Hockey Roundup: Marblehead defeats Saugus in a wild affair

Kasabuski Arena turned into the OK Corral on Thursday night as Saugus and Marblehead got into a shooting match. The teams combined for 13 goals but Marblehead got the win, 8-5.
Braden Haley led Marblehead with a hat trick while P.J. Roy had a four-point game. Nik Straticos had a hat trick and five total points for Saugus.
?It was back and forth, that?s for sure,” Saugus coach Jeff Natalucci said. “We made some mistakes and they made us pay for them. That?s what (Marblehead) does.”
There was no indication that an offensive frenzy was on the way during most of the first period, which was scoreless until Brendan Patterson gave Saugus (4-12-1) a 1-0 lead at 10:48. That lasted just over two minutes as James McCarthy tied the game before Haley was set up by Tim Kalinowski at 14:09 for a 2-1 Marblehead lead after the first period.
Haley and Kalinowski connected again in the first minute of the second period for a 3-1 lead. On the next shift, Straticos scored the first of his three goals to cut the Sachems? deficit to one.
Danny Gienieszcko scored at 10:55 for the Magicians (10-5-1) but Chris Sanderson?s goal with 44 seconds left once again cut the Marblehead lead to a goal, 4-3, through 30 minutes.
Much like the second period, the opening moments of the third would be action-packed. First it was Owen Picariello scoring 27 seconds in for Marblehead before Straticos scored 27 seconds later. Haley completed his hat trick at 2:05, assisted by Roy, to make it 6-4.
Roy added a goal at 4:50 to give Marblehead a 7-4 lead but the Sachems kept battling. Straticos capped his big night at 9:28, assisted by Sanderson, to make it 7-5. But Saugus got no closer as Colin Daly?s empty-net goal at 13:37 completed the scoring.
?It would have been easy to pack it in but we fought back every time they got up a couple,” Natalucci said.
Winthrop 5, Weymouth 1
The Vikings (14-2-2) picked up a statement win against one of the teams in contention for a potential Super 8 berth when the seedings are announced Feb. 22..
?It was unbelievable. We dominated the game against a very good team,” Winthrop coach Dale Dunbar said.
Alex Anzuoni was the star with four goals while Pat Todisco and Charlie Page each had four assists. Tyler McNosa also had a goal while Ray Feeley picked up the win in net.
In other action, Lynnfield dropped its second straight game with a 3-0 loss at Amesbury while Revere fell to Matignon, 2-0, in Stoneham.
GIRLS? HOCKEY
Beverly 7, Bulldogs 2
The Northeastern Hockey League title was there for Lynn/Saugus/Winthrop to take with a win or tie but the Panthers (10-4-1, 7-1-1 NHL) spoiled the party. McKinley Karpa had four goals and an assist as Beverly scored four unanswered goals in the final 10:26 to blow the game open.
?We had a slight implosion at the start of the third period,” Bulldogs coach Anthony Martucci said.
The Bulldogs (10-4-1, 7-2-1) never led in the contest as Karpa scored 2:17 into the first before striking again with 5:03 left in the second to make it 2-0. Kasey Harris gave Winthrop a bit of life when she scored to make it 2-1 at the end of the second.
Karpa, however, struck again at 1:44 of the third with an unassisted goal to make it 3-1. The Bulldogs rallied as Olivia Shkliew scored 1:58 later to cut the deficit back to a goal. But Karpa?s fourth straight goal of the game, her 20thof the season, on the next shift restored a two-goal lead and opened the floodgates.
Kristen McCarthy (goal, assist), Anna O?Neil (goal, assist) and Caitlin McBride added goals in a 2:04 span to close out the scoring.Beverly can clinch the league title with a win or tie against Peabody tonight at 5:15 p.m. at McVann-O?Keefe Rink. If the Panthers lose, they will share the title with the Bulldogs and Masconomet.