Spartans stymied on senior night

LYNN – Sometimes all you can do after a loss is tip your hat to your opponent. This was certainly the case for St. Mary?s boys hockey team and coach Mark Lee following Wednesday evening?s setback against Archbishop Williams.After a one-goal loss to the Spartans earlier this season, the Bishops responded by outplaying the hosts from start to finish on the way to a 4-2 victory at Connery Rink.St. Mary?s honored its eight seniors prior to puck-drop, a group Lee credits with making the program into a perennial power.?This class has guided a very young team to a great season thus far,” said Lee of his fourth-years. “They definitely deserved better than what they got tonight but we didn?t come out with our best effort.”The visitors set the tone early, grabbing a 1-0 lead on their first shot of the game, a rare, if not improbable occurrence against Bailey MacBurnie, the Spartans? senior goaltender.Dylan O?Brien took a feed from Nicholas Menzel before finding a spot short side.?It was very uncharacteristic of Bailey, but it happens to the best of them,” explained Lee. “He has saved our bacon more times than I can count this season so one bad goal doesn?t take anything away from what he has meant to us.”The Spartans? best chance of the opening period came on the power play, which was an issue for most of the evening.At the 11:59 mark, Bishops net-minder Matthew McCaughey made a sprawling save on what looked like the sure equalizer off the stick of Jordan Manthorne at the left post. McCaughey finished with 19 saves on the evening.?We had our opportunities early in the game to score but their goaltender made some terrific stops,” said Lee.Archbishop Williams coach Derackk Curtis also spoke of his goalie?s efforts.?Matt made some outstanding stops tonight to keep us in the lead. He was our best penalty killer and was a big reason behind this win,” he said.Both teams scored twice in the second period, the first being the lone exception to a lackluster St. Mary?s power play.At 8:46 into the frame, the Spartans took of advantage of their man-advantage when Dante Maribito banged home a loose puck sitting in the crease. Linemates MacBurnie and Jackson Allard assisted.The turning point in the game came just 10 seconds later when the Bishops responded to re-take the lead on a wrist shot from Michael Sorenti.Colin Boyle would follow with an insurance tally at the 4:20 mark to give the visitors some breathing room.Before the period was out, Allard would score a highlight-reel goal on which he skated onto a wacky bounce off a stanchion in the neutral zone before turning his defenseman and beating McCaughey on a falling backhander.The game?s final goal came just 1:45 into the third period when Sorenti scored on the power play after Manthorne was sent back to the penalty box for leaving too early.St. Mary?s is 13-5-2.