Games of the Week - 2/27 & 2/28
The Breakdown:
No. 9 Milford vs. No. 8 North Attleboro
The Rocketeers got off to an impressive 10-3 start to the season with two of those losses coming to Kelley-Rex division champs Franklin, but North finished the season with only two wins in its final seven games. In an effort to spark the offense, head coach Steven Snizek attempted to alter his lines by moving defenseman Ryan Burns into the attack and giving more ice time to sophomore Alex Ventola. It worked for eight goals against KP, but North was shutout by Feehan in its next game. Regardless of the changes, the key to slowing down North is stopping top scorers Sean Young and Marshall Blackman. Senior Tim Joyce has popped up with important goals, such as the two against Mansfield, but is more of a solid two-way player than dominant offensive threat.
Milford is in the midst of the best season in the program’s history and its first appearance in the postseason. In two games versus North Attleboro, Milford has lost 3-2 and tied 2-2 so this should be another tight game in Taunton. While the sophomores are important to North, it is juniors that make up the attack for the Hawks. Jared Balazarini and Brad White have finished near the top of the league’s scoring charts and will pose constant problems for North’s top defensemen including captain Reid Holden. The Rocketeers may lean on underrated goalie Matt Raposo to give them the edge. Expect this game to come right down to the wire.
No. 11 King Philip vs. No. 6 Mansfield
The second meeting between these teams this season was a thrilling come from behind 4-3 win for the Hornets. Brendan Murphy scored a hat trick in that game to lead Mansfield, but it was a game that KP felt it could have won. That game was played on January 16th and feels like a whole different season for both teams. The Warriors battled injuries down the stretch and only won twice in their final seven games (both against D3 opponents). Mansfield struggled for a short time with its offense, but seems to have regained its scoring touch in winning four of its final five games entering the tournament.
KP is not a particularly deep team and relies heavily on seniors Gavin Macintyre and Ryan Boselli and junior Jack Riley to produce offense. At times, KP can struggle to create chances so it will be important for the Warriors to be clinical if a scoring opportunity presents itself. The Hornets will also look to the their top line to produce and it has been prolific this season. Murphy, Kevin Flynn, and Adam Blackman are a potent trio that rivals any top line in the league. The game may come down to a battle between the pipes with unheralded goalie Dylan Unger and Hockomock All-Star Rich Shipman both capable of winning the game on their own.
The Rocketeers got off to an impressive 10-3 start to the season with two of those losses coming to Kelley-Rex division champs Franklin, but North finished the season with only two wins in its final seven games. In an effort to spark the offense, head coach Steven Snizek attempted to alter his lines by moving defenseman Ryan Burns into the attack and giving more ice time to sophomore Alex Ventola. It worked for eight goals against KP, but North was shutout by Feehan in its next game. Regardless of the changes, the key to slowing down North is stopping top scorers Sean Young and Marshall Blackman. Senior Tim Joyce has popped up with important goals, such as the two against Mansfield, but is more of a solid two-way player than dominant offensive threat.
Milford is in the midst of the best season in the program’s history and its first appearance in the postseason. In two games versus North Attleboro, Milford has lost 3-2 and tied 2-2 so this should be another tight game in Taunton. While the sophomores are important to North, it is juniors that make up the attack for the Hawks. Jared Balazarini and Brad White have finished near the top of the league’s scoring charts and will pose constant problems for North’s top defensemen including captain Reid Holden. The Rocketeers may lean on underrated goalie Matt Raposo to give them the edge. Expect this game to come right down to the wire.
No. 11 King Philip vs. No. 6 Mansfield
The second meeting between these teams this season was a thrilling come from behind 4-3 win for the Hornets. Brendan Murphy scored a hat trick in that game to lead Mansfield, but it was a game that KP felt it could have won. That game was played on January 16th and feels like a whole different season for both teams. The Warriors battled injuries down the stretch and only won twice in their final seven games (both against D3 opponents). Mansfield struggled for a short time with its offense, but seems to have regained its scoring touch in winning four of its final five games entering the tournament.
KP is not a particularly deep team and relies heavily on seniors Gavin Macintyre and Ryan Boselli and junior Jack Riley to produce offense. At times, KP can struggle to create chances so it will be important for the Warriors to be clinical if a scoring opportunity presents itself. The Hornets will also look to the their top line to produce and it has been prolific this season. Murphy, Kevin Flynn, and Adam Blackman are a potent trio that rivals any top line in the league. The game may come down to a battle between the pipes with unheralded goalie Dylan Unger and Hockomock All-Star Rich Shipman both capable of winning the game on their own.
The Pick:
| HockomockSports.com Picks | ||||||||||
| Ryan Lanigan |
Josh Perry |
Dan Libon |
Andrew Cyr |
John Botelho |
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| HockomockSports.com Staff |  |
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| #8 North Attleboro vs.#9 Milford Thursday @ Aleixo, 8:00 |
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| Hockey | Lanigan 2-1 | Perry 1-2 | Libon 2-1 | Cyr 2-1 | Botelho 2-1 |
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| Boys Basketball | Lanigan 8-2 | Perry 7-3 | Libon 7-3 | Cyr 8-2 | Botelho 2-2 |
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| Girls Basketball | Lanigan 5-2 | Perry 6-1 | Libon 6-1 | Cyr 6-1 | Botelho 1-0 |
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