DEDHAM, Mass. — There's a reason Nobles forward Kyle O'Leary (Medfield, Mass.) is one of the biggest breakout prospects in prep this season. It was on display Wednesday night.
With the score tied late in the third period of Nobles' matchup with St. Sebastian's, the Arrows had an offensive zone face-off. When the play moved to the neutral zone, O'Leary forced a turnover and created a 2-on-1.
The decision to pass or to shoot in that situation keeps even the best forwards awake at night. O'Leary made the right call — he shot it and it went past St. Sebastian's goalie Pelle Russo (West Newton, Mass.), giving Nobles the lead.
Nobles added an empty-netter from Teddy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.) with 10 seconds to play, giving the home team a 4-2 win.
Freshman defender Kris Soja (Ludlow, Mass.) started the scoring in the first period on the power play. The offensive left-shot defenseman sifted a shot past Russo from the point for his second tally of the season.
St. Sebastian's responded late in the second period. Junior forward Brendan Keaveney (Westwood, Mass.) wrapped the puck around the net and senior defenseman Jack Harney (Needham, Mass.) knocked in the rebound for his first goal of the season, tying the score, 1-1.
When the third period began, it was another underclassman defenseman scoring for Nobles on a shot from the point. This time, it was Jack Hartwell (Cohasset, Mass.) finding the back of the net to give Nobles a 2-1 advantage.
But roughly three minutes later, Isaac Mitchell's (Harvard, Mass.) second-chance effort tied the game, 2-2. Forward and linemate Rian Chudzinski (Needham, Mass.) made a phenomenal play that led to the goal. The freshman stopped upon entering the offensive zone with the puck, leading the Nobles defender to sink deeper into his own end. That opened up a passing lane to Mitchell, who was stopped on the first shot but hustled and scored on the second chance.
Let's dive into some observations from the matchup.
1. Nobles won for a variety of reasons. The biggest, however, was goalie Tyler Bloomfield (Hudson, Mass.). The senior made numerous key saves, finishing with 36. He stoned Casey Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.) on a shorthanded breakaway in the first period that would've surely tilted the game in St. Sebastian's favor. With the score at 2-2 late in the third period, he denied Ben Merrill (Hingham, Mass.) from point-blank range in the slot. Bloomfield played those two shots, as well as 34 others, perfectly, giving the shooters no options.
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Bloomfield has been patient in his Nobles career, waiting the last two seasons for his chance at the starting job. It was worth it, as the Hudson, Mass., native sports a 2.66 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. He's been phenomenal.
2. Another reason Nobles emerged victorious was because of its tenacious forecheck. Head coach Brian Day's team looked to do everything it could to keep the puck from getting into St. Sebastian's forward's hands — and it worked. Nobles forwards consistently flustered St. Sebastian's defenders, leading to turnovers and regroups. It was a smart, winning game plan.
3. As much as Nobles lost on defense after last season, the group more than held its own on Wednesday night. Nobles defensemen accounted for two goals from Soja and Hartwell. Both players have made legitimate contributions to the offense and see a lot of power play time. Junior Lou Munger (Dedham, Mass.) is a great shutdown defenseman and sophomore Tuck Gilbane (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) and senior Andrew Higgins (Weston, Mass.) eat valuable minutes. Are they a flashy group? No. But there's talent and potential — two traits that will help Nobles short-term and long-term.
4. The Arrows' inability to finish chances hurt them a lot. Early in the first period, Merrill sifted through the neutral zone, dangled a Nobles defender and ripped one past Bloomfield's blocker that hit the post. What was the case for Merrill was the case for St. Sebastian's all night — they just couldn't score. There were net-front scrambles and high-danger chances. Chudzinski dinged the crossbar early in the third period.
Yes, two prime chances off the post hurt. But with the names at forward, a whole lot more pucks should've been in the back of the net.
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5. The future after this season is murky at St. Sebastian's with so many seniors graduating and other top talent facing the decision of staying or going to junior hockey. One bright spot is Chudzinski. The late '07 has found a home on the third line next to seniors Colin Gorman (Westwood, Mass.) and Mitchell. Chudzinski has a high level of offensive creativity and plays on the edge, aiding in the forecheck.
6. This is a big win for Nobles. Day's team entered Wednesday having just lost to Williston Northampton in overtime and only winning once in four games at the Flood-Marr. Things continue to tighten in the ISL Keller.
