Saugus falls to Wakefield

SAUGUS – The effort is there. The next step in the Saugus hockey team?s development will be sustaining offense.That was apparent in Thursday afternoon?s 3-0 loss to Wakefield in a National Division semifinal of the Kasabuski Classic. The Sachems were simply unable to muster any prolonged attack as the Warriors? sophomore goalie, Ben Yandell, posted a fairly uneventful 11-save shutout.?The effort was there for a full 45 minutes and it?s the kind of effort we need every game. We need to get more shots to the net to create second opportunities. I loved how physical we were and I thought we skated well,” said Saugus coach Jeff Natalucci.Wakefield coach Derek Edgerly was pleased his young club put a notch in the left-hand column after starting a deceptive 0-3 with close losses to Reading and Woburn.?I?m happy for the kids — it?s just such a young team,” said Edgerly, who returned only five skaters with varsity experience. “We?ve been working hard and we?ve been in every game. We?re a team I wouldn?t want to play in the second half of the season.”The teams managed just 10 combined shots during a defensive first period played largely in neutral ice and on the perimeter. However, shortly after Saugus goalie David Aiken (24 saves) held his ground on Anthony Funicella?s testing shot from the left wing, the Warriors? Zak Salamone was left unmarked in the low slot and jammed Bryan Noyes? pass from the left circle past Aiken.Neither team converted on multiple power play opportunities in a scoreless second period. The Sachems? best bid came from Joe Russo, whose wrist shot from the right point momentarily handcuffed Yandell. Meanwhile, Aiken turned back three rapid-fire bids on a late Wakefield power play.The Warriors converted a 2-on-1 on the first shift of the third period when Mike Fennelly snapped a shot from the left circle past Aiken high to the stick side.The game turned for good during a 12-second sequence midway through the period.Russo sent Nik Straticos in clean with a two-zone stretch pass but Yandell denied the shot with his right pad. The Warriors immediately transitioned to offense, resulting in defenseman Dom Bruno?s screened shot from the right point that broke through Aiken for a 3-0 lead with 7:10 left.Saugus faces Bishop Fenwick in today?s National Division consolation game at noon. Wakefield meets Peabody in the title game at 4.AMERICAN DIVISIONMelrose 3, Winthrop 1The unbeaten Raiders (3-0-1) got a goal and an assist from Brian McLaughlin to advance to today?s championship game against Danvers (2). Melrose led, 3-0, after two periods and held on despite a rash of late third-period penalties that essentially put Winthrop on the power play for the game?s final five minutes.The Vikings (2-3-0) broke the shutout on Pat Todisco?s power play goal with 14 seconds to play. Winthrop faces Lynnfield in this morning?s consolation (10).