Wayland Sends Weston Home

The usual Weston-Wayland rivalry was missing a little flair with Weston already eliminated from post-season consideration, but neither team seemed to care once the puck dropped.

The Warriors (12-5-1; 8-3-1) bested the Wildcats in a feisty 4-1 Dual County-Merrimack Valley league victory in front of a packed house for the last home game for Wayland and the final game of the season for Weston Friday night at the Rivers School. 

Kevin Yun recorded two goals, Altan Atamer added the game-winner late in the second period while Cogan Register was solid in net with 28 saves to lead Wayland to the win.

“(Weston) is a real good team and they played well, took it to us in first part of game, but we scored first,” said Wayland head coach Eric Brown, who is in only his second year with the Warriors. “Once (Yun) scored in the third, we played smart defensively and Cogan played great.”

Weston outplayed Wayland and controlled the puck in the first period and much of the second but Yun hit pay dirt with a wrister to give Wayland a short-lived lead.  Weston answered on a power play goal and took a 1-1 tie into the first intermission, but the scoring ended there for the Wildcats.

“We were happy with our effort, but to start the season 5-3-2 after 10 games and then to end the season 2-and-8 is just unthinkable,” said Weston head coach Jeff Moore. “Never in 100 years would I think we would have went 2-8 in the final 10 (games) but Wayland is a good team. They have a great goalie and a good defensive group.”

Atamer hit the back of the net with just over five minutes left to play in the second period and despite Wayland having multiple 5-on-3 opportunities – the Wildcats only trailed by a goal, 2-1, heading into the final period.

“Our kids played hard the first two periods but it was a little of the same as we took a lot of penalties late in the game," said Moore, whose team was whistled 12 times in the game which followed a season-long pattern. "Once we didn’t score and Wayland punched one in quick, they had us."

Yun scored his bookend tally right away in the third stanza to give Wayland the two-goal cushion, 3-1, with more than 11 minutes left in regulation. Senior Eddie McCarthy potted the insurance goal for Wayland and the blue line took care of the rest.

“This was the first year that anyone can remember that we were able to sweep Weston, so this is a huge win for us and it was such a great atmosphere in the rink,”  Brown said. 

The 2010-11 year ends for Weston (7-11-2; 5-6-1) without a Division 2 playoff run for the first time in the past six seasons, but this is the first trip for Brown and his sqaud in his tenure at the helm.

“We are pretty excited as last season we missed the playoffs by one point and the seniors have only been to the playoffs once in their careers,” Brown said. “This year we have made it a goal to so some damage and we will not be satisfied just making it (to the state tournament).”