Three-Game Win Streak Guides Milton High Boys Hockey Back to Tournament

After a year’s absence in the post-season, the boys hockey team is returning to the big dance.

Following last Monday’s 2-1 win over Wellesley, the Wildcats officially stamped their ticket into the MIAA Division 1 South tournament with a convincing 3-0 win over Dedham Wednesday night at Max Ulin Rink. Currently, the Wildcats, who are in the midst of a three-game winning streak, currently stand at 10-7-2 overall.

“We’ve been playing some great hockey over the past couple of weeks, and our defense has really stepped up,’’ said coach Paul Noonan. “We’ve been able to maintain some great puck possession in our own end, and we’ve been generating some great chances on offense. We’ve been getting some steady and consistent play from our goaltending, and we just have to continue to play at a high level.”

In last Monday’s 2-1 win over Wellesley at Babson College, the Wildcats grabbed a 1-0 lead early in the first period on a goal by Paul Curran before the Red Raiders tied the contest.

Midway through the second, the Wildcats regained the lead as Terence Walsh scored on a breakaway opportunity.

Throughout the third period, the Red Raiders generated quality scoring chances, but goaltender Jay Hankard fared solid for the Wildcats, stopping 30 shots to preserve the win. Other key contributors in the win included Will England, who emerged with some solid defensive play while Kevin Lamere also chipped in with some consistent efforts in both the neutral and defensive zones.

“(Jay) played great for us in net, and he made some key saves,’’ said Noonan. “Our defense also did a nice job clearing the puck out of the zone, and we were able to hold on and preserve the win.”

In Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Dedham, the Wildcats grabbed a 1-0 lead midway through the first period on a goal by Curran. In the second period, Derek Curley handed the Wildcats a 2-0 lead, finishing off an odd player rush in the attack zone. Securing the win, senior captain Jack Morris added another goal with approximately 5:00 left in the third period.

“Dedham played a lot better against us the second time around,’’ said Noonan. “They never gave up, but I thought we did a nice job defensively and clearing the puck out of the zone when we had to.”

Defensively, the Wildcats were led by the blue line unit of Pat Miller, Danny Curran and freshman Brian Nee. Minding the net, Hankard recorded 22 saves in preserving the shutout.

“We’re playing some of our best hockey of the season and we need to keep it going,’’ said Noonan. “We’re making better decisions defensively, and we’ve been able to control the flow of the game from an offensive standpoint. We have a busy week ahead of us, so hopefully we’ll be able to carry some of that momentum into the tournament.”

The Wildcats will close out the home season tonight in a rematch against Wellesley before traveling to face Woburn in the first round of the Woburn Memorial Tournament at O’Brien Rink, Wednesday night.