BEVERLY — Goal set before the season began.
Goal reached on the final day of the regular season.
For the first time in seven seasons, the Beverly High boys hockey team earned its 10th victory of the year thanks to a 4-2 takedown of visiting Somerville at Bourque Arena.
Junior center Logan Bowen had a pair of third period goals, one shorthanded, while captains Jonny Mezza (goal), defenseman Thomas Simeone (assist) and goalie P.J. Redman (23 saves) also played critical roles for the Orange-and-Black.
“You have to be all in at this time of year, and that’s what we’re seeing,” said Beverly head coach Andy Scott. “We’re winning as a team, and hopefully we’re ready to do that again next week when the playoffs start.”
Qualifying for postseason play for the first time in three seasons, Beverly will be on the road for a first round contest. They’ll find out their opponent (Boston Latin? Whitman-Hanson? Auburn) when the MIAA releases its playoff brackets Saturday at 10 a.m.
The went 4-1-1 over their last six contests to achieve this feat they’d been talking about long before the first pucks ever hit the ice the Monday after Thanksgiving.
“This goes back to those 90-degree days in the summer when guys were running up the hill behind the (Beverly High) baseball field, knowing the work they put in then would help pay off now,” said Scott.
“This entire body of work started in the summer, where coach Irv (assistant Andrew Irving) and I are all in as far as helping the guys with whatever they want to do for summer workouts, and the guys continuing to grind all fall and get stronger.”
Sophomore Anthony Barror gave Beverly a 1-0 lead after one period with his 13th goal of the season. Mezza then stole the puck and released a quick shot that found twine in the Highlanders’ cage, doubling his team’s lead.
A shorthanded snipe by Bowen, in which defenseman Nate Wheeler kicked the puck up to him to set him free, made it 3-1 just 56 seconds into the third period. After Somerville cut its deficit back to a single goal for the second time on the night, Bowen scored again, this time with just 3:21 to play.
Beverly then killed off a two-man shorthanded situation over the final 90 seconds to officially punch their playoff dance card.
Bowen finished the regular season with 25 goals and 39 points, both team-leading point totals. He’s also second on the North Shore in both categories.
Now, as Scott says, playoff success is the next thing they want to check off the box. Remarkably, Beverly hasn’t won a postseason outing since defeating Medfield, 2-1, for the Division 2 state championship at TD Garden in Boston; in fact, they’ve only played two playoff games since then.
“We’ve actually played some of our best hockey this season in games that we’ve been the underdog, like (wins) against Gloucester and Essex Tech,” said Scott. “If we can embrace the defensive role and do our jobs, we know we can go toe-to-toe with some of the best.”
Beverly 4, Somerville 2
at Bourque Arena, Endicott College
Somerville;0;1;1;2
Beverly;1;1;2;4
First period: B, Anthony Barror (Coby Malionek, Thomas Simeone), 12:52.
Second period: B, Jonny Mezza (un), 2:24; S, Kyle Antonelli (Matt DeAngelis, Shane Doe), 9:39.
Third period: B, Logan Bowen (Nate Wheeler), shg, :56; S, Benjamin DiCarlo (Pasquale Candelino, DeAngelis), 5:38; B, Bowen (un), 11:39.
Saves: S, Damion Jackson 19; B, P.J. Redman 23.
Records: B, 10-8-2; S, 10-10-2.