MIDDLETON — When it’s at its most effective, a 1-2-2 forecheck in the offensive zone works when the weak side winger gets to the strong side wall when the puck changes sides, the defensemen stay disciplined and in the middle of the ice, and suffocation ensuses.
That, in a nutshell, is what the Newburyport High hockey team did to Essex Tech Saturday afternoon at the Essex Sports Center. As a result, the Clippers made the most of their two goals while limiting the defending Cape Ann League champions to just 16 shots on net in a 2-1 triumph.
“They run it like a buzzsaw,” Essex Tech head coach Ryan Sheehan said of Newburyport’s forecheck, which limited his squad to just two shots in the third period and eight total over the final 30 minutes.
“It’s why we couldn’t generate anything off the rush. I don’t think we had a single rush, to be honest; there was nothing through the neutral zone because it’s muddied up in the offensive zone, so we didn’t get any speed through the neutral zone, and their D stayed up high and inside the dots.”
Essex Tech wore specially designed Kelly green jerseys for this contest, which was designed as a mental health awareness game in conjunction with ‘Connor’s Climb’, a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring the life of Connor Sheehan by providing mental health resources and promoting suicide prevention. The Hawks had #StickItToStigma” on the back of each of their jerseys where a player’s nameplate would normally be.
While it hasn’t been a standout season thus far by Newburyport’s traditional measuring stick, it made a statement within the CAL Kinney Division Saturday. The Clippers (6-4-1 overall) improved to 2-0-1 within league play and vaulted ahead of Essex Tech (1-1-1 CAL, 8-3-1 overall), with each team having three conference contests remaining. Lynnfield, which has tied both the Hawks and Clippers this season, will also be in the title chase.
“We’re a very young team and we figured it might take a bit to come together, but the last few games we’ve been playing better,” said veteran head coach Paul Yameen, whose Clippers have won three and tied the other over their last four games. “We’re coming along nicely, especially some of our younger guys.”
Star Jack Sullivan, Newburyport’s leading scorer, gave his team a 1-0 lead after one period by converting a 2-on-1 break with Tommy Gagnon, where he roofed the shot from the slot stick side.
Sullivan normally skates with fellow high point producers Luke MacIsaac and Henry Waddell, but Yameen and long-time assistant Jed Beauparlant decided to move Owen Mongeau and Gagnon to the top unit with Sullivan in an effort to create more offensive balance.
“We thought it was time to look at something different, to shake up the lines,” said Yameen. “I think we’ll stick with it.”
The Clippers doubled their lead with just 0.9 seconds left before the second mission. Waddell head-manned the puck up to MacIsaac, who went hard to the Essex Tech net on his off-wing and got a shot off. The rebound was scooped up and jammed home out front by Davis Pons just before the buzzer.
Essex Tech goaltender Logan Prifti, a junior, did what he could to keep the Clippers at bay, stopping 24 shots.
Coming off of a huge win at Shawsheen Thursday night, the Hawks had difficulty producing offense on Saturday. Only a power play goal off the stick of Chase Ruberti with 6:32 to go — a shot from the point after freshman Braydon Connors won the draw back to him —beat Newburyport sophomore goalie Sean Murray, who was otherwise air tight between the pipes.
Normally a forward, Ruberti was moved back to defense for the third period after captain and minute munching blue liner Cam Casey went out with an injury suffered in the middle stanza.
“Big loss not having Cam out there,” admitted Sheehan. “He plays over half the game, and he and Liam (Waterman) form a really solid pair on defense that makes us go. We put Chase back there because we wanted a big, strong guy back there who could get some pucks on net.”
As a defensive unit, senior Jagger Gudaitis, junior Mason Varay and sophomores Axel Becker, Tyler Bergeron and Charlie Tramontana drew praise from Yameen for their work against the Hawks.
Sheehan, whose team is off until next Saturday when it takes on Amesbury at Governor’s Academy in Byfield (6 p.m.), figures his team “probably has to win out” in order to repeat as CAL champions.
Newburyport will play its traditional Martin Luther King Jr. game against the reigning Division 2 state champions from Canton on the road Monday. The Bulldogs, who have scored 52 goals and allowed just six, won their first nine contests this winter before being shaded by Bishop Feehan, 2-1, on Saturday.
“They’re as consistently good a program as you’re going to find in the state,” Yameen said of Canton.
Newburyport 2, Essex Tech 1
at the Essex Sports Center, Middleton
Newburyport;1;1;0;2
Essex Tech;0;0;1;1
First period: N, Jack Sullivan (Tommy Gagnon), 4:26.
Second period: N, Davis Pons (Luke MacIssac, Henry Waddell), 14:59.
Third period: ET, Chase Ruberti (Braydon Connors), ppg, 8:28.
Saves: N, Sean Murray 15; ET, Logan Prifti 24.
Records: ET, 8-3-1; N, 6-4-1.