Marlboro, Mass.—Ryan Sheehan scored twice for Tewksbury in a 4-1 win over Lincoln-Sudbury as the Redmen took over sole possession of first in the Dual County/Merrimack Valley 2 League.
The Redmen (7-1, 4-0 DCL 2) came into the game tied with the Warriors (7-3, 5-1 DCL 2) as the last remaining unbeaten DCL 2 teams in conference play. Neither team had lost since calendar year 2014, so something had to give.
“It’s tough to win games here, especially in the afternoon, coming right from school,” said Redmen coach Derek Doherty after the game, in reference to the 4 p.m. start at the New England Sports Center. “The kids did a good job. I thought they played hard.”
Play was scoreless in a back-and-forth first period until the 14:05 mark, when Sheehan’s first tally rewarded the Redmen for outshooting the Warriors 11-5 to that point.
“The first goal in a game like this is always going to be big,” added Doherty.
Lincoln-Sudbury responded with a furious pace to open the second period, firing six shots on Redmen goaltender Christopher Raymond in the first three or so minutes alone. But a Tewksbury team intent on forcing turnovers created one at an opportune time, which led to a Pat Leonard goal at 3:03 to put them on top 2-0.
“With our system, we always play a third guy high, we try to intercept pucks coming through on breakouts,” explained Doherty.
Sheehan scored again at 11:46 of the second to put his team on top 3-0, but the Warriors were able to get one back just 1 minute, four seconds later to pull within two heading into the third.
Up two to begin the third, the Redmen took control of the neutral zone, making Lincoln-Sudbury earn any chance they’d have to gain the attacking zone.
“When you get a couple of goal-lead, you want to make sure you don’t let teams inside our zone easily,” said Doherty of his team’s controlling of the neutral zone in the third period. “You play the body. We try to force them to make a bad pass, for our defenseman to step up and our forward to come and pick it up and get it out.”
David Dempsey cleaned up a rebound at 8:44 to give Tewksbury a 4-1 lead which held for the final. The Warriors had some chances to make dents in the lead late, going on the power play with 3 minutes left and pulling goalie Derek Ashe for a 6-on-4 advantage, to no avail.
While Sheehan was the one who scored twice, he seemed insistent that Raymond’s performance was even better.
“I’d say he’s the player of the game,” said Sheehan. “Multiple stops to save us during the game, he had a huge role.”
“I think they just came in, punched us in the mouth, and just kept beating us and beating us and beating us until we just kind of succumbed,” said Lincoln-Sudbury coach Tom Pare. “That’s a very talented team, and I think a hungrier team than us.
“We just got beat by a better team. That’s really what it comes down to, they’re a better team. They made the plays when they needed to, and we didn’t,” said Pare.
The two teams play again on Feb. 14 at the Breakaway Ice Center in Tewksbury.
The Redmen now begin a six-game homestand, with Methuen (5-3-1, 3-2 DCL 2) first up on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Warriors play host to Central Catholic (7-3-1, 5-0-1 DCL 1) on a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day matinee at 2 p.m.