BELMONT, Mass. — Despite it being just the first week of the prep school hockey regular season, Nobles’ comeback victory on Saturday at Belmont Hill might go down as the craziest game of 2019-20.
Nobles overcame a three-goal deficit and scored twice with the goalie pulled for an extra attacker in the final minutes of regulation to force overtime. Then, just 12 seconds into the extra session, Nobles scored to down its ISL rival, 6-5.
Casey Severo redirected a pass from Aidan Lyons into the back of the net to set off a wild celebration, just mere minutes after Belmont Hill’s student section had chanted, “It’s all over.”
David Jacobs scored twice for Nobles, including in the last minute to tie the game, 5-5. Lyons assisted on the last three Nobles goals. Severo and Robert Lapsley each had a goal and assist. Owen O’Connor and Roman Tacelli were the other goal scorers for the winners.
While some of the calls were questionable, Nobles took some untimely penalties and shot themselves in the foot for much of the game’s first 50 minutes. However, the team’s top line and top offensive defenseman came through in the clutch.
For Belmont Hill, it was a heartbreaking way to lose. Colgate commit and first line center Ryan McGuire paced the team’s offense with two goals. Kevin McCallum, Drew Blackwell and Zephan Kraus also found the back of the net.
McGuire, who is listed as a ‘C’ Skater by NHL Central Scouting, is a smart, 200-foot center who dominated at the face-off dot. His first goal was a one-timer from the left wing on the power play. He gave his team a 3-0 lead in the first period when he roofed one with a deceptive release on his wrist shot as he entered the zone on the right wing. While I don't think he's a draft pick, there’s no doubt McGuire will find a role as an effective middle six center at Colgate.
Uncommitted standouts
Will Killoran
Belmont Hill, 1/30/03, D, right shot, 6-2/180
Killoran keeps impressing me this fall. He’s big, tough and hard to play against. He shuts down opposing forwards consistently. His mean streak is undeniable. There were a couple of really nice plays where he just stopped the rush before it entered the attacking zone. His feet are still a work in progress, but it doesn’t hamper him defensively. While not known for his skill, he is on the second power play unit and he made two really nice looks in the third period. He’s a potential pro hockey player who every team in Hockey East and ECAC Hockey should be coveting.
David Jacobs
Nobles, 1/4/01, LW, right shot, 5-8/150
Jacobs continues to show he’s one of the most improved players in the region. His speed down the right wing allowed him to score his first of the day. He’s smart, quick and is willing to go to the greasy areas as he did on the rebound goal that tied it, 5-5. He could be scoring winger at the college level.
Casey Severo
Nobles, 2/1/01, C, right shot, 5-11/175
Severo was fairly quiet until late of the game. He’s usually solid on the dots, although he ran up against a tough opponent today in McGuire. He’s responsible and sees the ice well. I’d like to see him be even more assertive and shoot it more. Regardless, a college team is going to get a good third line center for the future when he commits.
Aidan Lyons
Nobles, 2/26/03, D, left shot, 5-9/163
Lyons had a pedestrian game for his standards up until the game’s final minutes when he assisted on the last three Nobles goals. With the puck on his stick, he has the feet, offensive instincts, and hands to make some plays. He still needs to be harder on pucks and be better in his own zone, but there’s upside as an offensive defenseman.
Thomas Goguen
Belmont Hill, 2/27/03, D, right shot, 6-3/170
Goguen has good size and has increasingly gotten better over the past year. He’s an athletic player who has found his way onto the team’s top power play unit. He has above average skill, especially for a big defenseman. There’s some refining needed in his game, but there’s upside and the improvement in his game is reason for optimism.
James Fisher
Belmont Hill, 4/28/04, RW, right shot, 6-2/170
Fisher didn’t see much ice time in the early part of the game, but got a few shifts in the second and third. He has good size and is able to be heavy on pucks. He won a couple of puck battles and was hard to knock off pucks. With the way he played, he certainly showed he deserved more ice time going forward.
Nobles lines
D. Jacobs - C. Severo - J. Cronin
R. Tacelli - D. Haxton - R. Lapsley
B. MacDonald - O. O’Connor - W. Canavan
A. Lyons - C. Bailey
M. Tully - P. Kenney
J. O’Connor
W. Friedman
W. Moore
M. Smith
Belmont Hill lines
Z. Kraus - R. McGuire - L. Khozozian
L. Kelly - J. Hauser - K. McCallum
C. Cave - B. Reilly - D. Blackwell/J. Fisher
T. Rubin - T. Goguen
B. Murphy - W. Killoran
J. Bosco - G. Litchfield
M. Biotti
M. Hauswirth
