DEDHAM, Mass. — It's rare for there to be firsts in an event held for 59 years. But there was a big first on Sunday.
Phillips Andover won the Flood-Marr Tournament for the first time in program history, taking down Nobles, 6-4, in an instant classic.
With the game tied, 4-4, and just over two minutes remaining on the clock, Andover junior forward David O'Neill got the puck after a Nobles defender fell and turned it over. O'Neill got a 2-on-1 and had his first shot stopped by Nobles sophomore goalie Tucker Monroe (Wellesley, Mass.), but he followed the play and knocked in the rebound, giving Andover a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
An empty-net goal by Andover senior forward Rui Han with 6.3 seconds left sealed it.
Most of the game was a back-and-forth prize fight with one team scoring and the other matching not long after. That trend was set less than two minutes in.
Nobles senior forward Kyle O'Leary (Medfield, Mass.) scored 19 seconds into the game, but Andover tied it when junior defenseman Zachary Fedele unloaded a missile that zipped past Munroe.
Nobles senior forward Teddy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.) gave his team the lead on a snipe from the face-off dot with just under five minutes left in the first period. Andover came oh-so-close to responding at the buzzer when senior defenseman Zachary Skowronek ripped a one-timer that got past Monroe, but it was after the horn.
Andover finally did tie the game shortly into the second period when senior forward Grayden Robertson-Palmer got the rebound off a shot from Skowronek and buried it.
Nobles answered just over two minutes later when senior Ben Nakata (West Barnstable, Mass.) fired a shot past the blocker of Andover goalie Chase Anderson (Marblehead, Mass.), giving the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. Andover sophomore forward Kieran McIntosh tied the game just two minutes after that when he smacked a shot from the high slot that beat Monroe.
The Big Blue finally got their first lead of the game minutes into the third period when sophomore forward Nate Kreppner scored on a one-timer. They held that lead for most of the period until O'Leary potted his second with just 2:44 to play in the game, making it 4-4.
Despite Anderson not having his best game of the weekend in Sunday's championship, he won Flood-Marr MVP for his overall performance.
There were various standouts and takeaways from this one. Let's dive in.
Grayden Robertson Palmer
Phillips Andover, 8/29/2007, C, left shot, 5-11/190
Hometown: St. Andrews, New Brunswick
NCAA: DartmouthÂ
Robertson-Palmer was a monster in the championship. He scored by getting to the dirty areas and anticipating where the rebound was going, which was big, but it was all the little things he did that were so impactful. He helped out low in his own zone. His forechecks caused havoc for multiple Nobles' breakouts. He got on defenders so quickly due to his speed and his routes were outstanding. His plays in transition were good in jumpstarting offense with his line, too.
He was one of the prospects NHL scouts were watching closely this weekend and he delivered. His stock is up after this weekend.
Kyle O'Leary
Nobles, 6/25/2006, F, right shot, 6-2/185
Hometown: Medfield, Mass.
NCAA: YaleÂ
The Yale commit had two huge goals and both came around the net, which is where O'Leary is at his best. The first set an early tone for Nobles. He went hard to the net and got a pass from Billy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.) and showcased a nice finish. His late, tying goal was all about his second effort. His first shot was stopped by Anderson, but O'Leary stayed with it and eventually chipped it in.
Nate Kreppner
Phillips Andover, 9/17/2008, F, left shot, 6-0/185
Hometown: TorontoÂ
Kreppner had two plays that altered the course of the game. The first was obviously his goal, which gave his team its first lead. It was a terrific heads-up play by Kreppner, who one-timed a shot from a bad angle but noticed Monroe was looking the other way and that there was some space between his right leg and the post. The second came shortly after when he stuck with a Nobles forward in the slot and prevented a high-danger chance by showcasing a good stick to break up the play.
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David O'Neill
Phillips Andover, 10/17/2006, F, right shot, 5-11/165
Hometown: Wayne, Penn.Â
O'Neill had the eventual winner. The puck was pretty much gifted to him, but the goal certainly wasn't. It was all about second effort as O'Neill stayed with it, tracked the rebound and finished the chance. It was also a high-pressure situation. Nobles had scored 31 seconds earlier and momentum was firmly with the Bulldogs. O'Neill didn't flinch, rising to the moment and giving Andover a late lead.
Ben Nakata
Nobles, 8/30/2006, F, left shot, 5-10/180
Hometown: West Barnstable, Mass.Â
Nakata's goal was a nice shot that Anderson would probably want back, as it beat him low blocker with no screen in front. It was still a nice finish. But Nakata, who centered Nobles' third line, was reliable at both ends of the ice. He was a pest in the offensive zone and was responsible at staying low and preventing chances in his own zone. He was also a force on the penalty kill, as he regularly hustled down the ice to forecheck Andover's power play breakouts.
Rui Han
Phillips Andover, 2/23/2007, F, left shot, 5-11/170
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.Â
I'll have a lot more on Han in the coming days, but Han was very involved offensively in the final. He had a handful of quality chances that Monroe turned aside. Han drew a penalty midway through the third period when he gained the offensive blue line and engaged in a 1v1 with Nobles sophomore defenseman Kris Soja (Ludlow, Mass.). Han made a spin move when he got close to Soja, giving him space, which forced Soja to trip him.
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Billy MacAusland
Nobles, 8/4/2007, F, left shot, 5-10/170
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.Â
Like with Han, I'll have a lot more on MacAusland in the coming days. He was Nobles' No. 1 center, and it showed. He assisted on O'Leary's opening tally with a heads-up pass after entering the zone. Then, on O'Leary's second goal that tied it late, it was MacAusland behind the net who threw it out front to O'Leary. Those two, along with senior Ethan Cox (Westboro, Mass.), were hard to handle.
Leftover thoughts...
- While the Flood-Marr Tournament is 59 years old, Andover hasn't been in it for all 59 years. Its first year was in 1981. Andover played in it again in 1982 and 1983 before not re-joining until 1993. The Big Blue have been in the tournament ever since. It's still remarkable that they had never won until Sunday.
- It can't be overstated just how dominant Robertson-Palmer was. His speed and intelligence made him someone Nobles had to deal with every shift. He played a lot and seemed to always be in the thick of every play. The knock on him is his finishing, but his well-roundedness and ability to play anywhere in a lineup should be a reason NHL teams give him serious consideration once the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds come around.
- When Skowronek's goal didn't count at the end of the first period, I can only imagine what Andover postgrad forward Danny Collins was thinking. Back in March, Collins was on the wrong side of the worst call I've ever seen in a hockey game when his Winchester team lost the MIAA Division 1 state final because St. John's Prep scored after the buzzer and it counted. It's great to see Collins doing well in prep, as he played on the top line with Robertson-Palmer and Han.
- This was everything you want a big-time tournament championship to be: fast, physical and back-and-forth. I overheard one young fan along the glass saying, "This is the best hockey game I've ever seen!" That might be a little bit of an overstatement (maybe it isn't — I don't know what they have and haven't seen), but it was certainly a classic.
