WATERTOWN, Mass. — Belmont used the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament as a statement and punctuated that in Sunday's championship.
The Marauders took down Arlington, 4-0, in the Doherty Division final.
After a scoreless first period, Belmont got on the board early in the second when forward Liam Guilderson streaked down the left side and sifted a shot through the legs of Arlington goalie John Snider.
The third period was when Belmont turned on the jets.
Midway through, defenseman Michael Rowan took a shot from the point that was stopped. But the puck bounced around the crease and forward Adam Bauer knocked it in, giving Belmont a 2-0 lead. That was extended 24 seconds later when forward Leo Packard tipped a shot from Bauer up and over Snider, making it 3-0.
Senior defenseman David Kioumejian put the exclamation on the game with an empty-net goal to give Belmont a commanding 4-0 lead late.
Bauer assisted on that goal, giving him 100 career points at Belmont.
The win improved Belmont's record to 12-4-1, while Arlington fell to 11-5-2.
Let's dive into some standouts and takeaways.
Adam Bauer
Belmont, 2/15/2007, F, right shot, 6-2/187
It was fitting that Bauer's big third period led to him reaching the 100-point mark. His goal to make it 2-0 was all about him getting to the slot and creating space for himself to knock in the rebound. He continued to impress on Sunday as a do-it-all center who can drive a power play just as easily as he can stifle the opposition killing penalties. He played a heavy game, and in my viewings of him this season, he can thrive in any situation. He's the kind of senior you want on your side once the tournament begins.
LATEST RANKINGS:Â Arlington, Belmont gain ground in top 10
Ethan Bauer
Belmont, 10/25/2008, G, catches left, 6-3/174Â
What a day for the Bauer brothers. While Adam hit 100 points, Ethan won tournament MVP, and rightfully so. Arlington had a slew of high-danger chances, and Ethan stopped them all. It started early, when Arlington forward Quinlan McNulty-Lu cut to the slot and got a chance off from the top of the crease that Ethan turned away with his left leg. The Spy Ponders also pressed hard at the end of the first period, and Ethan was calm and made all the stops necessary. Arlington forward Drew Beck had a shot through traffic at the end of the first period that Ethan got with his mask. Midway through the second period, Beck had a turnaround shot through traffic that Ethan got with his left leg. The Belmont goalie finished with only one goal allowed in three tournament games.
PD Dimas
Belmont, 2007, D, left shotÂ
Belmont was outstanding on defense, and Dimas encapsulated that. Arlington was set for a prime scoring chance midway through the second period, and Dimas hustled to get his stick on the puck and negate it. He was physical throughout. Early in the third period, Dimas stepped up and laid a big hit on Arlington forward Cam Petrillo. He made life difficult on opposing forwards in the slot and generally did a nice job of keeping them to the outside.
Liam Guilderson
Belmont, 3/30/2009, F, left shot, 6-0/160Â
Guilderson's goal was terrific. He used his speed to get to the outside and threw one low that I'm sure Snider wants back. But what made Guilderson really stand out on Sunday was his penalty killing. He had a great stick defending the top of the zone and was able to intercept passes and take them the other way, killing time and forcing Arlington to defend while on the power play. Guilderson is undoubtedly one of the top '09 prospects in the MIAA.
FORECAST: Who are the favorites, contenders and sleepers for the MIAA boys tournament?Â
Takeaways...
- This wasn't Arlington's day. The frustration from not being able to break through against Ethan Bauer was obvious as the Spy Ponders took several penalties, including one in the offensive zone at the tail end of the first period.
- Two positives for Arlington on Sunday: forward Nolan Russell and defenseman Kurt Beck. Russell missed time with an injury, and head coach John Messuri used him sparingly over the last few weeks. Russell was playing a consistent shift on Sunday, drove play well and was noticeable. Beck continued to show promise as an '09 defenseman. He broke pucks out cleanly and was defensively responsible.
- Belmont is getting hot at the perfect time. I don't do my rankings until Thursday, but the Marauders will likely (keyword: likely) move into the top three. The combination of that top line and Ethan Bauer in net makes me think this team is destined for a deep run in March. There's a reason I had them third among 'Contenders' in my recent MIAA tournament forecast.
