by Team Reporter & Writer-Nate Gordon
Before the game, when asked about how his team plans to stop Williston’s first line (Tyler Scroggins, Brandon Borges, Max Willman) Berkshire’s Head Coach Dan Driscoll told me, “They’re a pretty dynamic group. I don’t know if it’s about shutting them down as much as it’s about just containing them. We’re gonna have to be aware when they’re out on the ice.”
The Berkshire Bears held Williston top offensive unit to just two points and one goal, which was key in a 2-1 defeat of the Wildcats on Sunday, January 12 in the 2013-2014 Prep West Conference Showcase hosted by Berkshire.
Scroggins, Willman, and Borges have scored 26 of the team’s 44 goals this season. Also, they have combined for 60 of the team’s 100 points. And, in the team’s five games in which they won or lost by one goal (including today’s game), these three have scored eight goals and tallied 20 points. In Williston’s seven wins so far this season, this first line averages 2.57 goals. But in the four games it has lost, these three average a combined 1.25 goals.
The Bears took the first lead with 12:32 remaining in the first period. It was scored by senior forward Tipper Higgins, his fifth of the season—tied for second most on the team.
Williston had its opportunities to get on the scoreboard this period, but was unable to capitalize.
In the locker-room after the first period, down 1-0, Williston Head Coach Derek Cunha told his team, “We’ve been in this position before where, right now, we didn’t play well. We gotta snap out of this funk about first periods.”
One problem Cunha identified in Williston’s game was too many poor passes leading to turnovers. This could be because the Wildcats were trying to make longer passes on Berkshire’s Olympic-sized rink, which is a bigger ice surface than what the team is used to.
In the second period, both teams were getting good chances with Williston’s senior goaltender Tim Nowacki preventing Berkshire from adding multiple goals to its lead. Nowacki recorded a total of 32 saves on 34 shots (.941%).
Eventually, with 8:35 remaining in the middle period, the Bears took a 2-0 lead when senior forward Nick O’Connor scored on a wrist shot from the top of the left (facing the goal) circle.
Going into the third period, Berkshire held a 2-0 lead. Cunha told his team that is was now a new 18-minute game and reminded his team that it had scored two goals very quickly in previous games.
Williston did get on the board quickly in the third, just 27 seconds in. Senior forward Max Willman scored a rebound goal to cut the Bear’s lead down to one. This was Willman’s team-leading 13th goal of the season and his sixth goal in the last three games. It was assisted by junior forward Brandon Borges.
Despite Williston having two power plays in the last ten minutes, Berkshire was able to preserve its 2-1 lead and win its ninth game of the season (9-3-1).
With this loss, Williston snapped it five-game win streak and dropped to 7-4-1. The Wildcats were without senior defensemen Nick Staub for the third straight game (lower-body injury) and Seth Cupak (concussion).
After the game Berkshire Coach Driscoll said, “I thought we played well defensively and I think our penalty kill really saved us today. We had to kill a couple penalties there in the last [few] minutes…The combination of us coming together as a team and doing a great job on the PK and our goalie keeping us in it was the difference in today’s game.”
On Wednesday, Williston will take on Vermont Academy for the team’s first home game since December 11. The Wildcats have played eight straight games on the road, with a 6-2 record.