2003 Hockey Team Tournament Champs!!

Following the lead of the Wilmington High School Boys hockey team’s recent back to back Division 2 State Championships, the Wilmington Squirt 03 team captured its second consecutive tournament championship this past weekend at the Breakaway Invitational Cup held at the Breakaway Ice Center in Tewksbury. Following a different format this year, the tournament (formerly known as the Merrimack Valley Cup) featured 8 teams from the Merrimack Valley all made up of the best 9 yr old players from their respective towns.  The 8 teams would be split up into two, four team divisions with the winners of each bracket facing off against each other for the tournament championship on Sunday afternoon.

As was the case last year, for the round robin qualification portion of the tournament, Wilmington was placed in the tougher of the two, 4 team brackets which featured traditionally strong programs such as Masconomet, Reading and Tewksbury.

In the first game on Thursday night, Wilmington faced off against Tewksbury.  Offense would rule this night when after a bit of a slow start in the first period which saw the Wildcats trying to gain their skating legs but still were able to jump out to a quick 2-0 lead. Wilmington exploded for 5 goals in the second period and 4 more in the 3^rd period to blow out Tewksbury by a score of 11-2.  Aidan O’Connell led the goal scoring parade with 6 goals, Riley Fitzgerald (2 goals), James Kourkoutas, Nolan Vigeant and Colin Sainato were the other goal scorers for the Cats. 

On Friday night, Wilmington squared off against a very solid Masconomet team.  Wilmington was able to jump out to a quick lead with Drew Gallucci banging in a loose puck after a goal mouth scramble giving the Cats a quick 1-0 lead early in the first period.  Four minutes later, Aidan O’Connell scored to give Wilmington a 2-0 advantage.  The lead would jump to 3-0 after another O’Connell goal early in the 2^{nd period}.  The third period saw Masco turn the momentum in their favor and pull within 1 goal at 3-2 halfway thru the 3^rd period.  Sam Cedrone, made some high quality saves to stem the tide and keep Wilmington in the lead as the third period wound down. With just over a minute left and the Masco goalie pulled from the net, Nolan Vigeant squeaked free of the Masco defense and was able to score an empty net goal to seemingly ice the game for the Cats.  However, Masco would not go quietly and pulled within 1 goal again scoring 15 seconds later. Again with the Masco net empty, Wilmington was able to secure the win with O’Connell scoring an empty netter to help give Wilmington a hard fought 5-3 win. Not to go overlooked in the game, Wilmington was able to hold onto the victory with superb goaltending from Cedrone as well as strong defensive play by Aidan Elkins, Maura Fiorenza, Jimmy McCarron and Peter Kourkoutas.

As the action moved into Saturday, Wilmington would play a Reading team that was well rested and playing only their first game of the tournament.  Right from the opening face off Wilmington looked like a well oiled machine with some nifty passing combinations on offense, a stone wall on defense and solid goaltending.  Several highlight reel goals were scored and the Cats rolled over Reading 7-1.  Aidan O’Connell and James Kourkoutas (2 goals a piece) Riley Fitzgerald, Derek Gallucci and Ryan Ackerley were the other goal scorers.   On defense, the four horsemen Aidan Elkins, Maura Fiorenza, Jimmy McCarron and Peter Kourkoutas stood tall once again limiting Reading’s scoring chances and consistently clearing away the front of the net allowing Sam Cedrone to see the puck and make quick work of the Reading offense.

A new format in the weekend tournament saw a skills competition added to the festivities.  Wilmington had six participants in the competition competing in 6 events against participants from all the other towns in the tournament.  During the event, Aidan Elkins won first place in the Penguin Slide competition, Aidan O’Connell won first place in the Accuracy Shooting Competition.  Nolan Vigeant and Sam Cedrone finished in 2^nd place in the Speed Skating and Rapid Fire Shootout competitions.  Riley Fitzgerald and Brendan Ardito also represented the town well in the Breakaway Competition and the Obstacle Course.

