WATERTOWN, Mass. — The puck laid next to the Hingham net.
Off the rush in overtime, Arlington senior defenseman Ryan Gilbert tried to center the puck for senior center Drew Fecteau. The puck hit the side of the net instead. While this was happening, Hingham goalie Luke McLellan tripped and fell backward, leaving the slightest opening on his glove side.
Arlington left wing Kevin O’Connor picked the loose puck up and stuffed it in the opening to win the game for Arlington, 1-0, and give the Spy Ponders the Ed Burns Coffee Pot championship for the Doherty division.
It was an ugly game. While Hingham certainly had the upper hand throughout the contest, both teams came oh-so-close to scoring chances, but couldn’t finish any in regulation.
The win is huge for Arlington. It comes after a rough, 6-3 loss to Winchester on Feb. 10. The win also made quite a statement, given that Hingham recently beat Catholic Memorial, which is widely regarded as one of the top two teams in the state. For Arlington to then beat Hingham only makes things more complicated at the top of the rankings.
RANKINGS: Check out our latest top 10 rankings in the MIAA
While it was far from a flashy game, that doesn't mean there weren't players who stood out. Let's dive in.
Jake Davies
Arlington, 1/1/2005, G, catches left, 5-9/165
Davies was the main reason Arlington won this game. He was lights out, turning aside every shot he faced. Hingham had Arlington pinned in its own zone multiple times Sunday and Davies was there to bail the Spy Ponders out every time, especially in the first period. He won Doherty Division MVP, and for good reason. He was aggressive and didn’t give up many rebounds.
Kevin O’Connor
Arlington, LW, shoots leftÂ
O’Connor’s compete was strong Sunday. The goal was huge — he followed the play well and pounced on the puck fast. But there was a standout sequence in the first period that described O’Connor’s game in the championship. Hingham had Arlington on the ropes in its own end for most of the first frame and the puck was cleared. O’Connor chased down the Hingham defenseman retrieving the puck, lifted his stick and delivered a pass to a teammate. It didn’t result in a goal, but it breathed some life into an Arlington team that was struggling to gain momentum in the first period.
FULL RESULTS: Here's how the entire Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament happened
Travis Rugg
Hingham, '05, C, shoots left, 6-2/172
Hingham's No. 1 center was solid Sunday. The Harbormen's forecheck was a huge strength in the game, as Hingham stifled Arlington's breakouts quite a bit. Rugg was a big part of that, as he caused havoc when he was the F1. He was patient with the puck in the offensive zone, always seeming to find an open teammate rather than just getting rid of the puck to get rid of it. He helped create some strong scoring chances in the first period.
Chase McKenna
Hingham, 1/12/2005, D, right shot, 5-9/160Â
McKenna continued to impress on Sunday. He had a couple of strong end-to-end rushes with the puck. His hands were solid, as he was good at evading the first defender on him. He was also good at walking the blue line and picking the right time to get shots through.
