WOBURN, Mass. — Arlington senior defenseman Steph Sotiropoulos threw the puck into the slot with just over 20 seconds to play in overtime.
The puck sat there until Spy Ponders junior forward Killian Wright smacked the puck between Belmont goalie Greg Federico’s legs to win the game, 3-2, sending Arlington to the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament final against Hingham next Sunday.
It was Arlington’s first lead of the game.
Belmont got the scoring started at the 9:43 mark of the first period when forward Shay Donahue deposited a one-timer in front of the net to make it 1-0.
Jake Russell responded just over two minutes later when he entered the Belmont zone off the rush and fired a laser past Federico to tie the game, 1-1.
With less than two minutes to play in the first frame, Belmont found itself on a power play. Senior defenseman Peter Grace sifted a shot through from the point that found the back of the net to make it 2-1 Belmont.
It took Arlington a bit of time to respond to that lamplighter, but the Spy Ponders finally did with just under five minutes remaining in the second period.
Gore battled for the puck at the offensive blue line and knocked the puck to Wright, who went in on a breakaway and scored to tie the game, 2-2.
THE OTHER SEMIFINAL: Standouts from Hingham's 2OT win over Reading
This game's result replicated the last time these two squads played on Jan. 14, which ended in a 2-2 tie. This time around was a tight game with neither team holding an advantage for too long.
With the win, Arlington hasn't lost since Jan. 8 when it fell to Hingham. Belmont most recently tied Wilmington, 1-1, but hasn't lost in regulation since a 4-2 loss to Catholic Memorial back on Dec. 23.
Let's dive into the standout players.
Evan Jones
Arlington, 2/9/07, D, left shot, 5-8/165Â
Jones may only be a freshman, but he has the poise of and moves the puck like a veteran. One play really showed that ability. Midway through the first period, as he skated back for the puck, he looked behind him and saw a wing at the opposite blue line. He fired it around the glass, getting it past Belmont’s forecheck and to the wing. The wing shoveled it middle to Russell, who went in and fired in a goal to tie the game, 1-1. Not to be overlooked was Jones’ ability in his own zone, too.
Cam Fici
Belmont, 4/2/04, RW, right shot, 5-8/160Â
New England Hockey Journal has well chronicled Fici’s talents, and Sunday was another example of his great play. As the top-line right wing, he carried the puck numerous times end to end to gain the offensive blue line and get shots off. His quickness allowed him to dash past defenders and cut quickly to open ice. He assisted on both Belmont goals.
FIRST ROUND: Standouts from Doherty Division | Brinn Division
Jake Russell
Arlington, 2/11/04, C, right shot, 5-9/160Â
The top-line center for head coach John Messuri’s team, Russell’s shiftiness and ability to find his wings was impressive Sunday. He moved well and did a great job of eluding Belmont defenders. His first-period goal was very nice, which came from a snipe off the rush. But he almost scored another in the third period when he put the puck through two Belmont defenders' legs and got a shot off from right in front of the crease.
Killian Wright
Arlington, 5/24/06, RW, right shot, 5-10/170Â
Wright had two goals and both came from hockey sense putting him in the right place. On his first goal, he did a good job of following the play and putting himself in a position to receive a quick pass from Gore, his linemate, and stay onside. His breakaway featured a nice finish. Then, on the game-winner, he went straight to the front of the net and found the loose puck for the goal.
Joe Gaziano
Belmont, 2005, D, left shot,
Gaziano provided a stable presence on the back end for Belmont. While not all of his puck decisions were perfect, the majority were the right moves. A play that summed up his two-way abilities well was early in the third period, Arlington had some offensive zone pressure going and a pass went to the front of the net. Gaziano picked it off and immediately went the other way, sifting through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone. He found Donahue, who got a shot off.
