CHRISTIAN LAVA has 6 goals through five games which is tied with James Nelson for the team lead. (Eric Evans Photo)
By DAN ZIMMERMAN
CAMBRIDGE — During the ice hockey version of the Twelve Days of Christmas, North Reading contested five games beginning with the season-opener on Dec. 15 to the most recent game on Dec. 28. The Hornets emerged from this hectic 12-day span with three wins, earning 6 of a possible 10 points.
Last Saturday afternoon, North Reading wrapped up 2024 with a 5-1 win over Cambridge in the consolation round of the annual First Responders Tournament, held at the Simoni Memorial Rink. The decisive win, which featured a natural hat trick from James Nelson, helped ease some of the indignation following a 2-1 overtime defeat in the tournament opener against Nashoba Regional a day earlier. That game was marred by an official’s non-call of a flagrant trip, which allowed Nashoba’s Gavin Fratto to skate in alone and score the game-winner in OT.
Taking stock of the season thus far, North Reading coach Brian McAuliffe admitted some disappointment with squandered opportunities.
“We knew we had to win this game over Cambridge to right the ship a little bit,” he said. “We were seeking a little retribution from the ‘Hockey Gods’ after yesterday. It has been a little frustrating because I believe we could have been 5-0 had a couple of bounces gone our way. But that’s the game of hockey-that’s how it goes.”
In the season-opener, North Reading hammered Cape Ann League foe Rockport, 6-1. Goal scorers included Jack Hodgin, Brayden Carlson, and two each from Christian Lava and Nelson. Sophomore forward Matthew Mericantante contributed with assists on the first three goals.
North Reading suffered a loss to Somerville in the second game of the young season. Unable to slow Highlander forward Chris Cassesso, who scored a hat trick in the third period, the Hornets fell, 4-2. In defeat, Nelson and Lava tallied a goal each.
CAPTAIN MAX FORRISTALL had a goal in NR’s big, 4-2 win over Amesbury on Dec. 23. (Eric Evans Photo)
The Hornets bounced back nicely when Amesbury paid a visit to the Breakaway Ice Center for a matinee on Dec. 23. Scoreless through the first frame, the teams traded a pair of goals each in the second. Early in the third, Max Forristall snapped the 2-2 deadlock with his first of the season and later, Lava buried his fourth, for insurance.
“We had a rough time with Somerville and I knew, as a captain, I had to step up my game against Amesbury,” said Tom Gazda, who claimed both of the second period goals. “We were a faster team and more skilled so it was just a matter of putting in the work. It was a good test for us and we battled through it.”
“We did a lot of research in preparation for Amesbury, which has five or six top notch players,” said McAuliffe. “Unlike the Somerville game, today there was much better flow to our game. And Tommy Gazda will be one of the determiners of our success this year. He’s got great potential and can score. I challenged Tom and some of his teammates and they responded.”
THE NRHS boys’ hockey team has had plenty of goals to celebrate so far this season as they’ve averaged 3.6 per game through their first five. (Eric Evans Photo)
When North Reading met Nashoba Regional, a team which came into the weekend tournament on the wrong end of a 7-0 drubbing by Algonquin, scoring was at a premium. It wasn’t until 10:48 of the third when Lava knocked in his fifth of the season to break the stalemate. Just 5-minutes later, however, Nashoba’s Brayden Trinque beat Hornets goaltender Steven DeLisle for the equalizer, sending the game to overtime.
Facing Cambridge, Nelson garnered his hat trick with two in the first and added his third late in the middle frame. Forristall later tacked on a goal soon followed by Lava shorthanded.
“I was glad to help our team win,” said Nelson, who is currently even with Lava with 6-goals apiece. “I was glad to get myself back on track. Every night, our coaches expect us to play our hearts out and I think we delivered today.”
After a well-deserved hiatus, North Reading will host the 3-2-1 Triton Vikings at Breakaway on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
