GLOUCESTER — There’s nothing in the 12 days of Christmas that mentions jewels — five gold rings, yes, but no jewels — but the Gloucester boys hockey team has own of its own who delivered in a very special way Tuesday night.
Colby Jewell, a standout senior forward for the Fishermen, scored three times while connecting once in each period to guide his team past Medford, 4-2, in the first round of the Cape Ann Savings Bank Tournament at Talbot Rink.
Jewell, who now has a team-leading six goals and 11 points, put the game on ice with 50.4 seconds remaining by scoring from the neutral zone into an empty Medford net, completing his trifecta of tallies.
“The boys were fired up after a week off and some good practices,” said the 17-year-old Jewell, whose last hat trick came in the state tournament last season against Oliver Ames. “We came out like a herd of buffaloes at the beginning and were really fast. We scored and they tied it up (twice), but we kept our heads in it and kept buzzing.”
Gloucester will now face defending tournament champion Barrington, R.I. — which scored two third period goals to defeat Marblehead, 2-1, in the opener — for the championship Wednesday (8 p.m.) back at Talbot. Medford and Marblehead will tangle in the consolation contest starting at 6 p.m.
Fellow senior star Brett Cunningham had given Gloucester its third and final lead earlier in the last stanza, beating Mustangs goaltender John Mocella with exactly nine minutes to play.
On his empty netter to seal it, Jewell stated “the most important thing is getting the puck out of the zone. But once you get it over the red line, you might as well go for it.”
After two periods in which he felt his team didn’t match Medford physically, Gloucester (3-1) head coach Derek Geary was glad to see his team ramp up its game in the third.
“We answered the bell,” said Geary, whose team held a 33-24 edge in shots on goal. “It’s a 45-minute game, and I thought our level of play went up over those last 15 minutes in terms of decision making and improvement in puck battles.
“Jewell was our catalyst all night. He got the hat trick, which was great, but he also made a lot of hustle plays in that third period that you won’t see on the scoresheet: forechecking, winning battles on the wall, little things like that. He was a real leader.”
Medford, which came into the game a perfect 4-0 and had outscored its opponents by an aggregate score of 25-4, came back from a pair of one-goal deficits to make it 2-2 after 30 minutes.
Jewell’s second goal of the game, on a nifty feed from Jackson Hakes (2 assists), gave the Fishermen a 2-1 lead early in the second period. He was stationed up top as Gloucester’s third man high on the forecheck before taking the quick pass from Hakes for the goal. But the Mustangs tied it up on a power play strike by Vincent Castro Jr.
Gloucester controlled much of the opening 15 minutes and took a 1-0 lead when Jewell snaked his way across the slot and put a smart wrister past goaltender John Nocella.
“I saw there was a defender screening (Nocella) a little, so I knew if I shot the puck low he wouldn’t see it,” said Jewell.
It seemed the locals would take that lead into the first intermission, but the Mustangs — who only had two shots on goal over the first 14 minutes, erupted with five over the final 53 seconds, including one that went into the back of the net by Braden Walker off a scramble. That was the result of the Fishermen being unable to clear the zone off a defensive zone draw.
Now it’s on to face the Eagles of Barrington, which Geary and his staff watched in the tournament opener Wednesday. He was impressed with the first line of Adam Goman, Trevor Snow and Henry Kelsey, big defenseman Beck Capizzo and goaltender Dom Bruzzi.
“They’re big, like a college team,” Geary exclaimed. “We have a ton of respect for them as the defending tournament champs. We expect a tough game.
“I think it ultimately might come down to depth and which second and third lines play the best (Thursday) night. I’d like to see us match and maybe exceed them there, with secondary scoring, speed and not taking foolish penalties all major keys. That and better decision making.”
Gloucester 4, Medford 2
Cape Ann Savings Bank Tournament
at Talbot Rink, Gloucester
Medford;1;1;0;2
Gloucester;1;1;2;4
First period: G, Colby Jewell (Jackson Hakes), 11:10; M, Braden Walker (Jayden Morgan, Nathan Tremlett), 14:38.
Second period: G, Jewell (Brett Cunningham, Hakes), 2:27; M, Vincent Castro Jr. (DJ McDonough), ppg, 8:06.
Third period: G, Cunningham (Charlie Terelak), 6:00; G, Jewell (), eng, 14:10.
Saves: M, John Nocella 29; G, Nick Tarantino 22.
Records: G, 3-1-0; M, 4-1-0.