PHOTO BY BOB ROCHE
Swampscott’s Andrew Dove flies over the ice as he tries to get off a shot.
By SCOT COOPER
SALEM — The Swampscott High hockey team had a tough task Saturday night, trying to knock off a Marblehead team that hadn’t lost in February.
With four Big Blue regulars out with a variety of illnesses, the Magicians wore down the home team, winning 3-1 Saturday night at Rockett Arena.
The teams were locked in a 1-1 tie late in the third period when Magician winger Mike Kagan squeezed a shot past Blue goalie Dan Johnson for the eventual game-winner with 4:42 to go in the third.
James McCarthy scored his second goal of the game just 27 seconds later with 4:15 remaining in the game to take most of the steam out of Swampscott.
The Blue pulled their goalie and went on a power play with 35 seconds to go, but couldn’t get another one by Magician goalie Ronan Cunningham.
Outside the Marblehead locker room, Kagan said it wasn’t a pretty goal, but he’ll certainly take his second tally of the season.
“You can take 10 shots a game, and the only thing that matters is do you put one in?” Kagan said. “I work on coming out of the corner in practice and stuffing one in the five-hole. (Johnson) got his stick on it but it rolled up and went in, we’ll take it.”
McCarthy, who opened the scoring with 2:52 left in the first period, capitalizing on a Blue turnover and rifling a wrist shot home from the high slot, said that any time you can score to beat a big rival it’s a great thing.
“We know they (Swampscott, 16-3) are having a great season, they’d be pumped up to play us, so to come out and beat them, it’s a great, great feeling,” the co-captain said. “To come out, senior year and score a couple in a win over Swampscott is a big deal. “We’ve been playing really good hockey as a team lately as we get ready for the tournament.”
Marblehead improves to 11-6-3, with a huge NEC game coming up on Monday night at home against Winthrop. Marblehead’s seven-game unbeaten streak began on Feb. 1, with a 3-3 tie against the Vikings.
Magician coach Bob Jackson said a shuffling of his lines has provided an offensive boost lately.
“We moved (James) McCarthy over to a line with (Braden) Haley and (Drew) Cioffi and they’ve done really well together,” Jackson said.
Cioffi and Haley were each credited with assists on both of McCarthy’s goals, for a six-point night for their line.
For the Big Blue, who were without wingers Brett Benoit and Drew Olivieri and defenseman Dom Codispoti and Emery Wollerscheid, it was a frustrating night.
“I know the guys are very disappointed losing to their big rival, but I told the room that nobody should hang their heads, we battled all night,” Big Blue coach Gino Faia said. “That is a very good Division 2 team, the type of team we’ll see in the playoffs. We’ve just got to get healthy.”
Andrew Dove zipped one off the pipe and in from Mike Johnson at 3:06 of the third period for the lone Blue goal.
It was Senior Night for the Big Blue with Mike Johnson, Louis Olivieri, Owen Madigan-Fried, Kevin Lombard, Emery Wollerscheid, Andrew Dove and David Peterson and their parents being recognized before the faceoff.
Swampscott will travel to The Olympia in Springfield today to close the regular season against Agawam.
