On Wednesday, the Williston Wildcats welcomed the Hilltoppers of Worcester Academy to Lossone rink for a late afternoon soiree.  A five-minute power play coupled with a Williston club beginning to find an identity as a gritty, hard-working team helped seal the deal for the ‘Cats.

Sophomore Greg Iverson got his fifth start in net for Williston and, though not tested with many high percentage shots, he was a stalwart early in the game making a cross-crease pad save that did not allow Worcester to gather momentum.  After that, it was all Williston.  Brendan Hansen garnered his fourth goal of the season on a hard-working play behind the Worcester goal by Nick Day who was able to slide the puck to the slot where Hansen let a one-timer go beating Hilltopper goalie Olof Djurberg on the near side.  That would be all the scoring for the period.

Williston began the second period with gusto as Sam Milnes was able to find twine 1:05 into the period as he barreled down the left hand side and let a nasty snap shot go beating Djurberg over his glove on the far side.  At around the nine-minute mark, Connor Power drove deep into Worcester territory and was hit from behind by a Hilltopper forward.  The play earned a five-minute power play for Williston who took full advantage of Worcester’s misplay.  At the 9:15 mark of the period, captain JoJo Carbone struck first with assists to Tim Rego and assistant captain Nick Schofield putting Williston up 3-0. Eleven seconds later, Billy Smith broke down the left wing cutting toward the net at the top of the circle and beating Djurberg across the crease.  Jake Durocher and Mike D’Ambrosio were awarded the assists.  And at the 12:27 mark of the period, Carbone earned his second goal of the game and the third goal of the power play as he was knocking on the doorstep burying a puck lost in the crease.  By the end of the period the carnage was nearly complete as Williston lead 5-0.

Williston finished their work at the 16:15 mark of the third period when Sam Milnes found Brendan White driving to the left side of the net.  Just as White looked like he was going to go around the goal, he made a no-look pass behind his back to a crashing Jake Durocher who buried the sixth and final goal.  Iverson earned his fourth win of the season saving all seventeen shots he faced.  Williston mustered sixty-three total shots, the most that this writer has seen a Wildcat team have in his time in Easthampton.  The game puck went to Eagle River, Alaska native and junior defenseman, Connor Canterbury, for his relentless work and contributions to the defensive effort.

This Friday marks the end of the Williston homestand when they take on the Winchendon School at 5:30.  The next day, Williston boards the bus for a rematch with Berkshire looking to avenge last Saturday’s overtime loss.  The puck drops in Sheffield, MA at 3.15.