BOURNE, Mass. – The Franklin Panthers will be moving to Division 1 next year, so they made sure to leave D2 as they have spent each of the past two seasons – on top.
Franklin scored inside the opening 30 seconds of the game and went on to win its third straight D2 South sectional title with a 3-1 victory over the Oliver Ames Tigers. This was also the fourth straight year that Franklin has eliminated OA from the postseason.
Cam Curley, who has been Franklin’s leading scorer in the postseason, stunned the crowd in the opening 30 seconds of the game when he flipped a shot on net that eluded OA goalie Jimmy Tierney and made it 1-0. The shot went through traffic and Curley looked as stunned as the Tigers fans behind the net that the puck crossed the line.
Franklin controlled much of the game and doubled its advantage, while on the power play, three minutes before the end of the first period. Tierney made a great kick save to prevent a goal only to see the rebound bounce right to the stick of Pat Slason, who made no mistake and buried his shot over the prone goalie.
Midway through the second period, Franklin added a third and it was the pick of the bunch. Sophomores Nick Downey and Alec Borkowski combined at the blue line then fed it on to defenseman Kyle Powers, who drove the puck towards the net. Powers sent a puck through the crease that was tapped hom by Borkowski.
It was Borkowski’s second goal in as many games and was the back breaker for the Panthers.
The third period was played to a standstill as the Panthers defense smothered OA’s forwards and Devon Maloof stayed solid. Maloof made 16 saves in the victory. The Tigers did add a consolation in the final minute on an unstoppable shot from Kyle Hayes, but the damage was done and Franklin advanced.
Panthers head coach Chris Spillane had the line of the night when asked about his team’s chances against Wilmington in a rematch of last year’s championship game, which finished 3-2 to the Wildcats.
He said, “We’ve been there three years in a row and been bridesmaids two years in a row. I just told these kids that I will not be the Marv Levy of high school hockey.”
Franklin faces Wilmington on Sunday afternoon at the TD Garden.