Rock. Paper. Scissors. Everyone knows this classic game. The rules can’t be much simpler. Rock beats scissors. Scissors beats paper. Paper beats rock. Why the review? I’ve come up with a hockey version. Speed. Strength (of skating, shooting & stickhandling). Size. Speed beats “strength.” Size beats (or slows down) speed.
Am I right? Who knows. But, what I do know is this, Watertown/Wayland has had to play the whole season knowing it faced the disadvantage in all three matchups. They lack the size and strength and speed to match up with many of their opponents. Don’t get me wrong, they are close and getting better, but the task at hand is often a difficult one. Despite that, and on Saturday being without first-line forward Luke Egan and second-liner Liam Tourville because of injury, the Raiders played their hearts out and made it a game from start to finish in a 4-1 loss at the JAR.
Watertown/Wayland could not have played a much better first period, defending and poke checking and backchecking and giving junior Goaltender Finnley MacDonald clean looks to keep the game scoreless for 11 minutes. One the Raiders most reliable and skilled defensemen, junior Adam Capello, unfortunately, in moment of poor judgement, wheeled around in the corner of his own zone with the puck, most likely with the intent to pass to his defensive partner Kingston Omolade. Instead, Burlington’s Nick Tulipano was camped in the slot, intercepted the pass and went in alone on MacDonald and placed a perfect shot top-shelf to give the Red Devils a 1-0 lead after one period.
Capello has been superb all season, and no one knows better than him of the mistake he made. The period was trending to an end of 0-0, which would have been huge for the Raiders, but mistakes happen and onto the second period was the only option available. A power play goal by James Gordon 4 minutes in and Tulipano’s second with 4 minutes left in the period made it 3-0. As is often the case, it was margin-of-error stuff that haunted the Raiders. A less-than-fortuitous bounce of the puck, not quite being able to clear the zone, a temporary breakdown of coverage — all of the above left MacDonald one-on-one and the Red Devils made the Raiders pay. But, the Raiders had scoring chances in the second, and just couldn’t convert.
What makes anyone associated with this year’s Raiders team proud – coaches, players, parents, other team’s coaches and players — is the way in which they never stop competing. And just when it seemed the third period was going to come and go, and a shutout for the Red Devils, Lukas Wynn scored with assists from Maillis and Wood at 9:52 of the period. Pumped from making it a two-goal game, the Raiders controlled the next minute and a half, and almost made it 3-2, but another Raider breakdown led to Burlington icing the game thanks to a Giacomo Berardinelli goal at 13:01.
The Raiders want wins, not moral victories. Understood. But, with Egan and Tourville out, everyone else stepped up, including Jame Fijux who moved up the first line and Logan Desrosiers who saw lots of second-line time. The Raiders record fell to 2-13 with the loss, Burlington 11-2-1 with the win. Watertown remains undefeated though with regards to playing hard and competing, regardless of the opponent.
1 2 3 – F
Burlington 1 2 1 – 4
Watertown/Wayland 0 0 1 – 1
————————————————-
Scoring Summary
1st Period
Watertown/Wayland 0 Burlington 1… Tulipano @ 11:30
2nd Period
Watertown/Wayland 0 Burlington 2… Gordon @ 4:11, PPG
Watertown/Wayland 0 Burlington 3… Tulipano @ 10:57
3rd Period
Watertown/Wayland 1 Burlington 3… Lukas Wynn from Isaac Maillis & Griffin Wood @ 9:52
Watertown/Wayland 0 Burlington 4… Berardnelli @ 13:01
——————————————————-
Upcoming Schedule
Wednesday February 4 versus Wilmington at John A.Ryan Arena, 5:45 pm
Saturday February 7 @ Stoneham, 4 pm
Wednesday February 11 vs. Wakefield @ 7:45 pm
Saturday February 14 @ Melrose, 7:30 pm
Wednesday February 18 vs Dover-Sherborn @ 5:45