Milton Scores in OT to Beat Thayer 6-5 on the Road
Neutral Zone made the trip to the Thayer Sports Center in Braintree, Massachusetts to see Thayer host Milton in a pivotal matchup that had big Elite 8 and Large School implications. Milton used an overtime goal from David Chen (Livingston, NJ) to win a wild 6-5 game and pick up a crucial two points in ISL play.
Milton jumped out on a sluggish Thayer squad in the first and was quickly ahead 3-0 on goals by Tyler Crist (Bethesda, MD), Chen and Shane O’Sullivan (Norwell, MA). Thayer took its time out and was able to get two back before the end of the frame. First Michael Stenberg (Needham, MA – Penn State) scored on a cross-ice one-timer and then Sasha Teleguine (North Attleboro, MA – Northeastern) drove wide before lowering his shoulder, cutting across the crease and stuffing the puck inside the post.
The second went back and forth, with the teams trading goals. Peter Kramer (Bridgewater, MA – Providence College) tied the game, only to have Ethan Mistry (Toronto, ON – Brown University) regain the lead for the Mustangs. Shortly thereafter, Peter Kramer again tied the game at four, before Mistry put Milton ahead 5-4 with a nice shot from the point.
The third was more controlled and saw good chances by both sides. Teleguine scored a carbon copy of his first goal by driving wide and then cutting to the net and slipping the puck past the goalie to tie the game at five. Milton would take a major penalty but received some strong goaltending from Chris Demers (Burlington, ON) who came on in relief. Regulation ended 5-5.
Shortly into the extra session, David Chen would score his second of the game off a goal-mouth scramble to send the visitors home with a 6-5 win. The two teams will meet again at Milton next week.
Three Stars:
- David Chen, Milton Academy
- Ethan Mistry, Milton Academy
- Sasha Teleguine, Thayer
NZ Notes: This was a great prep school hockey game with plenty of offense. At times, the game was chippy and saw two major penalties. Each team was effective on the Power Play with Milton scoring once with the man advantage and Thayer scoring twice. It will be interesting to see how Thayer reacts when it travels to Milton next week.
For the home team, Teleguine had a big night. He is the fastest player on the ice and uses his speed to attack defenders and beat them to the outside. He took a major penalty in the first, but was able to recover to score two goals and create several other scoring chances. He handles the puck well at speed and made some nice plays in transition. Peter Kramer was also strong. He scored twice and played a direct, heavy game on the forecheck, He does a good job finding space in the offensive zone and using his body to buy time to move the puck into scoring areas. Finally, Michael Stenberg looked solid. He plays big minutes for a late 04’ and is counted on to provide consistent offense. He is calm and controlled under pressure and moves the puck quickly to the open man. He is strong and has a heavy shot. He gets to scoring areas and has good touch around the net. On the back-end, Cam Mannion (Dorchester, MA) played a physical game and was solid cutting down passing lanes. He closes well and uses a long stick to keep forwards to the perimeter. Declan Loughnane (Milton, MA) was also solid. He is not afraid to take open ice and can make defenders miss in space. He makes a solid first pass out of his end and look to jump into the rush to create outlets.
For the visitors, David Chen was constantly around the puck and does a good job darting in-and-out of traffic. He is light on his feet and spins away from pressure. He is quick and tough to track down in the offensive zone as he always has his feet moving. Tyler Crist also had a nice night. He is tough on pucks and plays a complete, 200’ game. He fights through pressure and has the skill to make plays in tight. On the back-end, Will van der Veen (Duxbury, MA) was all over the ice in the defensive zone. He was engaged and physical and cut down passing lanes. He plays tough along the walls and uses his reach and stick to break-up passes. Ethan Mistry is a slick, puck-mover. He sees the ice well and made several smart plays to create positive scoring plays. He uses his feet and edges to create space and on several occasions, walked the line to get open before threading shots through to the net.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
