STORRS, Conn. — Luke Goukler is known as a shooter. He leads Cushing in goals. Whenever he's around the net with the puck, Goukler is thinking shot.
So when the Merrimack commit flew down the left side of the ice in overtime and created a 2-on-1, it's hard to blame Brunswick goalie Will Baker for anticipating the shot.
Instead, Goukler slipped a pass last minute to linemate Kole Hyles (Newfields, N.H.), who deposited the puck past Baker to give fourth-ranked Cushing a 4-3 win at UConn over third-ranked Brunswick.
The win was a sigh of relief for the Penguins, who held a 3-1 lead with roughly 10 minutes left to play in the third period.
Brunswick stormed back in the third period, netting two power play goals. Bruins senior captain Luke Drury put both behind Cushing goalie Marko Bilic.
Cushing started the scoring early roughly five minutes into the game. On a power play, postgrad Josh Iby threw the puck to the front of the net, but it bounced off a Brunswick defender and in.
Later in the frame, Goukler hustled for a loose puck around the bottom of the offensive circle to the left of Baker. Goukler corralled the puck and sniped it over Baker, giving the Penguins a 2-0 lead.
Brunswick finally got on the board late in the second period when Bruins senior Sean Gibbons (Fairfield, Conn.) hit fellow senior Brendan Giles (Ridgefield, Conn.) with a pass as they entered Cushing's zone. Giles took it to the net and put it around Bilic, cutting Cushing's lead in half heading to the second intermission.
But that momentum was short lived. Just under two minutes into the second period, Cushing defenseman Ryland Randle found Iby down low in the zone and the Pope Francis product put it past Baker, making it 3-1 Cushing.
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With the win, Cushing improved to 20-2-0, while Brunswick fell to 20-5-2.
Let's dive into standout players and takeaways.
Cooper Cleaves
Brunswick, 1/5/2006, D, right shot, 6-4/200
NCAA: DartmouthÂ
Cleaves is head coach Mike Kennedy's most trusted defenseman in all situations. The Riverside, Conn., native had a strong, two-way game for the Bruins. His step-ups at his own blue line in the neutral zone seemed to fluster Cushing's speed at times. Late in the game, Hyles was about to enter Brunswick's zone with a lot of speed and Cleaves used his size and stick to separate the UNH commit from the puck.
At the other end, Cleaves sifted a shot through that was tipped by Drury for Brunswick's second goal. Cleaves also registered a secondary assist on Giles' tally.
Luke Drury
Brunswick, 5/24/2005, C, left shot, 5-8/175
NCAA: BrownÂ
When it mattered most, Drury was dragging Brunswick back into the fight. Never was that more evident than on his game-tying goal. Drury intercepted Cushing's breakout pass and stick-handled through three Penguins. Eventually, he ended up with the puck at the side of the net to put past Bilic.
Sean Gibbons
Brunswick, 8/21/2005, RW, right shot, 5-8/175
NCAA: West PointÂ
Nobody drove play more for Brunswick than Gibbons. He had various scoring chances, most notably almost scoring in the final minutes of the third period on a mad scramble in front of the net. His elusiveness allowed him to make defenders miss when trying to defend him and his hands consistently helped him get to better ice. His vision was also strong, as he was able to move the puck in ways that helped his line have long offensive zone possessions.
Luke Goukler
Cushing, 8/11/2006, LW, left shot, 5-11/175
NCAA: MerrimackÂ
Goukler's offensive abilities were on full display. He's known for his north-south game, and that's what he showed. His straight-ahead speed and ability to get behind the defense were why he scored his first goal and then why he assisted on Hyles' winner.
Kole Hyles
Cushing, 1/16/2006, C, right shot, 6-0/180
NCAA: New HampshireÂ
What's puzzling is Hyles is Cushing's ninth-leading scorer. But the Newfields, N.H., native plays a strong, all-around game with powerful skating and good skill. That powerful skating helped him drive play and gain offensive zone entries for Cushing. Hyles hit the post on a one-timer in the first period and then converted in overtime.
Troy Maldonado
Cushing, 3/4/2005, D, right shot, 6-2/207
Maldonado played an assertive game. In his own zone, he cleared the front of the net when he had to and made smart puck plays on breakouts. He showcased a good stick, especially late in the second period when he prevented Giles from slipping past him on an attempted zone entry. He also had patience with the puck at the point. Late in the first period, Maldonado walked the offensive blue line and stopped abruptly, making the Brunswick forward go sliding the other way. Maldonado's shot got through and almost trickled past Baker.
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Ryland Randle
Cushing, 5/16/2006, D, left shot, 5-9/160
NCAA: Arizona StateÂ
Randle may have been the most dynamic player on the ice. He was most noticeable early in the third period when he kept the puck in Brunswick's zone and found Iby down low for a goal. Shortly after, he made a great block with his foot and seconds later, joined the rush and ripped a shot that Baker got a piece of. Randle was drafted in the 13th round by the Green Bay Gamblers in last year's USHL Phase 1 Draft.
Takeaways
1. At 5-on-5, Cushing was the better team. The Penguins have more depth at forward and on defense, which helped them get more sustained offensive zone time. Head coach Paul Pearl rolled four lines and all seven defensemen. They're a talented bunch. Brunswick, however, was opportunistic and played with good structure. The Bruins went 3-for-3 on the power play and held the Penguins to one goal over the second and third period.
Where Brunswick also held an advantage was its top line of Oliver Czaja (Darien, Conn.), Gibbons and Giles. That trio had many long offensive zone sequences despite not scoring at 5-on-5. Kennedy paired Drury and Cleaves with those three on power plays and the results were great.
2. Both goalies made some game-saving stops. Bilic robbed Brunswick junior forward Tucker Spiess with his left pad early in the third period and then made the aforementioned save on Gibbons late. After Brunswick tied the game, Cushing senior Emerson Marshall (Gloucester, Mass.) had what looked like an open net on a rebound, but Baker got across and gloved it.
3. Cushing's defensemen blocked numerous shots and made life difficult on Brunswick forwards in front of the net at 5-on-5. It's an old group, which should prove helpful come the Elite 8.
4. Thinking out loud here: Would Bilic's development be better served playing for Cushing or a team that wasn't as strong in front of him? Bilic is probably the most technically sound goalie I've seen in prep this winter. He's a legitimate NHL Draft prospect. But the Penguins don't allow a lot of shots and are the best team in almost every game they play. I don't think there's a right answer, but I think it's worth debating.
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5. Did my view on either team change? Cushing might have the best depth in the region. As of now, however, I still wouldn't put it above Kimball Union. Brunswick is a scrappy team that just knows how to win. Baker is a legitimate No. 1 goalie and the Bruins going deep in the Elite 8 shouldn't surprise anyone. According to USHR's Playoff Seeding, Cushing would host Brunswick if the Elite 8 began today.
