Warriors make valiant comeback bid, edged 5-4

ZACH SALAMONE, a senior forward (#3), scored a goal and had an assist as the Warrior boys’ hockey team was edged 5-4 by Winchester on Saturday night at the Kasabuski Arena. (Donna Larsson File Photo)

ZACH SALAMONE, a senior forward (#3), scored a goal and had an assist as the Warrior boys’ hockey team was edged 5-4 by Winchester on Saturday night at the Kasabuski Arena. (Donna Larsson File Photo)

By DAN BYRNE

SAUGUS — The Wakefield Memorial High School varsity boys’ hockey team’s season continued Saturday evening at the Kasabuski Arena whem  the Warriors hosted the Sachems from Winchester High School.

Still seeking their first victory on the season, the Warriors skaters spotted Winchester a four-goal lead in the opening period before outplaying the Sachems down the stretch for the final 30 minutes of the game.

Trailing 5-1 heading into the third period, Wakefield’s valiant effort to come back fell just short as the game ultimately ended in a 5-4 loss for the Warriors.

The first period was a real nightmare for head coach John Pellerin and his team.

“I think we didn’t come out strong,” said the coach. “Both offensively and defensively we were poor. If we hadn’t spotted them four goals we would have won that game, without a doubt.”

The Sachems wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as just 2:29 into the first Winchester’s Andrew McCarthy was led into the Wakefield zone behind the defense by a Jonathan Lepore pass that brought McCarthy 1-on-1 with Wakefield’s goalie Ben Yandell. McCarthy’s shot just slipped under Yandell’s pads and Winchester was off and running.

Not a minute had passed on the scoreboard and Wakefield had lost a skater to a penalty. The Sachems took advantage of the power play opportunity they had and doubled their advantage. Winchester’s Joe Oganowsky’s initial effort was blocked by Yandell, but Gavin Lacey was there to clean up the rebound and give Winchester to a 2-0 lead.

Winchester added to its lead with 5:31 to play in the first, as David Farioli’s one-timer flew by Yandell and it was 3-0.

With less than 2 minutes to play in the first, Winchester got the better of Yandell one more time with Jack Keane credited with the score at 13:14 to bring the score to 4-0 after one period.

Winchester’s attack remained strong in the second period but coach Pellerin’s defense had turned things around in the locker room. Led by Jack Brown and Dom Bruno, the Warrior “D” shut down Winchester and didn’t allow it to trouble Yandell for much of the period.

However, things got worse for Wakefield before they could get better and, with just under three minutes remaining, Christopher Wilson made it a handful of goals Wakefield would need to score, beating Yandell to make it 5-0.

Up to this point, Wakefield had been completely on its heels and didn’t really look as though they’d score. However, not long after the fifth Winchester goal, Wakefield got on the board.

With 2:30 to play in the second period, Bryan Noyes broke away from neutral ice down the right wing with the puck. His initial effort was stopped by Sachems’ goalie James Offner but a trailing Zach Salamone was well positioned to hammer in the rebound making it 5-1 Winchester at the end of two periods.

“Sal didn’t quit,” Pellerin said. “He went to the net and put that puck in. When they put that goal in there was a sense of energy that kicked into our bench,” the coach said after the game.

Pellerin saw the improvement in his side on the ice, “We dug deep, tied the second period,” said the coach.

Wakefield had a mountain to climb in the third period trailing 5-1 but Salamone’s goal gave the Warriors some momentum heading into the second intermission.

They carried it out onto the ice with them in the third period and James McAuliffe exemplified that with an unassisted goal at 2:41 in the third to make it 5-2.

“We treated the third period as if it was a game they played the way they’re capable of playing,” Pellerin said. “We were rolling those lines and it seemed like we had this wave starting.”

Tensions ran high throughout this game and things boiled over a bit in the third period, as Wakefield continued to apply the pressure.

“We ended up with a little bit more drive because of what took place,” said Pellerin, in reference to his team’s surge following a game-misconduct assessed to Dylan Melanson with eight minutes to play. “We had a group of guys come together.”

With just less than seven minutes remaining, Dom Bruno notched Wakefield’s third goal, set up by Salamone and Brown.

Now down 5-3, as tempers flared Wakefield went on the power play.

“When you’re down 5-1 with eight minutes to go and you go on the power play you got to take it one goal at a time,” Pellerin said.

With 4:50 to play in the third, Dave Melanson led Anthony Funicella whose shot was saved by Offner. But Joe Stackhouse was there to clean up the rebound and spur the Warriors comeback on even further yet as the score stood at 5-4.

“When we got the fourth goal, we thought we were there,” said the coach.

With time winding down, Wakefield threw everything it had at Winchester to come back and change the outcome of this game but the clock was not in its favor.

For the final minute and a half Wakefield pulled Yandell from the goal in favor of the extra skater and even went on the power play with 35-seconds to play. But the Warriors were unable to score one last time that would have tied the game.

Of his team’s never quit effort the coach said, “They’re young, they’re learning and they’re setting up when they can. Anthony Funicella had a fantastic game tonight, he’s just in the middle of everything. Ben Yandell continues to be our backbone in net, he’s constantly keeping us in the game. Jack Brown played a good game too, he’s been logging a lot of minutes.”

The Warriors will keep seeking that elusive first victory of the season as they head to Watertown on Monday at 4 p.m. to take on the Red Raiders at the Ryan Arena.

“Watertown is a similar team,” said coach Pellerin, “If you come and skate 45 minutes you’ll win.”

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At Kasabuski Arena, Saugus

Winchester…………4  1  0 — 5

WAKEFIELD……….0  1  3 — 4

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First Period — Win, McCarthy (Lepore) 2:29. Win, Lacey (Wilson, Ogonowsky) 3:13. Win, Farioli (McCarthy, Ogonowsky) 9:29. Win, Keane (O’Connell, Asdornvuttkrai) 13:14.

Second Period — Win, Wilson (Farioli, Asdornvuttkrai) 12:08. Wak, Salamone (Noyes, Bruno) 12:29.

Third Period — Wak, McAuliffe (un.) 12:29. Wak, Bruno (Salamone, Brown) 8:14. Wak, Stackhouse (Funicella, Da.Melanson) 10:51.

Shots on Goal — Winchester 30. Wakefield 22.

Goalies — Win, Offner (22 shots-18 saves). Wak, Yandell (30-25).