Lynn, MA – We dispatched one of our scouts deep into the heart of Lynn to watch the 5th ranked St. Mary’s Lynn Spartans take on the pride of Peabody in Bishop Fenwick. Before the game, it was a bit of a struggle to secure a parking spot but the Honeydew Donuts across the street was surprisingly accommodating. Despite these parking troubles, the game was delayed by about 10 minutes due to the portable speaker malfunctioning but rest assured the Star-Spangled Banner was played pregame and off we went.
As for the first period it was a completely wide open frame with thrilling chances, bouncing pucks, missed passes and big hits all over the sheet. It was an auspicious start as the Crusaders thought they had a goal 10 seconds into the proceedings but the ref waved it off as his whistle had already blown the play dead. Not to be denied Bishop Fenwick dented the scoreboard first when senior forward Thomas Estella broke in off the right wing and centered the puck where a number of sticks took a whack at it. It eventually popped out to senior speedster Jake Murphy who flipped it in the net 60 seconds into the game. The bench went bonkers but that momentum was short-lived as three minutes later a turnover in the defensive zone led to junior St. Mary’s forward Dante D’Ambrosio putting it on net. The initial save was made but sophomore Eric Toto was on the spot to slip it five-hole: tie game 1-1. That was how the period ended – it was a swift 15 minutes.
The second period featured a bit more structure and a good chunk of power play time, mostly for St. Mary’s Lynn. There were a couple of breakaways midway through the frame but neither was converted. The Spartans also hit their second pipe of the night – just some bad luck in terms of puck placement. Neither team really owned the territorial battle as both squads had quality looks. Ultimately though it was Fenwick who would break the tie with 24 seconds left in the period. In a 2-on-1 break-in senior forward Nick Muzi fanned on his shot and the puck squirted behind the net where senior forward Diego Alvarez-Segee picked it up and centered it. Luckily for the Crusaders star captain Ian Worthley was standing at the right post and he received the pass and roofed it. 2-1 Fenwick after two.
In the third period, Bishop Fenwick turned up the heat on the forecheck and did a great job of getting in on the hands of the opposition. There were multiple steals and turnovers created by their speed and tenacity. That also led to an insurance goal at 8:48. Junior forward Cam Martin went coast-to-coast on the Spartans, deked a defender with a slick move and popped it home to make it 3-1 which would be the final score in this one. The Crusaders upset the #5 ranked Spartans.
Three Stars
- F Ian Worthley, Bishop Fenwick (GWG)
- F Cam Martin, Bishop Fenwick (G)
- D Davis Kinne, St. Mary’s Lynn
NZ’s Take
As you can see from the video we posted on Twitter, this win was a big deal for Fenwick. They put in the work and played their defensive system well. There were times where they made mistakes, but it’s incredibly tough to play a perfect game. Ultimately they showed a consistent hunger: you could tell how much they wanted this one based on how fired up the bench was. St. Mary’s Lynn has a number of great athletes and as a team they didn’t play poorly tonight: Fenwick just played a little bit better.
For St. Mary’s Lynn, the conversation begins and ends with Davis Kinne. He is all-everything for this team: he transitions the puck, he defends well in his own zone and he attacks the net with regularity. He also logs a ton of minutes at this level – we wouldn’t be surprised if he played 28-30 minutes tonight. His younger brother Harrison is interesting as well as an 8th grader playing varsity. He has a smooth stride and his pivot motion is slick. He can win along the walls because of his strong frame already as a 2005 birthyear. We liked how tough junior Colby Magliozzi was to play against: he got in on his opponent’s hands and won puck battles with low leverage.
For Bishop Fenwick, Ian Worthley was sublime. It’s not because he scored the game winning goal, but it’s how he created chances. His vision up ice was excellent and his ability to read the play was very good as well. He was a step ahead of the defense here: great IQ. Diego Alvarez-Segee was intriguing as well. He is a lean forward who hustles in every zone and has decent size as well with more strength to add. He shows good instincts in the offensive zone: he is looking to get to the net and looking for shot tips. Another key to the offensive engine for the Crusaders was Jake Murphy. He tried to hide from us as he misplaced his #19 jersey and wore #41 but no matter what number he had on he was flying all night long. He is a slender attacker but his feet are quick and his acceleration is very good at this level. He is smart with possession: waiting out the goalie and creating better opportunities as a result: fun to watch.