On Sunday, with the round robin portion of the tourney over, the Wildcats would enter the quarter finals portion of the tournament with the number one overall seed. With that, Wilmington would face a Tewksbury team they had beaten handily on Thursday night.  The boys from Wilmington found out early in this contest that Tewksbury came to play and were determined to gain some revenge after being embarrassed the last time the teams faced off.  From the opening face off, the game took on a super fast tempo with a ton of intensity throughout the two 15 minute running time periods.  The referees seemingly put their whistles away for most of the contest and they decided to let the kids play in this one and as a result, the game got very chippy. With neither team giving an inch, the game went back and forth with both teams getting scoring chances and both goalies coming up big for their respective teams.  With 8 minutes left in the game Aidan O’Connell shook free of two Tewksbury defenders and was able to fire a wrist shot past the Tewksbury goalie to put the Cats up 1-0.  After a furious rally by Tewksbury that saw Aidan Elkins using his long reach to break up various Tewksbury rushes and Sam Cedrone standing tall between the pipes, Wilmington held on for a 1-0 win earning a trip to the semifinals against, old rival, Masconomet who had defeated Reading in their quarterfinal matchup.

This semifinal game would feature a rematch of the two teams that squared off in last years MVC championship game.  In this one, Masco and Wilmington would play in what would turn out to be another close battle right down to the wire.  As what seems to be the case whenever these 2 teams meet, the Cats jump out to a quick lead as Aidan O’Connell scored 2 first period goals to put Wilmington out front.  Sam Cedrone stood tall in between the pipes but Masconomet would penetrate the Wilmington zone and get them within one goal at 2-1.   Late in the 2^nd period, Nolan Vigeant picked up a loose puck in the slot and rocketed a shot past the Masco goalie to make it 3-1 Cats.  But again, back came Masco to pull within 1 goal just 15 seconds later.  During the finals 3 minutes of play, Wilmington was able to stave off the final Masco push with some solid defense by Fiorenza, McCarron and Kourkoutas and some great work battling along the boards by Colin Sainato, Ryan Ackerley, Drew Gallucci and Derek Gallucci.  As time wound down, Brendan Ardito was able to make a spirited rush up the ice and put the puck into the empty net and punch the Wilmington ticket to the tournament finals against Greater Salem.

After, a long day of intense hockey, fans from both teams could see that both Wilmington and Greater Salem were worn out and dog tired.  But both teams were able to dig down deep and play their hearts out in what would turn out to be another epic game.  Greater Salem would jump out to the 1-0 lead midway through the first period.  Remarkably, this was the first time the Cats were behind at any point during the tournament.  However, the Greater Salem lead would not last long.  After tremendous pressure was applied in the Salem zone by the intense fore checking of Ryan Ackerley, Nolan Vigeant picked up a loose puck and fired a shot past the screened Salem goaltender to tie the game up at 1-1.   Salem would grab the lead again with just under a minute left in the 2^nd period.  With the Wildcat players showing tired legs and facing a 2-1 deficit late in the 3^rd period, Aidan O’Connell was able to slide a nifty pass out front to a wide open Brendan Ardito who slammed in the one timer to tie the game up at 2-2.  The 3^rd period would end with the score still tied which brought on a 5 minute sudden death overtime period.   Back and forth the teams battled for 3 agonizing minutes.  Both teams were looking for that one spark that would get them over the hump.  And the Wildcats found that spark.  With 2 minutes remaining in OT, Peter Kourkoutas picked up the puck in the Wilmington zone charged down the ice into the Salem zone with only one thought on his mind as he barreled over 3 Salem defenders trying to slow him down.  Shot…score..Wilmington wins!!!!   Back to back championships and looking for the three peat in 2014.

The victory is dedicated to Scott Fitzgerald who we all hope gets back on his feet very soon.

Congrats to the Wilmington Wildcat players who showed a great deal of heart and determination in what is becoming a trademark of Wilmington hockey.  Brendan Ardito, Ryan Ackerley, Nolan Vigeant, Aidan O’Connell, Riley Fitzgerald, Drew Gallucci, Derek Gallucci, Aidan Elkins, Maura Fiorenza, Jimmy McCarron, Colin Sainato, Sam Cedrone, Peter Kourkoutas, James Kourkoutas. 

Congratulations and thanks to coaches Mike Fiorenza, Dan Ardito, Dave Sainato and Mark Cedrone.

And finally, thanks to all the parents/fans who showed up and supported the team throughout this tremendous weekend of hockey!!