In a back-and-forth contest to kick-start the state match, Thirteenth-seeded BC High threw the ultimate punch late within the third interval to defeat Twentieth-ranked Milton, 3-2, final evening at UMass Boston within the Div. 1 spherical of 32.
Even at 2-2 late within the last body, BC High senior Brendan Burke got here busting down the left-wing boards, profitable a puck battle to jar it unfastened to linemate Ricky Robinson, who fired a go to the highest of the crease the place a crashing Jackie Murphy was in a position to bang it house whereas falling to the ice with Wildcat defenders draped throughout him.
“We knew it was going to take a bang-bang play in front of the net,” mentioned BC High head coach John Flaherty. “Murphy does what he does best, he drives the cage and he lives in that net area. He’s an emotional leader for us so for him to get rewarded is pretty special.”
It was a tightly contested, hard-hitting contest from the bounce.
“It’s state tournament hockey, it’s desperate,” Flaherty mentioned. “It’s win or go home.”
Milton (14-8-0) opened the scoring 3:45 right into a roller-coaster of a primary interval, when Owen McHugh collected a unfastened puck within the low slot and slid the backhand house far-side to make it 1-0.
The Eagles (8-12-1) would tie the sport with 4:22 remaining within the body, when James Marshall reduce throughout the blue line to the left circle earlier than lacing a wrister short-side, tying issues at 1-1.
Marshall would strike once more simply 2:39 later, wheeling across the offensive zone earlier than discovering a path beneath the fitting hash and roofing a backhander far-side to make it 2-1.
“Marshall was possessed today, he brought his game,” mentioned Flaherty. “He’s as skilled as any young kid around, he didn’t panic with pucks, he was very smooth on the ice and he put two goals where no goalie is going to stop them.”
The Wildcats would even the rating with 21 seconds to go within the first, when Joseph Pender fired one house from the left dot, making it 2-2.
Source: www.bostonherald.com