three of the four Header goals, including Graves’ game winner early in the third period off a headman pass from Gelineau, and held Concord’s high scoring forwards in check all game.”We talked to the kids before the game about it was probably going to be someone you don’t expect who would come up big in this game,” Jackson said. “And that line was outstanding all day.”The Patriots (22-1-2) had the territorial advantage in the first period but neither team was able to crack the scoreboard.Early in the second, Marblehead’s relentless forecheck forced C-C into a mistake. Gelineau picked off a Mike Anastos clearing pass and fed Haley for a backhand that slipped through Steven Saul’s legs to make it 1-0 at 1:38.C-C took that punch and returned fire, testing Cuzner sternly through the middle portion of the game. But each chance was turned aside until Robbie Snook took a Billy Crosby pass, knifed into the slot and whistled a shot inside the left post at 11:30 to tie the game at 1-1.Marblehead responded on the very next shift as Gelineau redirected Hunter Whitmore’s drive from the point past Saul to make it 2-1. The Patriots, though, stole the momentum back late in the second as Justin Harris took advantage of a Marblehead turnover to deadlock things at 2-2.”We talked about leaving everything on the ice,” Jackson said. “And that if anyone came in here with energy left, they weren’t doing their job.”Graves then stuck the Headers back in front for good 101 seconds into the third when he picked up his fifth goal of the season off Gelineau’s home run pass.”That was a great pass by Tyler,” Jackson said.Cuzner did his part to keep Marblehead in front when he made sterling saves on J.C. Winslow and Snook during a Patriot power play three minutes later. Ryan Dempsey would salt away the win with 39.1 seconds left when he picked up a loose puck in the Marblehead zone, skated through two defenders and deposited the puck into an open net.”We really hadn’t beaten a team that we weren’t supposed to yet this season,” Jackson said. “And for us to do it (Saturday) was going to take an unbelievable effort. And that’s just what we got.”