Coming off one of their best seasons in recent memory, Boys Hockey was looking for a jump-start to their season against opponents Newton North and Whitman-Hanson. However, the Rebels could not earn a victory in their first two games, losing their home opener to Newton North 4-3, and tying Whitman Hanson 2-2.
Their opener started off all Newton North. They dominated possession and momentum of the game. This play for the Tigers resulted in an early lead after putting one in the back of the net. The Rebels, however, would come right back with a goal of their own from senior Tommy McDonald with 4:40 left in the first period. This goal rejuvenated the Rebels after a lackluster start. The team began to dish out big hits and control the puck more.
Coming out of second intermission, the Rebels and the rest of the Bay State saw one of the most exciting offensive players in the league show what he was made of. Senior Billy Moore, who decided to skip High School hockey last year and play for the highly competitive Tier 1 team Boston Advantage, put Walpole in the lead after skating past multiple defenders and putting one by the Tiger’s goalie. Moore, who registered 10 goals for Boston Advantage last season, looks as if he will be the main catalyst for the Rebels offense this season.
The Rebels lead was short lived however, Newton North came right back only seconds later, scoring against junior goalie Andrew Abbott. After a penalty on Walpole for too many men on the ice, Newton North once again regained the lead by taking advantage of the extra man to make their lead 3-2. The hectic period continued for the Rebels. The Tigers offense would not slow down as they put in their third goal in minutes to further their lead to 4-2 with just over eight minutes left in the game.
Despite the deficit, Walpole continued to fight continuing their physical play in hopes of jump-starting their offense. With only minutes left in the game, Moore took the puck while undressing multiple defenders and buried one in the top right corner to cut the deficit to one. The Rebels, however, could not find the back of the net again for the rest of the night which resulted in a 4-3 loss to put Walpole at 0-1.
Whitman-Hanson came to town and the Rebels were hoping to take advantage of their opponent. The Rebels could not take advantage of this opportunity by falling behind 2-0.
Senior Captain Sean Donnelly stated, “The beginning of the game was very disappointing for us. We came out flat, but we picked it up at the end to earn the tie.”
The Rebels comeback was led in the third period when Moore started to catch fire and netted two quick goals to tie the game. This finished the scoring for the night as the Rebels left the ice with their first point of the season, but knew they let a win get away from them.
Boys Hockey looks to earn their first win on Wednesday, December 18 against Brookline.
