WOBURN, Mass. — Everyone at the O'Brien Rink on Sunday knew 10 minutes for 3v3 play wouldn't be necessary when the semifinal between Hingham and Reading needed a second overtime.
It only took 1:58 for a winner to be decided.
After Reading's Laz Giardina was stoned on a breakaway by Hingham goalie Luke McLellan, Hingham forward Bill Jacobus pushed the puck ahead to defenseman Jack Rakasukas, who went down the other end and scored on a breakaway to win it for Hingham, 2-1.
The win puts Hingham against Arlington in the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament final next Sunday.
Hingham opened the scoring in the second period when forward Travis Rugg dug for a loose puck in front of the Reading net and found it, depositing it past Reading goalie Chris Hanifan.
The rest of the game was mostly stingy, with both teams making life difficult for the opposition.
That changed with 2:29 left in the third period.
Reading forward Cam Fahey found himself in a 1-on-1 with a Hingham defender off the rush. He skated left and then quickly went back to his right and fired a wrist shot past the outstretched blocker of McLellan to tie the game, as O'Brien Rink erupted.
THE OTHER SEMIFINAL: Standouts from Arlington's OT win over Belmont
Hingham continues to play well, as it hasn't lost in regulation since Jan. 2 against Duxbury. Reading's last regulation loss came on Jan. 21 against Arlington.
Let's dive into the standouts.
Luke McLellan
Hingham, 1/1/05, G, catches left, 6-2/177Â
While this game was far from an offensive explosion, Reading did have some really solid chances throughout the game and McLellan thwarted all but one. While his final stop was his biggest, he had two massive saves in the first overtime (a five-minute period of 4v4). Giardina came in all alone and got everyone on a wrist shot that McLellan got with the top of his stick. The second came on Reading forward Robbie Granara. In regulation, McLellan had some big saves with his leg pads around the net, making quick reactions to nearby shots. He was superb.
Aidan Brazel
Hingham, 11/20/03, RW, right shot, 6-3/170Â
Brazel's speed mixed with his size that helps him protect pucks is impressive. Match that with his ability to hunt pucks and play a great two-way game and it's no surprise Brazel is considered one of the best players in the MIAA. A great example of his puck protection came in the first period. With three Reading players draped on him off the rush, Brazel still managed to get a shot off and he just missed scoring inside the far post.
Jack Rakauskas
Hingham, junior, D, shoots leftÂ
He scored the game-winner on a breakaway in overtime, which was impressive. Finishing off a breakaway is one thing, but morphing into Boston Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton in overtime of a big game and leaving behind any defensive responsibilities to jump up in the offense is another. Some of that motivation may have come from hitting the post mere seconds into the 3v3 overtime. The defender came over the Reading blue line and stunned Hanifan with a shot over his left shoulder and off the pipe. Again, another sign that 10 minutes would not be necessary for the 3v3 period.
FIRST ROUND OF ACTION: Standouts from Doherty Division | Brinn Division
Chase McKenna
Hingham, 1/12/05, D, right shot, 5-9/160Â
On Sunday, McKenna showed his ability to be a solid offensive defenseman in the MIAA. He did a nice job quarterbacking the power play at the top of the zone, always utilizing the players to his left and right well. He walked the blue line well, too, sifting shots through from the point or depositing the puck into the corner. With 1:20 left in the game, he had a nice, end-to-end rush that resulted in a quality scoring chance.
Laz Giardina
Reading, 6/29/06, LW, left shot, 6-5/190Â
Giardina was arguably the best player on the ice Sunday. His speed and physicality made life difficult for Hingham puck carriers. He did a great job in both overtimes of creating his own scoring chances. Late in the second period, Giardina did a nice job of battling for the puck, turning and finding Mark Boyle, his center, right near the net for a shot. Giardina wasn't just great in the attacking zone — he was great in his own end, too. He killed penalties well and with aggression. In the first period, he dove through the slot to intercept a Hingham pass that would've been primed to be one-timed toward the Reading net.
