March 6, 2007

Monarchs Sweep Stars in First Round Action

Foxboro, MA - The New Hampshire Junior Monarchs took care of business over the weekend with a convincing two game sweep of the Foxboro Stars, the Southern division fourth place seed, by scores of 4-1 and 7-2. The wins move the Monarchs into the semi-final round where they will meet Northern Division’s third place seed the New England Junior Huskies, winners of there quarter final series against the Bridgewater Bandits.

 The Monarchs came out of the gate flying Saturday afternoon in game one, applying early pressure on Foxboro net minder Daniel Ramirez. Ramirez was spectacular in the early going turning away shot after shot keeping his team from falling behind. It was Stars forward Paul Scola who opened the day’s scoring at the 8:02 mark, beating Patrick Galbraith with a well placed shot, low to the stick side to give his team the lead and the momentum. Both teams would exchange quality chances only to be thwarted by the superb goaltending at both ends of the ice. On numerous occasions Galbraith and Ramirez made outstanding saves changing the momentum for there teams and creating an atmosphere that has come to be known as playoff hockey. It was not until 19:08 of the first period that the Monarchs would slip one past Ramirez. It was EJHL M.V.P. and Offensive Player of the Year Paul Thompson scoring on a backhand from the slot. Thompson’s goal was assisted by line mates Austin Mayer and Dennis Kearney and gave the Monarchs the equalizer and the lift they needed heading into the second period.

 Period two was all about Galbraith and Ramirez each coming up huge on several occasions. Power plays were abundant for each team, with nine total penalties called during the period. “The intensity picked up with each and every shift. Both teams were giving it everything they had; it was exciting, hard-nose, playoff hockey”, noted Coach Corkum.

  The third period featured great up and down action with an increase in physical play from both teams. It did not take long for the Monarchs to gain the upper hand. Dennis Kearney scored a highlight reel goal 2:30 into the last stanza. The goal came after a series of nifty quick moves and a backhander to the top of the net on the short side. The beautiful goal lifted the Monarch bench and seized the momentum were it stayed for much of the remainder of the game. “Denny has scored some pretty goals this year, but that one was spectacular” stated Coach Corkum. “It was a huge goal; it gave us our first lead of the game as well as all the momentum. Paul and Austin did a great job on the fore-check to create the chance”. The Stars would not go away quietly, mounting a surge after the goal, only to be denied by Galbraith time and time again. The Stars could not capitalize on three consecutive power plays. With less than five minutes remaining and the Monarchs on the power play as a result of a Michael Cornell elbow, Denny Kearney delivered the knock out blow converting a Thompson and DelGallo feed to make it 3-1 with just over three minutes to play. The Stars would pull there goalie for an extra attacker to try and get back to within one. The effort fell short and led to Pat Knowlton finding the empty net with one second remaining in the game.

 Game 2 Sunday

 Both teams showed up Sunday ready to play, realizing that someone’s season would be coming to an end later in the afternoon. The Stars wanting to get on the board early and the Monarchs wanting to pick up right where they left off the preceding evening, the latter occurred. Denny Kearney opened  the scoring at 7:33 of the first period converting on a nice passing play by Eric Baier and Paul Thompson with a hard, low snapshot that beat Ramirez to the stick side. Kearney’s goal sparked his team and the Monarch’s kept the Stars hemmed in there zone for the better part of four minutes until Pat Knowlton scored on a nice quick shot from the slot. Thomas Pizzo and Ian O’Connor would pick assists on the play. After Knowlton’s goal it looked as if this one would be a blowout, but the resilient Stars got on the board when Matthew Raley brought his team back to within one, beating James Mello to the short side at the 14:38 mark with Monarch’s forward Rence Coassin serving a two minute minor penalty for slashing.

 The second period was all Monarchs. Paul Thompson would score his second goal of the series with Matthew Germaine and Denny Kearney assisting just 2:38 seconds into the period. Next, it was Kearney scoring his second of the day and fourth of the playoffs from Thompson and Germaine. Both goals would be power play tallies, the second coming at the 8:11 mark. The next nine minutes featured the Stars gaining momentum and mounting an attack to try and get back into this game. Monarch’s goaltender James Mello would have none of it, making a series of huge saves to preserve the four goal cushion. The Monarch’s would hold on to take a 5-1 lead into the dressing room after two periods.

 With their backs to the wall and the very real possibility of elimination the Stars came out focused to try and climb back into the game. Eric Robinson’s power play goal at 2:15 gave them the start they needed, but less than two minutes later Ansel Ivens-Anderson spoiled any comeback scoring an even strength goal with Germaine and O’Connor picking up the assists. Eric Baier pounded the puck into the net and the final nail into the coffin two minutes later with a laser of a shot that hit the cross bar then found its way into the net. Germaine and O’Connor would once again pick up an assist on the play. The game would in a 7-2 Monarch victory.

 Head Coach Sean Tremblay and Associate Head Coach Bob Corkum were very pleased with the play of the team all weekend long, feeling that these two games were the best in quite some time. “The guys played unselfish hockey, they played for one another, they won the one on one battles and they played our system. We will need to bring the same intensity, work ethic and togetherness this coming weekend if we are to prevail against a very good New England Huskies team!”