PEABODY– The Saugus and Peabody boys hockey teams were simply fit to be tied Saturday — 3-3, to be exact — at McVann-O’Keefe Rink.
Peabody’s Andrew Phillips netted the game-tying goal after Saugus grabbed a late 3-2 lead and tried to hang on for its second victory of the season.
Saugus coach Jeff Natalucci, who felt the Sachems controlled play for long stretches of the game, by who allowed two critical short-handed goals, found the result a bit disappointing.
“We’re a young team, and we’re getting better,” Natalucci said. “I thought we carried the play for long stretches of the first period, some in the second period and long stretches in the third period.
“Overall, I liked how we played, but we made those mistakes, giving up two shorthanded goals and that really hurt us in the end, and we missed a coverage on their goal that tied it at three. We’re getting better, so that’s good to see.”
Peabody got on the board with one of its players in the box to open the scoring Bryan Swaczyk scoring an unassisted goal. Swaczyk got the opportunity to score because Tanner goalie Lucas DeMild made three great saves in close before his teammates could get the puck out of the zone.
Saugus answered the Tanner goal with an unassisted goal of its own in the second period. Richie Mauro cut in on DeMild from the right faceoff circle and slipped a backhander home.
Peabody took the lead back with 5:16 left in the second on another shorthanded goal, this one when senior forward James Guiry got control of a loose puck just inside the blue line, skated in, and beat goalie Jack Devereaux for the 2-1 Tanners advantage.
Going into the third period down by one, the Sachems used just 58 seconds to make it a 2-2 game, with Jason Caron taking a couple of whacks at a puck in the crease, with the third time being the charm.
The Sachems had their first lead when Mauro scored his second of the game, on the power play, from Jason Caron, and the Sachems were up 3-2, with 5:18 left.
But Phillips tied the game for Peabody with a blast from the right faceoff circle. However, the tie did not sit well with Peabody coach Christian Wright.
“We should have had a win, without a doubt,” he said. “They gave us plenty of opportunities and for whatever reason we didn’t get them.
“We’re not skating to pucks,” he said. “We’re trying to win games as individuals and we don’t have enough talent to win games as individuals
“We’re supposed to be out there working as a unit, but they panic and they want to do everything themselves, and that doesn’t work. I don’t like to point fingers, but we’re getting zero effort out of some of these guys, and I’m sick and tired of it.”
Both teams are back on the ice Wednesday. Peabody (3-6-1) hosts Lynn Wednesday (5:15) and Saugus (1-6-1) hosts Swampscott (7:30).
