Tewksbury Redmen Mites Hockey Team Advances to Championship Game with a Weekend Sweep against Stoneham and Marblehead

The Tewksbury Redmen Mites Hockey Team continued their strong play, sweeping weekend playoff games against Stoneham and Marblehead.  The Redmen now move on to face Reading in the Championship Game on Saturday April 7th at 1:20pm at Breakaway Ice in Tewksbury.

On Saturday March 31st the Redmen faced Stoneham in the first round of the playoffs at Malden Valley Forum and skated away with a convincing 6-1 win.

The Redmen came out flying, taking Coach BJ's advice to "set the tone early".  The line of Alex Pescatore, Jack Griffin, and Andrew Grieco won the opening faceoff and put immediate offensive zone pressure on the Stoneham team, getting off 2 quality scoring chances.  The Redmen continued their strong play, using their speed & quickness to generate more scoring chances by Jake McDonough, Timmy Sweeney, and Andrew Della Piana.  The Redmen's constant pressure paid off as they were able to take a 1-0 lead 4 minutes into the first period on a great goal by Alex Pescatore.  Jason Cooke worked the puck out of his zone and made a cross-ice breakout passs to Andrew Grieco, who sent a one-time pass to Pescatore who was breaking through center ice.  Pescatore then used his speed and quickness to work around 2 Stoneham defenders and beat the goalie for the lead.  Stoneham was able to battle back with some pressure in the Redmen zone but the steel-curtain defense of Conor Cremin, Jason Cooke, Jade Owirka, and Sean Murphy were able to keep the puck away from the Redmen goal.  Stoneham was able to tie the game 1-1 with just under 2 minutes left in the 1st period.

The Redmen opened the 2nd period determined to regain the lead and take control of the game.  Brady Chapman, Billy Doherty, and Maci Chapman combined for 2 scoring chances early in the period that were turned away by the Stoneham goalie.  Jack Griffin and Andrew Grieco then combined for a great defensive effort breaking up a potential scoring chance by Stoneham.  The Redmen used that play as motivation and scored the next 5 goals.  Brady Chapman worked the puck into the Stoneham zone and sent a pass to Billy Doherty along the left wing boards.  Doherty worked the puck past a defender and sent a pass to Maci Chapman who was in the high slot area.  Maci wasted no time, sending a one-timer past the Stoneham goalie and giving the Redmen a 2-1 lead.  Alex Pescatore made the score 3-1, stealing the puck from a Stoneham forward, deking around a defender, and beating the goalie with a high wrist shot.  The Redmen closed out the 2nd period with 2 more goals on end-to-end rushes by Jason Cooke and Sean Murphy.  Jay stole the puck from a Stoneham forward behind his net, worked his way up the left wing boards, cut to the middle at center ice, used his speed to split the defense, and made a beautiful deke to his backhand and slid the puck into the empty net.  Not wanting to be outdone by Jay, Murph took the ensuing faceoff, skated through 3 Stoneham defenders and fired a hard wrist shot to the top of the net for the 5-1 lead.

Stoneham came at the Redmen to open the 3rd period, but Redmen goalie Bennie "OKIE" O'Keefe was able to stop 2 breakaways as well as a handful of other quality scoring chances.  The Redmen continued to get outstanding defensive work from Owirka, Murphy, Cremin, and Cooke, who all combined to keep pressure off "OKIE" and move the puck out of their defensive zone.  Timmy Sweeney put the game out of reach, giving the Redmen a 6-1 lead.  Sean Murphy made a nice play at the blue line to keep the puck in, finding Andrew Della Piana in the left corner, Andrew quickly sent a pass to Timmy in the high-slot, and Timmy sent a low hard wrist shot that found the back of the net.   The Redmen finished the game strong, keeping pressure in the offensive zone and skated off the ice with an impressive 6-1 win and a date on Sunday in the Semi-finals.

