#12: Hock Teams Return to Finals
After the win over the Tigers, Franklin head coach Chris Spillane joked that he did not want to be "the Marv Levy of high school hockey" (getting to the title game but unable to bring home the trophy).
Unfortunately for Franklin, its opponents in the title game were considered among the best teams in the state, regardless of division, and Wilmington took home the title with a 4-0 victory.
For ESPNBoston.com, Josh Perry wrote:
Earlier this season, after a win over Winchester, Wilmington head coach Steve Scanlon spoke about junior Drew Foley being one of the best goalies that the program has ever had. Early in the first period of Sunday’s Division 2 state championship game at the TD Garden, Foley showed why he has earned such praise.
Franklin forward Aidan Isberg had two chances from point blank range, including one with the net gaping, but was robbed by Foley’s quick reflexes. It was a remarkable moment that left the fans stunned and kept zeroes on the scoreboard. That save, and several other stops in the opening period, gave the Wildcats the time to find their legs.
Once they got going, there was little that Franklin could do to stop them.
The Wildcats took control of the game, especially in the third period, and claimed the D2 state championship with a 4-0 victory. It was the second straight state championship for Wilmington and the second consecutive season that Franklin was beaten in the title game.
In the final, Milford would suffer just its second loss of the season falling to Agawam 3-1. But, considering the adversity the team faced during the season, it was a remarkable acheivement to return to the title game.
Writing for ESPNBoston.com, Ryan Lanigan explained:
“For Milford, this year was supposed to be their redemption tour after suffering a heartbreaking loss in five games in last year’s state championship to Cambridge.
They even returned a group of strong core players in Kane Wittorff, Michael Soares, and setter Tim MacMannis.
But in late April, optimism quickly went away when Wittorff –- arguably their best hitter -– went out for the season with a knee injury.
“The kids had a lot to prove,” said Milford head coach Linda Zacchilli. “When Kane went down, a lot of their peers and anybody that was following us they felt like the season was over -– we still would be successful but not make it to the championship match. I think they had something to prove and they weren’t going to just lay down.”
Milford lost their first match without Wittorff, a 3-1 loss at the hands of the eventual North champions, Lawrence.
But the Scarlet Hawks adjusted quickly and won the last nine games of their season, only dropping two games in the process.
After rattling off three straight wins to win the Central, Milford avenged their lone regular season loss by beating Lawrence 3-2 in the state semifinals.
All that was left was what alluded them one year ago – a state championship.
“Last year, when we walked out of the gym, this is all we wanted,” said Antonellis. “We got here, we did what we needed to do but we fell a little short.”
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