PEABODY — With regular seasons winding down, it’s crunch time for the Peabody/Saugus/Swampscott and Marblehead boys hockey teams, who squared off Thursday afternoon at McVann-O’Keefe Skating Rink.
Both teams ranked No. 34 in their respective divisions (PSS in Div. 2; Marblehead in Div. 3) and were fighting to keep state tournament hopes alive.
Let’s just say the game didn’t disappoint with hard hits, back-and-forth action, and plenty of intensity. In the end, Marblehead escaped 2-1.
Tied 1-1 midway through the second period, momentum seemed to be in PSS’ favor after a Marblehead penalty. But Hayden Gallo of the Headers flipped the script, scoring the game-winning goal after scooping up a turnover in the neutral zone.
“We really practice defending short-handed and if it’s done right, you can get a breakaway off it. We did that tonight and were lucky enough to put it home,” said Marblehead coach Brendan Locke. “The student-athletes are really playing hard the last few games and they can see the finish line.”
“I think we worked hard the whole game,” said PSS coach Donnie Shaw. “It was a very physical game and we tried to keep our heads as much as we could, but sometimes, it gets a little overwhelming. We still have an opportunity to make the playoffs and everyone has so much heart on this team.”
PSS jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 6:45 mark of the first period on a goal from Artie O’Leary, assisted by Matvey Stupnikov and Demetri Breton.
The Headers broke through with five seconds remaining in the period after a scrum in front. Freshman Tyler Machado picked up a loose puck outside the crease and ripped it home, notching his first varsity goal. Kellan Laramie and Teddy Dulac picked up assists.
“He (Machado) has come on hard the past couple of weeks and is learning what it takes to play at the varsity level,” Locke said. “I’m proud of his development this season.”
Both teams had quality chances in the final period, but couldn’t break through.
Despite several face-offs in the offensive zone with less than 90 seconds to go, PSS didn’t pull goalie Dom Pappalardo (17 saves), who split time with starter Evan Tybinkowski (15).
“It’s a momentum thing,” Shaw said. “A 3-1 loss looks a lot different than a 2-1 loss. They said, ‘Coach, we can do it. You don’t have to pull the goalie.’ Just like they have faith in me, I have faith in them.”
Locke credited Laramie, fellow defenseman Max King, and goaltender Bowden Laramie (28 saves) for their efforts.
“Kellan was really solid today. Max King was another one who really played solid defense. Those two, I think, did really well trying to move the puck away from the front of the net and played really well in the corners — and Bowden was outstanding.”
Shaw highlighted the play of Stupnikov, his goalies, and the defense.
“Matvey played a great game today and, overall, our whole defensive corps was under a lot of pressure, but they really came through with a great effort,” Shaw said. “Artie played really well today and our defense played really well as they had a lot of pressure. Also, our two goalies played extremely well.”
PSS (5-9-1) returns Saturday against Gloucester at Talbot Rink (6 p.m.). With only four games remaining in the regular season, Shaw said the team still has a good shot to make the state tournament.
“That’s always a tough rink,” Shaw said. “We don’t have to win out to make the tournament, but we have to get close. We still have some tough competition ahead of us. We just beat Masco, which was ahead of us in the rankings.”
Marblehead (5-11-1) plays Saturday against Shawsheen Valley Tech at Rockett Arena (7 p.m.).
“That’s going to be a really good tournament test for us, then we have another tough one in the Newburyport tournament,” Locke said. “We know we have to sneak a couple more wins in the last four games and hope the strength of schedule will push us over the top.”
