Milton and Nobles Battle to 3-3 Tie
Neutral Zone was in attendance in Milton, Massachusetts to watch the regular season finale for the visiting Nobles Bulldogs and the Milton Academy Mustangs. The two teams traded goals throughout the afternoon and skated to a 3-3 tie, even after a 5 minute overtime period. The two teams will wait to see where they will play in next week in either the Elite 8 or Large School Tournament Playoffs.
Milton started the scoring in the first period when Jeff Lee (San Jose, CA) finished a rebound at the top of the crease on the Power Play. A Nobles defender tried to clear the puck after a scramble and ended up banking the puck off Lee’s stick, then skate before it made its way across the goal line. Nobles would tie the game a few minutes later, when Roman Tacelli (Needham, MA) executed a nice drag and shoot after a nice transition through the neutral zone. Before the end of the frame, Milton would take the lead. After a turnover in the middle of the ice, Brandon Tang (Richmond Hill, ON) broke in alone on Nobles goalie Marc Smith (Hanover, MA – Wesleyan). He was pulled down from behind, but as he fell, was able to slide the puck into the net.
The second period was a more defensive affair as both teams took away the middle of the ice and kept chances to the perimeter. Nobles would score the lone goal of the period, as Casey Severo (Penfield, NY) finished a rebound after a shot from the point.
The third period started quickly, as Nobles took their first lead of the day. Jack Cronin (South Hamilton, MA – Princeton) finished a rebound after an odd-man rush. The lead however, was short lived, as Milton came back down the ice and after an initial shot from David Chen (Livingston, NJ), junior forward Tanner Smith (Duxbury, MA) finished the rebound.
The game would remain tied through regulation and a fast-paced overtime. Each team had several chances but couldn’t come up with the game winner. Both teams should be difficult outs in their respective tournaments next week.
NZ Notes; For the home team, Milton, several players had nice afternoons. As he has done all season, David Chen was around the puck and made some plays. He is quick and darts in and out of traffic. He sees the ice well and uses his vision and puck skills to make plays in tight areas. Jeff Lee was Milton’s best player on the afternoon. He has a high motor and compete level. He was first in on pucks and battled hard. He also thinks the game quickly and made several crafty plays to create scoring chances. He also has a solid base and is tough to knock off the puck. On the back-end, Chris Romaine (Braintree, MA) and Ethan Mistry (Toronto, ON – Brown) were slick on the Power Play. Both move the puck well and use patience to allow lanes to open. Both see passing lanes quickly and are creative.
For the visiting team, Casey Severo was noticeable each time out on the ice. He is very effective on the dot and plays a complete, 200’ game. He is smart and uses his feet and timing to consistently find soft spots in the offensive zone. He has a quick release and shoots in stride. Roman Tacelli has a good first step and is able to separate through the neutral zone. He handles the puck well at speed and made plays in transition all afternoon. He is slick below the dots and made several creative plays coming out of the corners to create scoring chances. Robert Lapsley (Needham, MA) may not have gotten on the scoresheet, but he was effective all day. He is a big body that plays a heavy game and is hard to contain around the net. On the back-end, Aidan Lyons (Brookline, MA) played his typical puck-moving game. He takes ice when it is afforded to him and uses quick feet to escape pressure and push the pace into the neutral zone. Pierce Kenney (Needham, MA) was also solid. He is a big body that plays a solid, direct game. He makes quick decisions and snaps passes tape-to-tape. He also has a good set of hands and can make defenders miss in space.
Three Stars
- Jeff Lee, Milton Academy
- Roman Tacelli, Nobles
- Casey Severo, Nobles
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
