Boys Hockey Continues Annual Playoff Tradition

It was expected. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t exciting.

On Saturday, the knocked off Stoneham for a 3-0 road victory, a win that clinched another playoff spot for head coach Steve Scanlon’s charges.

Playoff appearances have become an annual event, but that doesn’t mean the Wildcats are taking them for granted.

“It’s an unspoken expectation that we’ll get a spot, but we don’t take it lightly because we know it takes a lot of work to get there,” said Scanlon. “Tradition wise, when all the teams ahead of you make the tournament, it trickles down to the kids on the JV team too. Their goal is to make it to the playoffs when they get the call. Having teams make it year in and year out really solidifies it for the kids coming up.”

During Saturday’s game, the teams played a scoreless first period before Trevor Foley caught Stoneham’s goalie out of position and found the open net for the goal.

In the third period, Brendan McDonough blasted home a goal from the slot on a pass from Cam Collins to extend the lead to 2-0. Cam Owens added an empty net goal late in the third period to seal the win.

The night got even better for the Wildcats when they found out both Burlington and Wakefield tied their opponents. The three teams were previously tied for first place in the Middlesex League Small School Division, but Wilmington now sits alone with a 4-1-1 league record. The team is 9-3-3 overall against .

Scanlon said that of the most important aspects of clinching the playoff spot on Saturday is that some pressure is now off of the team, and they can focus on jockeying for playoff position.

“We think we’re good enough and have been good enough the last couple years to play for a state title,” said Scanlon. “It’s something all of the kids dream of doing. A lot of things have to go right for you. Goaltending is a huge part of the tournament, and we have a really good goalie. We think we’ll be a tough draw in the tournament.”