Warrior boys’ hockey starts journey tonight at home

MATT ELWELL, who leads the Warriors with 29 points this season, is ready for the first round of the Div. 2 state tournament tonight, 8 p.m. at the Stoneham Arena. (File Photo)

STONEHAM — The Wakefield High boys’ hockey team will kick off their postseason tonight when they host Plymouth North at the Stoneham Arena with puck drop set for 8 p.m.

The 10^th ranked Warriors finished the regular season with an 11-7-2 record and brought home a league title as the Middlesex League Freedom Division champions.

The 23^rd ranked Eagles finished with an 8-14 record. That mark is a bit deceiving as the team competed in a brutal Patriot League Keenan Division in which they had to play Marshfield (5^th in Div. 1), Duxbury (2^nd in Div. 2) and Silver Lake (5^th in Div. 2) twice. The Eagles finished 4^th in their division behind those three teams.

As Wakefield enters the postseason, their focus for success won’t change as they will lean on a defense that has been stellar all season. Wakefield has surrendered just 2.1 goals per game this season.

“I think what’s going to make us successful tonight is playing great team defense and responding well to adversity,” said head coach Mike Geary. “We’ve done that for the majority of the season and we will need to continue to do that.”

That defense has been led by senior goalie Dom DeAngelis, who racked up three shutouts this season, all during a six game winning streak against the Freedom Division from Jan. 4 to Jan. 21, which catapulted the team to the front of the standings where they stayed. DeAngelis and the Warriors allowed just three goals during that six-game streak.

The blue line is highlighted by senior captain Joe Colliton who leads a deep and talented group including senior John Regan, sophomore Trevor Veilleux, junior Liam McNeill and junior Brian Purcell.

DOM DEANGELIS will lead a Wakefield defense that has allowed just 2.1 goals per game into their first round matchup against Plymouth North tonight. (File Photo)

Wakefield’s top forward line has produced very well this year, led by senior captains Matt Elwell (15 goals, 14 assists) and Bobby DeFeo (8 goals, 8 assists). Freshman Andrew Martin (9 goals, 6 assists) has fit in well with the first line, as Wakefield will no doubt need their go-to scorers to step up in this one. Of course, Wakefield will also need secondary scoring from their defense along with forwards like seniors Sean Hogan and Jack Curran, sophomore Andrew Nemec, junior Tylor Roycroft and junior Dylan Wickwire.

Plymouth North has a good goalie in junior Kaden Bono and plenty of offense led by juniors Sean Hallissey and Aidan Mackenzie.

The Eagles are playing well at this point of the season highlighted by wins over Hanover (7^th in D3) and Silver Lake.

The winner of tonight’s matchup will play the winner of No. 7 Algonquin vs. No. 26 Newton South in the round of 16. The Titans and Lions will also play tonight.