FRANKLIN, Mass. - In a non-league matchup, the Milford Scarlet Hawks defeated the Bellingham Blackhawks, 6-4. This early season game had a playoff vibe to it as it was back and forth for most of the night.
In the first period of play, both teams came out fast and physical. Milford struck first early in the period when senior co-captain Brad White corralled the puck behind the net, skated to his left and dished it to senior co-captain Jared Balzarini, who flicked the puck past the goaltender making it 1-0 Milford. Seconds later, right from the face off, Bellingham’s Owen Haley leveled the game at 1-1 with an easy goal past Brian Ireland. Just minutes later in a scrum in front of the Bellingham net, Griffin Lynch poked the puck past the goalie giving his team a 2-1 lead.
Lynch, who plays on the first line with White and Balzarini, had 5 points in the game which included a hat trick and two assists.
“He [Lynch] had a great game,” praised head coach Mike Balzarini. “He settled in and played a really smart game and it showed.”
Also scoring for Milford was junior Drew Wilde. Wilde ripped a shot from just inside the blue line that found its way in the net with just over 11 minutes to play in the period. With that, it looked like Milford was running away with their second game of the season, but a late first period goal from Bellingham kept the Blackhawks afloat going into the first intermission.
Just two minutes into the second period Bellingham’s Tyler Thomas evened the game at three a piece with a top shelf shot past Ireland. A third of the way through the second period Milford found themselves on a power play. With a man advantage, Balzarini received a pass on the left side and immediately let a shot go that senior goalie Mike Alexander could not stop. Milford had the lead again at 4-3. The back and forth feel of the game continued when Blackhawk freshman forward Sean Williamson tied the game at 4-4 with just 30 seconds left in the second period.
“The first thirty minutes were a little back and forth,” said Balzarini. “I was a little hesitant with some of the forechecks we were going through.”
The third period, however, was all Milford on the scoreboard. Early in the third, Lynch notched his second goal of the night on a feed from Balzarini and completed his hat trick with an insurance goal for Milford with four minutes to play.
“I haven’t really scored a lot my first two years,” said Lynch. “To score three in a night is pretty good, but I thought it was an overall team effort.”
Milford will look to extend their winning streak to three as they take on Assabet on Wednesday.
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