SOUTHBORO, Mass. — Who said buzzer beaters are reserved for basketball games? Belmont Hill right wing James Fisher scored his second of the game with time expiring to give his team a 4-3 road win at St. Mark’s on Wednesday.
The game was well-attended by NHL scouts, who made the trek to Gardner Rink to watch the Fishers battle. James, a junior from Wilmington, Mass., had two goals and one assist while Michael, a junior defenseman from Westboro, Mass. on St. Mark’s, had a goal and two assists.
James Fisher’s heroics saved Belmont Hill from a potentially disappointing game. The Sextants jumped out to a 3-0 lead before some uncharacteristic mistakes led to the Lions tying it up midway through the third period.
James Fisher gave Belmont Hill a 1-0 lead when he finished on a transitional play set up by sophomore center Jake McManus (Winthrop, Mass.). After receiving a pass from McManus who was breaking into the zone down the left side, Fisher drove the net and waited for the goaltender to go down. He sidestepped him and slid a backhander to the back of the net.
On an extended five-on-three power play, Belmont Hill built its lead to 2-0. James Fisher found center Braden Reilly in the bumper. The senior from Reading, Mass., wasted no time in sending a wrist shot past St. Mark’s goaltender Charles Watson. The secondary assist went to junior left wing Ronan O’Donnell of Fairfield, Conn.
Belmont Hill extended its lead to three when Reilly found senior left wing Charles Cave (Arlington, Mass.) in the slot. Cave quickly released the shot that hit the post before finding the twine.
St. Mark’s started its comeback attempt when Drew Carr (Medway, Mass.) scored his second career goal. The stretch pass from Michael Fisher missed its target, but the Lions won the foot race and beat out the icing.
The second St. Mark’s goal was flukey. Michael Fisher gave a pass over to his defensive partner, junior Justin Pare. The Montreal, Quebec, native took a few strides up ice and dumped the puck into the Belmont Hill zone. A weird bounce helped the puck jump over the glove of Belmont Hill goaltender Sam Scopa.
Michael Fisher tied the score at three when he gained the zone on the right side. He fired a wrist shot that hit Scopa in the torso before bouncing off him and into the net. Sophomore right wing Austin Borggaard (Charlton, Mass.) had the assist.
St. Mark’s had a couple of chances to take the lead, including a two-on-one that didn’t connect. Instead, James Fisher picked up a loose puck and raced down the right wing with time running out. He drove past one defender before snapping off a wrist shot that beat Watson between his shoulder and the cross bar. A wild celebration ensued. There were a half dozen or so NHL scouts that left with a few minutes to go, which turned out to be a bad decision. They missed a heck of a finish.
2022 NHL draft prospects
James Fisher
Belmont Hill, 4/28/04, RW, right shot, 6-2/194
NCAA commit: Northeastern
This was a good viewing for Fisher. He scored two goals, assisted on another, and committed three penalties. I thought he did a good job possessing and distributing pucks. He made a big impact on the game almost every shift. The two goals he scored showed his finishing touch. The first displayed his finesse skill while the game winner was a power move. Every NHL scout in the building had to come away impressed.
Michael Fisher
St. Mark’s, 5/2/04, D, right shot, 6-3/194
NCAA commit: Princeton
Fisher had his ups and downs tonight and also took a couple of penalties. His size and skating are what stand out right away in all viewings, including this one.
Top uncommitted prospect
Richard Gallant
St. Mark’s, 4/6/07, LW, left shot 5-7/140
Gallant didn’t have a point, but he was impressive. The Concord, Mass., native made a couple of solid offensive plays in the first period. His skating, stick, and puck protection skills are all top-notch. What stood out most to me was his willingness to take physical contact. He got knocked down a couple of times, but he got right up and gave it back. He played between the dots and went to the dirty areas. There’s a lot of swagger in his game. He’s certainly on the radar for the NTDP in 2023-24.
