ASHBURNHAM, Mass. — Cushing led Kimball Union by two goals with roughly five minutes to play in the second period. The Penguins had beaten KUA on the road Friday night, so it looked like Cushing would cruise to another win.
Then Sam LeDrew found another level, notching a hat trick over the final period and a half, leading Kimball Union to a 4-2 win.
It started on the power play when LeDrew had the puck at the point and ripped a shot that found its way past goalie Marko Bilic, an Arizona State commit, cutting Cushing's lead to 2-1.
Less than one minute later, Kimball Union forward CJ Watroba (West Springfield, Mass.) got to a loose puck in the slot and sniped a shot over Bilic's glove, tying the game.
The third period was back and forth, with both squads trading chances.
But with just over four minutes to play, Kimball Union defenseman Jack McMinn gained the offensive blue line and hit teammate Jack Sadowski (Arlington, Mass.) with a pass. Sadowski found LeDrew coming down the slot and hit him with a pass.
LeDrew fired it past Bilic, giving KUA a lead it never relinqushed. LeDrew, a St. Lawrence commit, added an empty-net goal in the final seconds.
It took until the second period for the first goal to be scored. Cushing postgrad Bronson Hunt fired a shot from the high slot that zipped past KUA goalie Blake McMeniman (Revere, Mass.), giving the Penguins a 1-0 lead. They extended the lead two minutes later when junior Max Dineen (Brentwood, N.H.) cleaned up a rebound in front of the KUA net.
Kimball Union improved to 28-4-0 with the win, while Cushing fell to 24-3-0.
Let's dive into the takeaways.
1. The win was all the more impressive for Kimball Union because for the first period and a half, Cushing was the much better team. The Penguins controlled play in their own rink, looking deeper and holding an edge over the Wildcats. McMeniman turned in a strong performance, making 36 saves and keeping his team in the game when Cushing turned up the pressure. His biggest save came late on Cushing forward Kole Hyles (Newfields, N.H.), as Hyles got a shot off from in tight.
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Again, it looked like Cushing was going to cruise to a weekend sweep after taking down KUA, 5-3, in Meriden, N.H., on Friday night.
2. LeDrew is one of the most dynamic players in prep. When the 6-foot-1, 175-pound right wing gets a little bit of speed in the neutral zone with the puck on his stick, he's incredibly hard to stop. That was on display again Saturday. His chemistry with center Corwith Simmers and left wing Sadowski is obvious. LeDrew was a strong scorer for KUA last season; this year, he's dominant.
3. Sadowski tallied three assists on Saturday night, bringing his point total for the season to 76. Kimball Union still has Lakes Region Tournament games to play, giving the UNH commit a chance to become the first 80-point getter since Jay O'Brien did it with Thayer in 2017-18. That helped O'Brien get selected 19th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Sadowski was at No. 12 in my latest local NHL Draft prospect rankings. I wonder if an NHL team selects him in a later round given just how productive he's been this season.
4. Kimball Union defenseman Andrew O'Sullivan (Scituate, Mass.) was out, elevating McMinn into the team's top defender role. McMinn was outstanding, notching two assists, driving play and using his high IQ to know when to join the rush. His best play came on the zone entry that ultimately led to LeDrew's eventual game-winner. Rather than push it north-south, McMinn took it east-west across the neutral zone, found some space and fired a crisp pass to Sadowski. McMinn would be a good get for a local Division 1 program.
5. One player who brought it for Cushing on Saturday was Hunt. The Long Beach, N.Y., native showcased a nice finish on his goal. But his most impressive moment came while assisting on Dineen's goal. Hunt showed poise in the low slot, sifting a nice pass to Brendan Agnew who eventually got it to Dineen. Hunt has great hands, especially in tight. He was one of my favorite players to watch in the fall and ranks second on the Penguins in points with 31.
6. Don't worry, Cushing fans. I'm not going to not mention what happened on Friday night. The Penguins went into Kimball Union and scored three goals in the first period and never gave up the lead. The most impressive part: Defenseman Ryland Randle, an Arizona State commit, potted a hat trick. His ability to skate and advance the puck is masterful. He had a few close chances on Saturday night, too.
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7. Cushing moved into the No. 1 spot in USHR's projected playoff seedings after winning Friday night. Kimball Union moved back to No. 1 after Saturday's win. This is symbolic of these teams — they're incredibly close.
I'd give the edge to Cushing in terms of depth. The Penguins can control the game with almost any forward line and any defensive pairing. But Kimball Union's top players are better. When the Wildcats need a goal, that top line is borderline impossible to stop.
With this series ending 1-1, the most fitting setting for the rubber match would be the Elite 8 championship game. That just might happen.
