ASHBURNHAM, Mass. – Special teams was the difference in Cushing’s 3-0 victory over Tilton on Wednesday afternoon at Iorio Arena.
Emerson Marshall (Gloucester, Mass.) and Landan Resendes (Marlboro, Mass.) struck for power-play goals before AJ Sacco (Middleton, Mass.) put the game on ice with an empty net tally. Senior goaltender Cooper Rautenstrauch wasn’t tested often, but he stopped all 19 shots he faced.
Cushing was the better team and it showed in the distinct advantage the Penguins had in shots on goal. Cushing didn’t bring its ‘A’ game, but still found a way to win, which is the sign of a good team.
Give credit to Tilton and head coach Brooks McQuade. The Rams played hard and fought to keep it close. The game was in doubt until the final few minutes.
Tilton has a niche and it’s older teams that are heavy on upperclassmen, specifically postgraduates. McQuade and his staff do a good job each year of rebuilding and bringing in hard-nosed players from the MIAA ranks.
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Here are five uncommitted players who stood out.
Tyler Russo
Cushing, 3/19/07, D, left shot, 5-11/161
Russo was the best uncommitted player in the game by far. The Hamilton, Mass., native skates well and defends beyond his age. He makes smart, efficient hockey plays and has tight gaps. The only area that needs improvement is his stick, specifically his shot. He’s without a doubt a home run for almost every school in the region.
Emerson Marshall
Cushing, 10/8/05, LW, left shot, 5-10/175
I’ve seen Cushing play half a dozen times now this winter. It seems like every one of Marshall’s goals in games I’ve been at have been from right above the crease. In this game, he was standing at the back door when he pushed home a perfect feed from Raphael Marcoux for a goal. The Gloucester, Mass., native has been opportunistic and plays with a little bit of swagger.
Cooper Rautenstrauch
Cushing, 1/21/05, G, catches left, 5-11/180
Rautenstrauch didn’t face much rubber over the course of 54 minutes, but sometimes those are the hardest games. He remained focused and came up with three or four stops on quality chances. The West Seneca, N.Y., native is a little undersized, but he’s technically sound and would make a very good goaltender in the NESCAC or other top Division 3 college programs.
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Danny Storella
Tilton, 5/18/05, LW, right shot, 5-11/190
Storella has been a favorite of mine for a few years, skating for Stoneham High School and North Suburban Wings. He’s not the prettiest skater and his speed needs to get faster. But, he competes hard and gets the most out of his ability. He made a couple of plays below the dot and delivered a huge open-ice hit on one of Cushing’s top players.
Conor Waldron
Tilton, 2/23/04, G, catches left, 6-2/175
Waldron has good size and had himself quite a day Wednesday afternoon. He stopped 37 shots and both were power play strikes. He did all he could, including not giving up any soft goals, to give his team a chance for the road upset. The Montreal, Quebec, native needs to work on his skating, but he’s a good goaltender that a junior team in Canada ought to take a chance on in 2023-24.
Cushing lines
Marshall - Green - Resendes
Sacco - Markevych - Gardula
Dedinas - Agnew - Quinn
Bennett - Favreau - Wallace
Philbrick - Rizzo
Maldonado - Tatro
Marcoux - Russo
xx - Bacchus
Rautenstrauch
Tilton lines
Storella - Booth - Quigley
O’Hara - Knight - O’Brien
Dres - Tsoar - Fontaine
Porter - Walsh - Dryjowicz
Pecararo - Sylvia
Rufa - Greer
Poirier - Tice
Waldron
