Elwell nets game winner for first varsity goal
THE WARRIOR ICE ARENA was a great backdrop for a Wakefield win on Wednesday afternoon. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
Published in the January 18, 2019 edition.
BOSTON — When Scott Elwell picked up the puck at the red line and started up a 2-on-1, it wasn’t exactly business as usual.
On his stick was the weight of a 1-1 tie game in the third period. Elwell cruised past the spoked “B” at center ice in the shiny new Bruins’ Warrior Ice Arena, and while keeping pace with a few cars heading west on the Pike, looked off a Saint Joseph Prep defender and snapped the back of the net for what would ultimately be the game-winner.
How’s that for your first varsity goal?
The Warriors took advantage of an awesome opportunity on Wednesday night, skating on the very ice that molds many of their heroes.
Wakefield couldn’t find their flow for much of the first; maybe it was the view created by the ceiling to ice windows overlooking the city. It was distracting even to those in the stands who had never been there before. (By the way, you see those shot totals in the box score? Yeah, those are way off).
Wakefield got a boost as they have so often this season from the penalty kill with the puck spending half its time in the Saint Joseph zone.
Having shut down the power play, the Warriors went to work with under a minute to play.
Captain Mike Lucey put a shot on net from the blue line. A tip in front, possibly from Mike Locke changed direction but the Phoenix goalie was able to turn it aside, only to a waiting captain Thomas Harrington who finished the rebound for a 1-0 lead with just 33 seconds left in the first.
The Phoenix won the second period despite Wakefield spending plenty of time in the offensive zone. The Warriors were clearly the better skating team, but Saint Joseph’s defense made enough plays to halt momentum and they evened it up on a broken play.
The Warriors needed a jump which they got out of the opening faceoff of the third. Wakefield looked like they scored just 15 seconds in but it was called off by a whistle.
That was enough motivation which Elwell took a hold off on his goal with 13:28 left in the game. It was one of the more well-executed finishes of the season and along with the lead, it seemed to settle the Warriors into the belief that they were getting two points in this building.
Elwell almost tipped home another on his next shift off a shot from Evan Simoneau and the Warriors, like wolves at the doorstep, surrounded the Phoenix crease on a series of subsequent shots but couldn’t finish.
The Phoenix got a power play with 10:24 left but Wakefield’s PK forwards, Harrington and Dan Guarino made plenty of clears and aggressively forced pressure in the neutral zone while defensemen Connor Santos and captain Jake Regan kept the front of Justin Harding’s net clear.
Harding made a quality save on a right pad extension off a tip in front and later snared a long shot with his glove. The Warriors would again be tested on the penalty kill with 4:45 left. Guarino continued his relentless push on the PK, at one point picking off a pass from the Phoenix goalie and Santos helped finish it off with a great block and a clear on one knee with two minutes remaining.
The home team took a timeout with 1:17 left and decided to take the ensuing faceoff with their goalie pulled. Wakefield made them pay for that decision, winning the draw and getting an empty net goal from Oliver Miller to officially give the Warriors a 3-1 win.
Altogether, while certainly with room to improve, Wakefield put the distractions aside and stood up when it mattered most. It will now be remembered as both a win and an incredible experience.
Not to mention a pretty good story for Scott Elwell to tell.
