By Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff
Managing Editor
Despite allowing four goals in the final period, the boys’ hockey team held off Wayland to win the first game of the season 7-5 in a rematch of last year’s sectional finals playoff game defeat.
“It was really exciting to see us come out with high intensity [to start the game,]” junior defenseman Andrew Wales said.
South opened the game with a goal in the first minute and a half of action. Junior Josh Polasky scored the team’s first goal in what
would prove to be a first period filled with offense.
Wayland countered with a goal of their own before sophomore Sergey Bezrukov followed up with another goal soon thereafter, making the score 2-1.
South controlled the puck in the offensive zone for much of the first period, which allowed for them to slow down the game and find the open man. Junior Thomas Tresca, who amassed 50 points as a sophomore, capitalized on South’s opportunities, finding the back of the net and making the score 3-1.
To start the second period, senior Nick DiNisco followed up Tresca’s goal with one of his own, increasing South’s lead 4-1.
South continued to take advantage of its opportunities in the second period. Running the fast break, led by senior captain Griffin Connolly, South put the pressure on Wayland’s defense. Bezrukov scored his second goal of the game on a two-on-one fast break, assisted by Conolly, to put the Lions ahead 5-1.
Connolly would add a goal himself before the period’s end to bring the lead to 6-1.
Wayland started the third and final period with pressure on South’s defense, giving themselves chances to score early on. After allowing one goal through the first two periods, senior Chris Olsen let one slip through to make the score 6-2.
Wayland would add another score on a fast break to cut South’s lead to three, giving their goal scorer a hat trick for the day. Continuing on the offensive attack, Wayland tallied another goal to reduce South’s previously large lead to 6-4.
South responded with a goal of their own to bring their lead back to three before Wayland recorded its fourth third period goal to make the score 7-5, where it would stay until the end of the game.
While South is happy to come away with the win, they will be practicing hard before their next game at Dracut on Dec. 15, according to Wales.
“They scored four goals in the third period, which tells me that we can’t let up, even when we have a big lead like that,” Wales said.
