Boys Hockey Washes Away Everett Icemen

The Witches hockey team, made up of skaters from and Salem, beat the Everett Crimson Tide in Everett on Monday afternoon 5-3. It was the team's second win of the season over Everett.

The Witches hung on for a 2-1 win on Jan. 19 for their second win of the season. Salem (3-9-1, 1-9-1) has three games remaining, and can move up to fourth place in the Northeastern Conference South standings with wins against Lynn and Revere.

The Witches close out the season against Gloucester on Feb. 21, a non-conference game.

Everett came out hot, scoring first, similar to the game in January, and led 1-0 at the end of the first period.

Spencer Bergholtz and Spencer Collins couldn’t hook up on a 2 on 1, and Jesse Wilkins was denied in alone on the Witches two best chances in the first.

Whatever coach Brian Adessa told his group before the second period, it worked. Salem dominated period number two, scoring on its first two shots of the period.

Wilkins scored unassisted 28 seconds into the period, and scored again 31 seconds later on a sweet backhand to put the Witches up 2-1. Hamilton-Wenham’s Paul DiMarino and Eric Rosengren set up the second score.

The goals kept coming for Salem; Hamilton-Wenham’s Spencer Bergholtz took a pass from Matt Jalbert, cut across the slot and whipped a shot by Everett goalie Sean Bessler at 2:25.

Rosengren made it 4-1 at 7:28 on the power play, assisted by Wilkins, the senior co-captain’s third point of the game.

Everett was outshooting the Witches, but they were finding the back of the net, moving out to their first three-goal lead of the season.

Everett’s Brian Ramunno cut the lead to two, when he finished off a two on one with Eric Russo, tapping the puck in from the top of the crease.

Everett tried to get within one when Jake Batista was whistled off for elbowing with 2:40 to go in the second. The Crimson Tide got no shots on Witches' goaltender Brett Harring during the man advantage. DiMarino, Matt LeBlanc, Spencer Collins, Zach Holt, Rosengren, Wilkins and Bergholtz were immense on the penalty kill.

Hamilton-Wenham freshman goalie Grant Thompson replaced fellow Generals' ninth grader Brett Harring to start the third. Thompson stopped eight of nine shots he faced in the win. Harring finished with 26 saves in the first two periods.

The Witches and Crimson Tide swapped goals in the third, Bergholtz picked up his second of the game off a feed from Spencer Collins at 4:22. Everett’s Nick Chiarello pushed one by Thompson with 14 seconds to play to close it out.

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