Culver held a 3-1 lead after the first period and held on for a 5-3 win to earn third place at the Lawrence Groton tournament.
Pomfret cut the lead to one in the second period when Tyler Bourque slammed in a rebound on the PowerPlay. However, Culver would answer shortly thereafter. Timofei Spitserov, who has had a big weekend, cut through a seam and snapped a shot under the bar.
In the third, Culver would put the game away as James White snuck through the defense and snapped a low shot past the goalie.
For Pomfret, Jake Hughes had a solid game. He had a high motor and takes good angles pressuring the puck. He battles hard and is good off-the-cycle.
Culver got strong performances from Blake Lewis and Spitserov. Both had their games going and were constantly a threat to score. Culver finished the tournament 2-1, while Pomfret fell to 1-2.
Dexter Beats Lawrence 3-1 In Final
Dexter and Lawrence Academy met in the final of the Lawrence Groton Holiday Tournament in front of a full rink at Lawrence Academy. The game was back and forth with Dexter capitalizing on Power Play opportunities in the first period and holding on for a 3-1 win.
The first started quickly with Dexter mounting pressure and jumping to a two-zero lead in the first ten minutes. Brendan O’Donnell (Hull, MA) started the scoring by finishing back-door on the man advantage. A few minutes later, John McElaney (Walpole, MA – Colby College), snapped a shot from the slot low blocker side on the man advantage. The score would hold until the second period.
Dexter continued to apply pressure and took a 3-0 lead a few minutes into the second period. Matt Copponi (Mansfield, MA) took a feed in tight and flipped one under the bar. Before the frame was out, Lawrence would cut the lead to two. Off a scramble in front, Anthony Cafarelli (Middleton, MA) banged in a rebound that beat Dylan Silverstein (Woburn, MA).
NZ notes
Both of these teams are two of the better teams in prep hockey and will be factors in the Elite 8. Lawrence started slowly and was killing penalties for a majority of the first period.
For Lawrence several players had nice nights. Blake Humphrey (Rochester, NY – Providence College) was all over the ice. He is tough to separate from the puck and always has his feet moving. He is effective off the cycle and looks to make plays in all situations. Riley Duran (Woburn, MA – Providence College) was noticeable. He used his long reach and frame to create chances. He is very difficult to contain down low and was very effective below the goal line. He plays with an edge and battles in front of the net. On defense, Cole Teleki was a strong presence. He is athletic and wheels the net with the puck. He is confident and doesn’t rush plays. He sees the seams through the neutral zone well and is smart and calm with the puck on his stick. Damien Carfagna (Wood-Ridge, NJ) had a nice weekend. He is smart and made good reads in all three zones. He doesn’t force passes and looks to find routes to create open seams.
For Dexter, they continued their strong play and continue to be one of the best teams in prep hockey. They are very deep and should be there at the end of the season. John Fusco and Matt Fusco (Westwood, MA) are strong players that had big weekends. They both make plays happen each time out on the ice. Both players are skilled and are patient when surveying the ice. They snap passes through the middle of the ice and activate on the rush. Doug Grimes (Brookline, MA – Boston University) – was a big factor. He is athletic and uses a long stride and good first step to get up to speed. He attacks directly and has a good shot in transition. Jack Dempsey (Natick, MA) was a big factor in Dexter winning this weekend. He is a big body that has soft hands and understands spacing. He attacks directly but has the ability to cut down time and find open areas. He snaps shots on net and drives the net hard.
Three Stars
1. John Fusco (Dexter)
2. Dylan Silverstein (Dexter)
3. Riley Duran (Lawrence)
