MILTON, Mass. — As the top teams in the region battle for Elite 8 positioning, a big development took place Wednesday night.
Milton Academy took down Belmont Hill, 6-2, using an outpouring of goals and penalty-killing in the third period to earn the win.
Ironically, it didn't always look so sure.
Just 15 seconds into the game, Belmont Hill defensemen Matt Biotti's (Cambridge, Mass.) shot from the point was tipped by left wing Daniel Markham (Winchester, Mass.) to give the Sextants an early 1-0 lead. Then, roughly two minutes later, the Mustangs responded when senior defenseman Mason Chen rushed the puck into the Belmont Hill zone and found junior center Will Cannata (Milton, Mass.) in front of the net for a one-timer to tie the game, 1-1.
The back-and-forth blows continued with 3:50 left to play in the opening period. Belmont Hill defensemen Lenny Greenberg's shot from the point was stopped, but senior right wing Dane Carter (Concord, Mass.) pushed the rebound past Milton goalie Sam Caulfield to make it 2-1.
The Mustangs responded almost immediately. Chen got a pass from defensive partner Dylan Hunt (Marlborough, Mass.) at the point, moved to his left and fired one along the ice past the left leg of Belmont Hill freshman goalie JJ Thibodeau (Waltham, Mass.) to tie the game, 2-2.
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With 16.5 seconds left in the period, Milton was on the power play when senior right wing Jacob Pohl gathered the puck next to the net and fired one top shelf to give Milton the 3-2 lead.
The Mustangs never gave it up.
Belmont Hill swapped out Thibodeau for sophomore goalie Keagin Wilson (Hingham, Mass.) to open the second period. With roughly 12 minutes to play in the middle frame, Milton senior right wing Henry Cohen (Sudbury, Mass.) worked to get Cannata the puck in front. When Cannata got it, he fired it past Wilson to make the score 4-2.
Halfway through the period, Belmont Hill was on the power play. The puck bounced to center ice as time expired and as senior left wing Nate Landau (Wellesley, Mass.) left the box and skated to the bench, fellow senior left wing Brendan Maher jumped off the bench, joined the play and pitched in a rebound to extend the lead to 5-2.
Milton's sixth tally came from Pohl on an empty netter.
It was a closer game than the 6-2 score indicated, as Belmont Hill kept the first period close and then was on full attack mode in the third. Still, the Sextants fell to 15-4-3. It's their first loss since a 4-3 defeat to St. Sebastian's on Jan. 7.
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The win moved Milton to 15-4-4. Beating Belmont Hill is a statement for Elite 8 positioning, considering the teams tied, 2-2, in their only other meeting this year.
Lots of players stood out in this game. Let's jump in.
Mason Chen
Milton Academy, 5/31/2004, D, left shot, 5-11/175Â
Chen continued to impress me Wednesday night. He moved the puck really well and has a ton of confidence when skating the puck, exiting his own zone and gaining the offensive zone. His assist on Cannata's first goal was really nice, as he took it himself, skated down the left side of the zone and before going behind the net, found the center in front of the net. The goal Chen scored was also nice — a good job by him walking along the blue line and catching Thibodeau by surprise with a shot along the ice. He does a good job of quarterbacking the power play at the top of the zone. He had some key blocked shots in the third period while killing off a five-minute major.
Dylan Hunt
Milton Academy, 2/9/2006, D, left shot, 6-1/175Â
Chen and Hunt are both great two-way defenders. But while Chen might hold a slight edge offensively, Hunt carries the edge on defense. He's great in his own zone with good coverage and battling well in the corners. Like Chen, he had some really key blocks in the third period as Belmont Hill fought hard to score on the five-minute penalty. Hunt and Chen have terrific chemistry. The two are great at finding the other to break the puck out smoothly. Still, while Chen has the advantage on offense, Hunt more than holds his own. On a first-period power play, he came up the wall to the blue line and made a great, no-look pass on the backhand to an open teammate in front of the net.
Jacob Pohl
Milton Academy, 8/13/2004, RW, right shot, 5-9/170Â
Pohl's power-play goal in the first period was nice. But his biggest impact came on the penalty kill. Pohl has lots of speed and used a ton of it when forechecking Belmont Hill players going back into their own end to retrieve the puck. He also pressured a lot up high in his own zone. Maher plays a similar style on the penalty kill and he even got some scoring chances when killing a penalty in the second period.
Will Cannata
Milton Academy, 5/17/2005, C, left shot, 6-0/175Â
Both of Cannata's goals came from him finding soft spots in front of the Belmont Hill net. As a center, he played a smart game and was good at staying on the right side of the puck. Down a goal late in the first period, he had a really nice backcheck to break up what would've been a scoring chance from Belmont Hill No. 1 center Brock Cummings. Cannata read the play and got under Cummings to prevent him from even getting a shot.
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Daniel Markham
Belmont Hill, 5/13/2004, LW, left shot, 6-0/165Â
Markham set the tone early with his tip-in goal. In the first period, he showcased his good stick while killing a penalty when he intercepted a pass from Hunt headed toward Pohl for a one-timer. He drove the net well and earned himself a breakaway, which Caulfield turned aside.
Lenny Greenberg
Belmont Hill, 3/7/2005, D, right shot, 6-0/174Â
Greenberg was solid Wednesday, showcasing his two-way abilities. He was extremely physical, laying two-straight big hits in the first period and then one in open ice in the third. He moved the puck well, skating it with poise and helping his team leave the zone. While he helped create a goal, he almost had one of his own but was absolutely robbed by Caulfield's glove.
Matt Biotti
Belmont Hill, 8/27/2004, D, right shot, 6-4/181
NCAA: Harvard
Wednesday kept with my other viewings of Biotti — he was always making some sort of impact. In his own zone, he was good at shutting down opposing players and making life difficult on them in front of the net. He's also got some elusiveness, as he did a good job creating separation with faster players when he came back into his own zone to retrieve pucks.
Leftover thoughts
- After giving up two early goals, Caulfield was locked in. The '06 made some outstanding saves and while Belmont Hill applied tons of pressure in the third period, Caulfield stood up to the challenge with ease. He's very athletic and showcased that again Wednesday night.
- The score said 6-2, but I didn't think Belmont Hill played badly. If not for a few incredible saves from Caulfield, this was a very close game.
- Milton may not have a bonafide superstar, but the Mustangs play fast. Their speed matched with their ability to play smart could be difficult to contain in the playoffs.
- Four of Belmont Hill's five remaining games come against very good teams: Nobles, Tabor, Dexter and Westminster. The Sextants must bring their best to come out of that gauntlet with a winning record. On the flip side, it will be great preparation for the playoffs.
