Boys' Hockey Allows Late Equalizer

After successfully killing a late holding penalty for more than a minute, the boys’ hockey team allowed Duxbury’s Evan Jackson to score on the power play with eight seconds remaining, as the two teams tied, 2-2, Thursday at O’Brien Rink.

Jackson, a junior forward, came swooping in to knock home a loose puck in front of the net, just about two minutes after Woburn’s Casey Shea scored a go-ahead goal with 2 minutes, 26 seconds left on the clock.

Woburn coach Jim Duran said his players had good chances to score throughout the game, they just didn’t convert.

“I thought we played well tonight,” he said, “but we left too many plays out there.”

Woburn (10-2-1, 9-2) outshot Duxbury by a 2-to-1 margin, 34-17.

Duxbury goalie Tim Matthews made 32 saves, as the Dragons (3-4-6) recorded their sixth tie of the season.

Duran said the non-league tie could have major Super Eight implications, as Independent Duxbury plays a tough schedule against other tournament contenders and the Super Eight committee looks at common opponents, such as Duxbury, when making the call.

Woburn got off to a great start Thursday, with Shea knifing through Duxbury’s defense for a goal less than one minute into the contest.

Senior Eddie Aprile assisted Shea’s first goal, senior Tom Arsenault his second.

With the game tied 1-1 late in the third period, Shea took a feed from Arsenault, beat a defender one-on-one and then beat Matthews to the near post.

Duxbury scored an equalizer just 12 seconds into the second period, as senior captain Nick Buonvicino knocked in the puck from a crowd in front of the net.

Bryan Barry and Kane Haffey assisted Buonvicino’s goal, while Tim Harrison and Ken Jacobson assisted Jackson late.

Woburn netminder Jon Braese had 15 saves.

Junior forward Daniel Holland had seven shots on goal for Woburn, while senior captain Alex Holland had five.

Woburn returns to the ice at Burlington (7-4-1, 6-4) at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, and then hosts first-place Reading (9-3-1, 7-1) in a game with huge Middlesex League implications at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12.

Woburn defeated Burlington 4-1 and in back-to-back games earlier this season.