Taconic Falls in Western Mass Semis
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Easthampton hockey team Tuesday scored five unanswered goals to earn a 5-1 win over Taconic in the Western Massachusetts Class B Semi-Finals at Olympia Ice Arena.
Five different Eagles lit the lamp, and Tommy Bixby made 24 saves as Easthampton earned the right to advance to Thursday’s regional final against either McCann Tech or Agawam, who were scheduled to play later on Tuesday.
Taconic struck first, getting a goal from Jackson Schneider with assists from Luke Fenig and Phillip Enoch on the third minute of play.
But Easthampton did the rest of the scoring, compiling a 41-25 shots on goal advantage against Taconic and goalie J.J. Schneider (36 saves).
Taconic split three games in the regular season against Easthampton, winning 2-0 and 3-2 before dropping the third match, 6-2, on Jan. 28.
The Thunder came into the rematch less than 24 hours after winning their quarter-final game at home and dealing with a one-hour bus ride for the unusual vacation week 11 a.m. start.
Adding to Taconic’s challenge, a short bench that was the result of a couple of players opting to take a school-related vacation week trip to Europe.
As the game went on, it was apparent that second-seeded Easthampton, which had a bye in the first round of the six-team tournament, had the fresher legs.
“It was a shorter bench, and we had a couple sick and another kid sick today,” Taconic assistant coach Carl Truan said. “So it was definitely shorter.”
Truan was filling in on Tuesday since Taconic head coach Matt Risley had an unavoidable work commitment.
“By the end, we were running two lines. … We, well, tried to run the horses as best we could, and by the third period, they just ran out of steam.”
Easthampthon tied the game late in the first period and scored two in second to go ahead for good.
In the 25th minute, the Eagles’ Brayden Fennessy won a faceoff in the left wing circle and centered the puck to Grayson Prevey-Catrambone, who finished for the game-winner.
Easthampton added a pair of insurance goals in the third.
Taconic’s longshot comeback hopes got a lift when the Eagles drew minor penalties 11 seconds apart in the eighth minute of the third period, but Easthampton killed the 5-on-3 advantage, leaving the Thunder 0-for-5 on the power play in the game.
Now, Taconic (7-10-1) can only practice and wait and hope it has done enough to make the Division 4 State Tournament field.
Going into Tuesday’s game, the Thunder was ranked 31st in the commonwealth in the latest MIAA in-season power rankings. After Thursday’s cutoff for regular season games, the top 32 teams – plus any ranked 33 and below who have a .500 record – will make the field for the state tourney that begins next week.
“I put my seniors out for the last little bit [on Tuesday] in case it was their last run, and I wanted them to hit the ice,” Truan said. “I hope it’s not [their last game]. I hope these guys get in. I think at the end of the week, start getting the regular kids back, it might make a difference for us.”