St. Sebastian’s Doubles-up Milton at Home 6-3
Neutral Zone was in attendance for St. Sebastian’s home opener against Milton Academy. The game was wide open with each team generating several scoring chances. Both teams like to quickly transition and play a fast north/south style. St. Sebastian’s used two goals in the third period to secure a 6-3 win in ISL play.
St. Sebastian’s came out fast and controlled the first half of the first period. However, Milton would be the one to strike first as Jeffrey Lee (San Jose, CA) cut across the slot and guided a backhander over Luke Garrity’s (Duxbury, MA) blocker. The lead was short lived as Connor Joyce (Dedham, MA – Boston College) walked out of the corner and rifled the puck bar down. Before the end of the frame, Milton would regain the lead as Will van der Veen (Duxbury, MA) scored a Power Play goal from the half-wall as he directed a shot through traffic into the back of the net.
St. Seb’s came out fast again to start the second and got back-to-back goals from Jake Lavoie (Avon, MA) and Brendan Gorman (Westwood, MA). Both goals were scrambles in front of the net where rebounds were banged home. Milton would tie the game at three, when Tanner Smith (Duxbury, MA) finished a nice play backdoor. Before the second period was finished, St. Seb’s would take the lead for good when Brendan Dumas (North Attleboro, MA) tipped a shot from Ryan MacDermott (Norwell, MA).
The third saw multiple scoring chances for both teams and a few Power Play opportunities per side. St. Seb’s would score the only two goals of the frame as Lavoie scored his second of the game on a nice cross-ice feed and Dumas scored another on a scramble in front. Milton had a few chances to cut the lead to one, but that was as close they would get, and the game ended 6-3.
Three Stars:
- Jake Lavoie – St. Sebastian’s
- Brendan Dumas – St. Sebastian’s
- David Chen – Milton Academy
NZ Notes: Both teams lost some key players to graduation and will be looking for some younger talent to step-up and provide scoring depth. The game was fast and high-flying for an early season tilt. It will be interesting to watch the two teams compete later in the season on the big ice surface at Milton.
For the home team, several players had solid nights. Up front, Lavoie was a constant threat each time out on the ice. He is smaller but slashes through traffic and made some nice plays in transition. He also is tough and doesn’t hesitate to drive the net and play in the dirty areas of the rink. Timmy Delay (Hingham, MA – Boston College) had a nice night and created several scoring chances off turnovers. Michael Callow (South Boston, MA) looked strong for a freshman. He is a long body with a fluid stride that is getting better. He made plays and uses his reach and patience to find passing lanes through the middle of the ice. On the back-end, MacDermott and Thomas Messineo (Norfolk, MA) play big minutes and are counted on in all situations. Both are big, poised, strong defenders that cut down time and space and play physical when needed.
For Milton, Lee was strong. He is a compact forward that is effective down low and has the hands to make plays in tight. He is confident with the puck and made plays all night on zone entries. David Chen (Livingston, NJ) created offense each time he touched the puck. He is shifty and has good speed and edges. He made defenders miss in space and uses a quick release to fire pucks on net. Tyler Crist (Bethesda, MD) also had a strong night. He is athletic and drives the puck wide. He shoots each chance he can get and hides his release well. On defense, Chris Romaine (Braintree, MA) was impressive. He is a 2004 and plays in all situations for the Mustangs. He is smooth with the puck on his stick and makes calculated decisions. He kept good gaps through the neutral zone and quickly turns defense into offense. He will be one to follow throughout the season.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
