Special teams excel for Marblehead boys hockey in tie with Peabody

Special teams are not just important in football; they’re also important in hockey.The Marblehead hockey squad showed how important special teams play was on Saturday evening. The Headers came back twice from one-goal third-period deficits with a pair of power play goals, and killed off a Peabody power play in the final minutes to tie the Tanners 2-2 at Rockett Arena.Marblehead (5-1-2) is the first team to collect a point off Peabody (5-0-1) this season.Trailing 1-0 midway through the final stanza, the Headers didn’t waste any time, when the Tanners were whistled for a call almost five minutes in. Only 11 seconds elapsed when winger Alex Whitmore skated along the near side of the ice. Swooping in towards the back of the Peabody net, he dropped the puck back for teammate Chris McLeod, stationed to the right of Tanners goalie Derek Savage, and McLeod tapped it in to deadlock the game at 1.The Tanners attacked the Marblehead end shortly after the score, and went ahead on a fluke goal minutes later when the Headers misplayed a loose puck deep in their end. Connor Purcell knocked the puck past goalie Tony Cuzner for a 2-1 edge.Yet Peabody once again had to play shorthanded when a call went against the team less than a minute later. The Headers attacked the Tanners zone, with defenseman Ben Koopman hitting the post midway through the power play. However, teammate Ryan Dempsey poked the puck out of a scrum, and directed it past Savage to even the score at 2.”That’s one of the things that we’ve really been focused on,” said Marblehead coach Bob Jackson of the team’s special teams play. “We got (defenseman Jake) Kulevich back after he was out for five games (due to injury), and he was an added plus. We fought back, and we killed off all Peabody’s power plays. I’m really proud of the kids.”Moments later, Peabody missed a golden opportunity to regain the lead. Forward Nico Manganiello was foiled when Cuzner came out 15 feet to make the stop. The rebound bounced over to Purcell only several feet away, but he missed a wide-open net.With 1:49 remaining in the contest, it was Peabody’s turn with the man advantage. However, Cuzner stopped winger Mike Chiappini and Purcell at point blank range to preserve the tie.”We didn’t play smart hockey (in the final period),” said Peabody coach Mark Leonard. “We had too many penalties (after both teams were whistled for one apiece in the first two periods), and Marblehead capitalized. We missed a few breakaways and two open nets. We were fortunate to come out of it with a point.”Both squads came out like a house afire to begin the game. Cuzner held off a Tanner attempt only seconds in, and Purcell was stopped minutes later when his 20-footer was kicked out by the goalie. Marblehead winger Alex Whitmore tried to put the Headers in front seconds later with a 15-foot slap, but Savage came up big with the stop.The best opportunity that either team had in the stanza came off the stick of Manganiello, who fired a slap off the post to the left of Cuzner midway through. The puck echoed off the inside of the post, and harmlessly bounced away.Peabody gained the momentum only 11 seconds into the middle period. Chiappini skated in on Cuzner down the near side. His initial shot was stopped by Cuzner, but teammate Rob Houghton collected the loose puck and pushed it into the uncovered right side for the game’s first goal.”We won the faceoff, but there was some confusion at the blue line,” said Jackson about that score. “They were able to take advantage as a result.”Once again, both goalies came up big with stops. Forward Ryan Gelineau was robbed in front by Savage midway through the stanza, and the goalie made a solid glove save on a 25-foot blast by Headers defenseman Hunter Whitmore just over a minute later.Cuzner robbed both Purcell and Houghton on back-to-back chances late in the period to keep Marblehead to within a goal.”Both goalies were unbelievable,” said Leonard about the play of both Savage and Cuzner. “And