Sports
Frustrating End For Tanners Boys Ice Hockey
Peabody High eliminated from state tournament by Tewksbury, 4-2.
For coach Mark Leonard and the Peabody High Tanners boys hockey team, Tuesday night's 4-2 loss to Tewksbury in the MIAA state tournament was a frustrating way to end an otherwise successful season.
And it showed.
The Tanners gave a tough and talented Tewksbury team all it could handle at the Stoneham Arena, but Peabody was whistled for 11 penalties in the game, 10 in the third period. The Tanners learned the hard way that you can't win hockey games when you've got as many players in the penalty box as you do on the ice, and Tewksbury, not Peabody, will advance to the Division 2 North Sectional quarterfinals on Saturday.
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Rob Houghton's goal midway through the third period pulled the Tanners to within a goal at 3-2, but Peabody was penalized three times for slashing and three times for roughing, and three Peabody players were given game misconduct penalties, all in the final period. Tewksbury sealed its win with an open net goal in the final minute after Leonard pulled goaltender Derek Savage in spite of being a man down at the time.
Leonard was clearly frustrated after the game, particularly with the officiating.
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"I thought (the officiating) was a joke," Leonard said. "Two kids are fighting hard for the puck in a state tournament game and I can't believe he didn't call it both ways.
"It was tough," he added. "We missed three breakaways and we couldn't get a bounce. That's a real good team over there. They're real physical."
Tewksbury took a 1-0 lead late in the first period on a Rob Pruyne power play goal, but the Tanners tied it up early in the second period when Mike Chiappini tipped in a Nick Salalayko slap shot. But the Redmen regained the lead just 49 seconds later when Dan Ladderbush scored out of a scramble in front of the Peabody net.
"That hurt," Leonard said. "To score and then give it right back to them really hurt us."
Tewksbury extended its lead to 3-1 when senior forward Frank Mazzei stole the puck deep in the Tanner zone and flipped a wrist shot past Peabody goalie Derek Savage with five minutes left in the second period.
Undaunted, the Tanners came out skating hard and fast in the third period and pulled to within one when Houghton took a pass from Ryan McManus and lit the lamp just 3:32 into the final frame. But the physical Redmen defenders stiffened after that, and the Tanners fell victim to their own frustrations.
"We came back," Leonard said. "We just couldn't find a goal when we needed it. They're strong and they're physical. They play in a tough league. But I thought we skated with them. We just couldn't get the equalizer."
Peabody finishes the season at 11-6-4.
