STORRS, Conn. — Three goals. Four assists. One goal.
That was the stat line for Winchendon's top line of seniors Jackson Smail (Milton, Vt.), Charlie Puglisi and Cooper Ludwar (Chelmsford, Mass.), in that order — before the third period even began.
It wasn't much of a surprise. Winchendon's top line was the biggest reason behind the second-seeded Wapitis' second-half turnaround this season.
And they were at the heart of their team's offensive outpouring in a 5-2 win over top-seeded Holderness to earn the Small School championship on Sunday.
MORE CHAMPIONS: Boys Elite 8 — Avon Old Farms beats St. Mark's | Boys Large School — Cushing beats Berwick | Girls Elite 8 — Loomis Chaffee beats Deerfield | Girls Large School — Phillips Exeter beats Choate | Girls Small School — Groton beats New Hampton
After Winchendon killed off two penalties in the first period, the Wapitis got a goal around the halfway point and never looked back.
Ludwar opened the scoring when he grabbed the rebound of a Puglisi shot and put it past Holderness goalie Mark Bierwirth (Chelmsford, Mass.).
Minutes later, Smail scored the first of his three on a snipe that was passed to him by sophomore forward Liam Carlin (Andover, Mass.).
Smail knocked in a rebound with 13.5 seconds left in the first period to send Winchendon to the first intermission with a 3-0 lead.
Winchendon's momentum continued into the second period. Sophomore forward Ben Short (Lunenburg, Mass.) jammed a rebound in off a shot from postgrad forward Laz Giardina (Reading, Mass.).
Then, with just under four minutes to play, Smail sniped another one off an offensive zone sequence.
GIRLS BRACKETS: Elite 8 field | Large School field | Small School field
Holderness, however, got the next two goals.
Senior forward Viktor Samal potted one before the end of the second. And to open the third, sophomore forward Kane Mori tapped in a pass frmo junior defenseman Tucker O'Neil (Duxbury, Mass.).
The Small School victory is Winchendon's first NEPSAC title since 1999, when it took home the Large School title.
Let's dive into a few takeaways.
Quick takeaways
1. Holderness just didn't have an answer for Winchendon's top line. Puglisi drove play and consistently set up scoring chances. His pass to Smail on his second goal was impressive, as Puglisi beat two defenders behind the net and passed it through another player out front to find Smail. That trio regularly hemmed Holderness' five-man unit in its own zone.
2. Much of the postseason attention will go to Puglisi (and rightfully so) but Smail, a Vermont commit, can absolutely rip the puck.
3. It was a strong game from Winchendon senior goalie Brady Knode. He wasn't overly busy, but he made the saves he had to. He showed that he was locked in early when he stopped a shot that was tipped with a high stick that looked destined for the back of the net. Midway through the third, as Holderness pushed, Knode extended his right leg and somehow kept a Holderness chance out.
4. Mori was a standout for Holderness. The sophomore forward from Japan showed himself to be a shifty skater with great hands. He had some solid offensive zone entries and got rewarded with a nice goal early in the third.
5. Short had a strong game for Winchendon down the middle. The '10 showed great skill and created offense against Holderness' physicality. He became an anchor for Winchendon's second line with senior Jake West (Billerica, Mass.) and Giardina.
BOYS BRACKETS: Elite 8 field | Large School field | Small School field
6. The Wapitis didn't beat anyone other than Albany Academy until Jan. 7. For more than a month, they were one of the biggest disappointments in prep. But props to head coach Mike Busconi and Winchendon for the turnaround. They went 20-2-1 en route to the Small School title. Incredible.
