Medfield's Season Ends in 5-1 Loss to Pembroke in Semifinals

BOURNE – Despite a 5-1 season-ending loss to Pembroke Thursday in the semifinals round of the Division 3 South Sectional state tournament, the Medfield High School boys’ hockey team turned in a successful 2010-11 campaign.

“The season overall was a large success,” said Medfield head coach Toby Carlow. “That’s the deepest I’ve made it with a team in the four years I’ve been here. That’s the deepest I think a Medfield team made it in quite some time in the playoffs.”

The Warriors fell one game shy of the MIAA Division 3 South Sectional Finals against a tough Titans’ squad.

“We just ran up against a team that’s very good,” said Medfield head coach Toby Carlow. “What are you going to do? That’s how it goes sometimes.”

Pembroke, the bracket’s 11^th seed, has been one of the hottest teams in the D3 South Sectional tourney, outscoring its opponents 24-1 entering its game against Medfield.

The Warriors struggled to match Pembroke in nearly every phase of the game, except for effort. Medfield’s hustle was there and that was evident in players finishing their checks and skating hard for three periods despite how the scoreboard looked from the ice.

“That [effort on the ice is] all attributed to the older guys, the seniors,” said Carlow. “They lead the way. It makes my job easier and it makes me look good but it’s all them. It’s every kid and their hard work. I just put kids together and change lines, they do all the work.”

Despite the four-goal loss, Medfield (15-6-3) began the game full of energy and flying on the ice to the puck. In fact, the Warriors outchanced the Titans in the first seven minutes of the game but Pembroke, like a heavyweight fighter feeling out an opponent, waited for the right moment to counter. The Titans found their rhythm and flipped the switch with nearly eight minutes remaining in the period and never looked back, controlling the next 37 minutes.

Pembroke (15-5-4) netted the game’s first goal with 1:55 remaining in the open period as Mike Fall took a rebound from Medfield goalie Connor Roddy and beat him stick-side in front of the net for a 1-0 lead that would hold up heading into intermission.

“That’s what depth will do I suppose and they got a lot of good skaters,” Carlow said of Pembroke. “A couple better bounces, you know It’s amazing … in a game of mistakes and a game of chances, if you’re on the other end of [mistakes and chances] that’s what can happen [5-1 loss]. If things bounce the other way, the outcome is different. “

Unfortunately for the Warriors, nothing bounced their way in any of the three periods as Pembroke applied constant pressure in Medfield’s defensive zone and kept MHS out of the offensive end of the ice. The Titans quickly padded its 1-0 lead with two, second period goals coming just minutes apart. Chris Waterfield netted the Titans’ first of the period just 2:13 into the second and Matt Sheehan increased the lead to 3-0 with a power play goal at 3:25.

Medfield struggled to find any kind of rhythm or momentum, often being forced to dump the puck in from just after the red line near center ice. But the effort never wavered, especially from the Warriors’ seniors: Jim Magrath, Mike Brown, John O’Driscoll and Chris Saia.

“They got nothing to be ashamed of,” said Carlow. “Four years ago when we all got together, it was a much different team than what we have now. We’ve come a long, long way. “

Pembroke added two more goals in the third period, including another on the man advantage. Paul Tower scored the power play goal with 13:06 remaining and Joe Villari tallied the Titans’ fifth goal 3:20 into the period to wrap up their scoring. Magrath netted the lone goal for the Warriors, converting a Ben Cox pass with 3:43 remaining.

Medfield was called for five penalties in the game and Pembroke three in what was a physical and at times frustrating 45 minutes of hockey. The end result may not have been what Medfield was playing for this season but Carlow said he could not ask any more of his team than the effort they turned in this season.

“Obviously we came up short but I want to thank my kids and the coaches for putting in all the hard work,” said Carlow. “These guys have nothing to be ashamed of. They can walk out of here with their heads up and be proud of themselves.”

Pembroke advances to the MIAA D3 South Sectional finals and will await the winner of Westwood-Scituate.