Marshfield Clips Franklin 1-0, Advances to D1 Elite 8

Kingston, MA – As the snow and rain came down outside there was a matchup that was heating things up inside of The Bog. The five seeded Rams of Marshfield were hosting 12 seeded Panthers of Franklin for a chance to go to the D1 Elite 8. The Rams came into the game at 18-3-2 and the Panthers entered at 16-5-0. Thanks to our friends at LiveBarn, we were able to catch this game live on video and document it here on MassNZ.

In the first period, the Rams owned the possession and much of the early action was spent in their attacking zone. Even when Franklin got the puck out, Marshfield was able to clog up the neutral zone effectively and slow down the Panthers’ transition game. The first half of the period featured great work along the walls to keep plays alive in the Marshfield zone leading to quality looks but Franklin began to make a push and nearly put one home late in the frame. Star senior goalie Brady Quackenbush made a terrific anticipation save with a quick lateral move to keep us knotted at 0-0, where we would end the period.

In the second period, Franklin made a more aggressive push and was able to sustain more time in their attacking zone, but Marshfield was up to the task. Franklin was able to move the puck quickly and found a couple of open seams but Quackenbush tracked the puck well and shut down every chance. On the other end, junior goalie Colby Wagner was able to keep Marshfield off the scoreboard as well. Marshfield was strong on their sticks down low and digging for loose pucks in dangerous areas, but Wagner was well positioned to make the timely saves. We would head to a third and decisive period to determine who would earn the right to move on to the next round…

In the final frame, it was anybody’s game and both teams went all out looking to deliver the knockout blow. Franklin pushed a little harder and generated a couple of Grade A scoring chances off the rush but once again, Quackenbush was there to gobble them up, leaving the Panthers frustrated. The Franklin defense didn’t let up a tremendous number of scoring chances in their end, but it only takes one, and that’s what happened with just under five minutes to go in the game. Junior forward Steve Faria fired a lateral pass over the blue line that hit an in-stride junior linemate in Teddy Devoe streaking up the right wing. He tried to fire the puck high on Wagner but missed the net. Faria then pinched in as the puck trickled up the left wing wall and tapped it deep again where junior forward Ryland McGlame was waiting. Making a smart decision, McGlame stepped out of the corner, walking towards the left post as Faria drifted into the vacated slot. McGlame found him and Faria buried it with a one-timer upstairs to give the Rams a 1-0 lead. That score was a tremendous momentum shifter, as you can imagine, and a couple minutes later, Franklin called timeout with 2:23 remining. They would pull their goalie looking for the equalizer. They were able to move the puck laterally, but never got the shot opportunity that they were looking for. This game would end in a 1-0 shutout for Marshfield. That’s two straight shutouts in the State Tournament. The Rams advance to the Elite 8 where Pope Francis will be waiting to host them at the Olympia Ice Center, date and time still TBD.

Three Stars:

  1. G Brady Quackenbush, Marshfield
  2. F Steve Faria, Marshfield
  3. G Colby Wagner, Franklin