PEABODY — With a two-goal lead against host Peabody-Saugus-Swampscott and four minutes to play in regulation, Danvers’ boys hockey team had to be feeling it had this one in the bank Saturday afternoon at McVann-O’Keefe Skating Rink.
But the hosts had other ideas, rallying to score two goals in a little more than three minutes – the final one coming with just 17 seconds to play – to tie the game, 5-5, then hold on in overtime to walk away with a hard-fought point.
“I keep reiterating to the kids the amount of heart they have and the incredible will that they have,” said coach Jason Marshall. “We’ve played some really tight games, so today, it was good to get there and make it a tie game. These guys just really battle, so this game is a testament to them.”
Nick Muse (unassisted) staked PSS to a 1-0 lead at the 6:13 mark of the first period. Gaven Cooper answered for Danvers at the 10:33 mark.
PSS regained the lead in the second period at the 1:41 mark when Demetri Breton tipped in a rebound off a shot by Brandon Barone. Ten minutes later, the Falcons’ Colby Medeiros ripped a slap shot from the right point past goalie Dom Pappalardo to tie the game, 2-2. Andrew Godfried and Seamus Cary picked up assists.
The third period was action-packed with each team scoring three goals. Josh Henry (from Cooper Dunham and Owen Swanton) gave Danvers its first lead just 37 seconds in. With less than nine minutes to go, Nathan Palhares was in the right place at the right time – camped out just outside the crease – where he tucked home a rebound to tie things up, 3-3. Cameron Gold and Jason Rothwell were credited with assists.
Henry struck twice in a two-and-a-half minute span to put Danvers in the driver’s seat with 4:04 left in the game.
PSS didn’t take long to respond. Fifteen seconds later, Ryan Frary blasted a shot from the right point past Danvers’ goalie Cody Strandring to cut the deficit to 5-4 with 3:49 to go.
After an icing call on Danvers with 40 seconds remaining, PSS’ Tyson Higgins won the ensuing face-off. The puck ended up on Zach Hartnett’s stick, who fired a shot on net. Muse, alone in the right slot, collected the loose puck and fired a laser past Strandring to tie things up, 5-5, with 27 seconds to go in regulation.
Both teams had chances to win in overtime, but came up empty. Pappalardo was clutch, twice denying Danvers with the glove.
“The way that he played today, it didn’t really feel like five goals,” Marshall said. “He just stands on his head. I think at the end of the second period, when he reached up and got a piece of it, that was huge. He made some amazing plays and saves that nobody expects him to make. It got better as the game went on, but I wish we had a little bit more help in front of him in clearing the puck and getting those rebounds out, but he is just phenomenal in net.”
Marshall also highlighted the play of Muse, Frary, Higgins, and Gold.
“Nick Muse is always phenomenal for us, especially at the end when he took a shot to the leg and kept battling. He was having a Gregory Campbell-esque shift, just laying on the ice and blocking shots. The other coach even said it, too. He played great,” Marshall said. “This was Ryan’s first game back after an injury and he played really, really well… Cam got more minutes than he’s had all year. Tonight, he got out there and made a lot of great decisions and Tyson is a fantastic player and is just so solid up and down the ice, especially defensively.”
This is the first year that Swampscott has been a part of the co-op. Marshall said the addition has been “fantastic.
“All of them are just banding and bonding together really, really quickly and they all seem to share the same motivation,” Marshall said. “They are all buying into what we are trying to do. It’s just phenomenal to have the numbers and the individual guys themselves have been fantastic. It’s been great to keep all three programs alive so that somewhere, these towns can play hockey at the varsity level and at such a high level.”
PSS (3-5-1) went into the contest ranked No. 39 in the Division 1 power rankings.
“We’re right there and within striking range,” Marshall said. “We’re playing some really good hockey right now and we’ve played some really tough teams in some close games, so we are still well within it. We are pushing to get to above .500 and I keep telling these guys they can’t let up for a second because we are still very much still in this.”
PSS is back in action Wednesday against Beverly at Endicott College. Last year, the teams split their two-game series.
“Beverly is another solid team that has had some pretty competitive games against the better teams in our league, so it should be extremely competitive,” Marshall said. “It’s always very close, so it should be a good game.”