On Sunday April 1st the Redmen arrived at the rink not knowing who they would be playing in the Semi's but hoping it would be a Marblehead team that had beaten the Redmen 5-2 just a week earlier in the regular season finale.  The Redmen got their wish and were determined to prove they were the better team. 

The Redmen knew that Marblehead is a high-scoring talented team so they would have to play a smart high-speed physical type of game.  The Redmen once again "set the tone early" by scoring on the opening shift.  Jake Mcdonough won the opening faceoff and skated the puck into the Marblehead zone, finding Timmy Sweeney for a quick shot that the Marblehead goalie saved.  Conor Cremin was able to hold the blue line and keep the puck in the offensive zone, enabling Andrew Della Piana, Sweeney, & McDonough to work the cycle down low.  Della Piana sent a pass to the front of the net looking for McDonough but the pass hit a leg in front of the net and bounced past the Marblehead goalie for the 1-0 lead.  Play was up & down with both teams getting scoring chances.  Alex Pescatore, Andrew Grieco, and Jack Griffin were able to get away a series of shots that were turned away.  Marblehead came right back with big #85 getting 3 excellent scoring chances but Benny O'Keefe stuffed him on all 3, keeping the lead for the Redmen at 1-0 as the 1st period ended.

The 2nd period opened up just as the 1st ended, with both teams getting quality scoring chances.  Maci Chapman, Billy Doherty, and Brady Chapman worked the puck into the offensive zone and fired off 2 quick shots that were turned away.  Marblehead was finally able to tie the score 1-1 with just under 5 minutes to play in the 2nd period on a powerplay goal.  The Redmen fought back, looking to regain the lead but scoring chances by Alex Pescatore and Jason Cooke were turned away.  Benny O'Keefe made 2 highlight reel saves with just under 2 minutes to play in the period to keep the score tied.  Sean Murphy, who played as if he were Zdeno Chara, decided it was time to give the Redmen the lead.  Murph took the puck behind his own net, skated up the left wing boards, deked around a Marblehead defenseman, cut into the middle and fired a low hard wrist shot into the open corner of the net, giving the Redmen a 2-1 lead with just 46 seconds to play in the 2nd period.

Marblehead came out flying in the 3rd period but goalie Benny O'Keefe was able to turn away every shot he faced.  The Redmen then put some offensive pressure on Marblehead getting excellent scoring chances from Jake McDonough, Brady Chapman, and Billy Doherty.  Marblehead kept coming but Sean Murphy, Jade Owirka, Conor Cremin, and Jason Cooke proved why they are the best defensive unit in the Valley League, frustrating the skilled Marblehead forwards by attacking and being aggressive.  About halfway through the 3rd period Jack Griffin was mauled by a Marblehead defender but the Refs didn't call the penalty.  The Redmen didn't get discouraged and kept attacking, and almost scored a 3rd goal when Alex Pescatore stole the puck just inside the Marblehead blue line, skated in along the right wing boards, cut to middle and fired a shot that the Marblehead goalie was able to stop with his left pad.  With just under 2 minutes to play and the Redmen clinging to a 1 goal lead, Marblehead went on the power play on a very "questionable" call.  The Redmen faithful let the Ref know what they thought of his call.  Goalie Benny O'Keefe and the Redmen penalty kill unit of Jason Cooke, Andrew Grieco, Conor Cremin, and Sean Murphy were up to the test.  Benny was able to stop a number of quality scoring chances and the penalty kill unit was able to relieve pressure by sending the puck out of their defensive zone.  Marblehead had one last chance with 14 seconds to play but "OKIE" once again made a Tim Thomas acrobatic save and Sean Murphy sent the puck down the ice as the buzzer sounded to end the game.

The Redmen stormed the ice, and piled on top of Benny to celebrate the win and a trip to the Championship Game.

The Redmen will be skating for the Championship on home ice and are hoping the town will turn out to cheer on their favorite Mites!