Canton, MA – Neutral Zone was in attendance at the Canton Ice House for the Division 1 South First Round Game between #12 Walpole HS and #5 Braintree HS. Walpole scored a power play goal in the first and third period and held on for a 2-1 win and will advance to the quarterfinals to play #4 Duxbury High School on Saturday 2/29 at the Canton Ice House.
Walpole struck first on the power play roughly halfway through the first frame. Sophomore forward Declan Hunter made a nice move out of the corner before snapping the puck back to the point. The puck made its way to senior defenseman and captain Marc Hirshom, who banged in the puck from the top of the crease. Shortly after, Braintree would tie the game on a great individual effort. Freshman forward Nolan Leonard picked up the puck behind the net and walked out front before snapping a shot off the post. The puck ricocheted off the glass behind the net and bounced right back to Leonard who batted it in.
The second and the start of the third were more of a defensive affair with each team packing the middle of the ice and only surrendering shots from the perimeter. Walpole was able to break through again on a power play in the third. Hirshom took a cross-ice feed from senior defender Liam Fisher and he snapped it under the bar. Braintree would mount some pressure down the stretch but junior goalie Jack Curran closed the door.
Three Stars:
- D Marc Hirshom, Walpole
- F Nolan Leonard, Braintree
- G Jack Curran, Walpole
NZ Notes
This was a great high school hockey game played in front of a capacity crowd at the Ice House. Each team received solid goaltending. Walpole’s success on the power play was the difference in the game.
For the winners, several players had nice nights. Marc Hirshom scored both goals and was a factor on the back-end. He is smart and finds soft areas of the ice in the offensive zone. He has an accurate shot and quick release. Kevin McElaney is noticeable up front. He has a wide base and is tough to knock off the puck. He plays a direct game and drives the puck wide with speed. He is good off the cycle and does a good job skating through pressure. Jason Finkelstein is a freshman that plays on the top forward unit and is counted on to provide some offense. He has good skill and made some plays through the middle of the ice.
For Braintree, Nolan Leonard is a skilled freshman that is used in all situations. He runs the power play and likes having the puck on his stick. He is smaller but has a high motor and quick feet. He can make defenders miss in space and he makes plays at speed. He will be interesting to follow as he matures and gets stronger. On the back end, Jonny Harrington stands out. He is a skilled defender that is calm under pressure. He takes ice as its available to him and can make defenders miss. He has a slick set of hands and on one occasion, pulled the puck by a defender before ripping it off-the-bar. He attacks forwards and closes well with an active stick. Solid night for the senior.
