BROOKLINE, Mass. — Dexter Southfield goalie Colin Davis had just made one of the saves of the season with just under three minutes to play in the game.
The Canton, Mass., native reached across the crease, putting his stick as the only thing between the puck and the back of the net. He got a piece of it, which knocked the puck down. The puck lay in the crease.
Thayer junior forward Brady Kudrick (Norwell, Mass.) followed the play and bolted for the loose puck, shoveling it past Davis, giving the Tigers a late lead.
It was one they wouldn't give up, as Thayer went on to beat Dexter, 5-3. Senior forward Josh Halliday added an empty-net goal as time expired.
The game-winning play was emblematic of Thayer's night: resilient.
Thayer opened the scoring midway through the first period when junior forward Teddy Lally's (Norwell, Mass.) shot was stopped, but freshman forward Michael Federico (Hanover, Mass.) was there to deposit it. Dexter responded quickly, converting on the power play when senior forward Cullen Emery (Reading, Mass.) found junior forward Sean Leetch (Boston, Mass.) racing for the far post. Leetch put the puck past Thayer goalie Tyler Moschella (Braintree, Mass.) with ease, tying the game, 1-1.
In the second period, Thayer junior forward Mason Shea (Braintree, Mass.) gave his team a 2-1 lead, but then Emery potted two goals of his own, giving Dexter a 3-2 lead entering the final 18 minutes.
But head coach David Hymovitz's team stormed back in the final frame, getting a goal from Tommy Anderson that went off of two Dexter players, which tied the game, 3-3.
The win came at a good time for Thayer, which had been 1-3-1 in its last five games. Dexter, however, entered on a four-game winning streak and fell to 10-5-2.
Let's dive into eight prospects who stood out.
Myles Brosnan
Dexter Southfield, 10/19/2007, D, right shot, 5-11/185Â
Brosnan plays with boatloads of confidence, and he's only a freshman. He got shots through from the point and made smart decisions on whether to find a shooting lane or pass to an open teammate. He assisted on Emery's first goal when his shot was stopped, but the senior cleaned it up. There was a sequence in the second period where Dexter was hemmed in its own zone. On two different occasions, Brosnan recovered to break up odd-man rushes for Thayer. He showed his maturity late in the third period when he went back to retrieve a puck with a bigger Thayer forechecker. Rather than go right for the puck, Brosnan stopped up, reverse hit the forward and created space for himself, which allowed him to break the puck out.
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Cullen Emery
Dexter Southfield, 8/2/2005, C, right shot, 5-10/180Â
Emery spent some time in the BCHL, but ultimately came back to Dexter. Friday night was a good example as to why. At 5-on-5, the senior drove play and tallied two goals in the second period. The first was a rebound, while the second was tipping defenseman Collin Rowe's shot. Both plays highlighted Emery's ability to get to the high-danger areas. Emery also registered the primary assist on Leetch's goal in the first period with a high IQ play. Emery played in all situations, which is why the decision to go back to Brookline, Mass., was a good one.
Josh Halliday
Thayer, 2/15/2005, RW, right shot, 5-9/141Â
Halliday was instrumental in Thayer's win. The senior shot one through a screen past Davis in the second period. He was a primary reason why his line of junior Tommy Anderson (Braintree, Mass.) and Kudrick continued to have sustained offensive zone time.
Tyler Hamilton
Dexter Southfield, 12/7/2006, RW, right shot, 5-11/160Â
Hamilton was a big reason why Emery scored both of his goals. On the first one, Hamilton's forecheck and ability to create chaos in the offensive zone led to freshman forward Noah Survilas (Winthrop, Mass.) getting the puck and dropping it for Brosnan. On the second one, Hamilton earned a zone entry, brought the puck around the net and fed the puck to Cameron Smith (Lincoln, R.I.), who dished the puck to Rowe. Hamilton's compete consistently put him in good positions on the ice.
Brady Kudrick
Thayer, 10/28/2005, C, left shot, 6-0/170Â
Kudrick saved his best for the third period. Before scoring the game-winning goal, his hustle on the backcheck prevented Hamilton from a clear scoring chance from the slot. Kudrick is known for his shot, but I was also impressed with his vision on Friday night, as he was able to find passing lanes in the offensive zone, especially on the power play.
Teddy Lally
Thayer, 2006, RW, right shot, 6-1/165Â
Lally's size and compete allowed him to make a large impact. He started his night off by gaining the offensive zone, getting a shot and having Federico put in the rebound. Prior to that, he had a number of strong chances. His good skating and hands allowed him to have patience in the offensive zone, as he would often find space in order to make plays. There were times he overpowered Dexter, especially off the rush. Hockey is strictly fun for Lally, as he's committed to Notre Dame for lacrosse.
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Mason Shea
Thayer, 11/8/2005, RW, right shotÂ
Like Lally, Shea had patience in the offensive zone and his vision for finding open teammates in creative ways was impressive. On Halliday's first goal, he provided the screen in front of Davis. He was able to sift through the neutral zone and gain the offensive zone multiple times and even had some odd-man rushes.
Cameron Smith
Dexter Southfield, 7/16/2005, D, left shot, 6-1/190Â
Smith is far from flashy, but he's reliable. The big defender was constantly on the ice for head coach Danny Donato, especially late in the game. He was always physical and made life tough on Thayer forwards. He showcased poise with the puck in his own zone, especially on breakouts.
