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Tag: high school boys hockey

  • Canton blasts Tewksbury to claim Ed Burns Doherty championship

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    LOWELL – Thump.

    The statement made by the No. 9 Canton boys hockey team was loud Sunday afternoon at Tsongas Center, beating No. 6 Tewksbury 5-0 in the Ed Burns Coffee Tournament’s Doherty championship, a matchup many viewed as a potential Div. 2 state final preview between the MIAA power rankings’ top ranked teams.

    Never had a Div. 2 team taken the Doherty championship before in the Coffee Pot Tournament’s five years, spiking anticipation for a tilt between the two who ousted Div. 1 powers Arlington, Hingham and Reading. And after shutting out the Harbormen in the semifinals, the Bulldogs (16-1) were masterful again on defense against the previously unbeaten Redmen (16-1-1), allowing just 13 shots on goal to finish the three-round tournament with one goal allowed.

    “These are the best teams in the state as far as I’m concerned,” said Canton head coach Brian Shuman. “For us to take the title, we’re honored and very humbled because there are eight really good teams in that division. Boys played really well today. That’s a hell of a team. … For us to make a few plays in that game was special.”

    Linemates Joey Ryan (goal, two assists), Ryan Elrick (goal) and Andrew Gillis (goal, two assists) led an attack with five different goal scorers, potting at least one goal in all three periods.

    The most notable was a three-goal second period, with all three coming in the last 3:33 of an otherwise lock-down frame. Teams had combined for just five shots through the first 11 minutes of it, all coming from the outside.

    Canton’s Joey Ryan, left, battles Tewksbury’s Tyler Bourgea during the
    Ed Burns Coffee Tournament championship game Sunday. (CJ Gunther/Boston Herald)

    Elrick, Gavin O’Toole and Gillis scored the goals to blow open a 4-0 lead heading into the third.

    “It goes to our work ethic,” Elrick said. “We just never stop. I think the big thing about our team is it’s go, go, go. Doesn’t matter how many goals we’re up by, down by. We’re always going to be at our best.”

    Shuman spoke glowingly of Ryan’s playmaking, which was on full display in that stretch. A spectacular feed from in front to Elrick at the post built a 2-0 lead, and after O’Toole scored on a two-man rush, Ryan drew all of Tewksbury’s attention before crossing a pass to Gillis at the right circle for a wide-open shooting lane.

    “Me and (Elrick) have had a little bit of unspoken chemistry throughout our whole high school career, same with (Gillis),” Ryan said. “I just always look for them in space and as soon as I see that little angle, I try to get it to them as quick as I can.”

    Tewksbury had just three shots on goal in the second period, and were largely limited in special teams as the Bulldogs held it 0-for-4 on the power play.

    “It’s kind of coming natural to us at this point, we’re all defensive-minded,” Gillis said.

    “I think the whole thing is, we’re a D-first team,” Elrick added. “All of our offense comes from our D-zone. When we shut down our D-zone, our offense is that much better.”

    Redmen star senior Tyler Bourgea made a few plays to challenge Matt Wright (13 saves) in net, but Canton effectively shut down the prolific attack by taking it out of its high-flying game. Defensemen Teddy Shuman, Kellen Labanara and Will Doucette (goal) stood out, but everyone played a major role.

    “It was team defense,” Brian Shuman said. “We could not let them get comfortable (going through) the neutral zone. They have incredible speed, and we just really had to make sure we had guys back. … D-core played great. Can’t say enough good things.”

    Canton's Cullen O'Brien, left, skates by Tewksbury's Jake Cunha on Sunday at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. (CJ Gunther/Boston Herald)
    Canton’s Cullen O’Brien, left, skates by Tewksbury’s Jake Cunha on Sunday at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. (CJ Gunther/Boston Herald)

    Tewksbury head coach Derek Doherty said “dud” several times after the game, feeling like his group didn’t play with the normal tempo, passion and aggressiveness it normally does, and the group will learn from the loss.

    “We’re a better team than we showed today, for sure, and I know that,” he said. “But you’ve got to come prepared, mentally, and go out there and perform. And we didn’t do that, and that’s it. And you know what, hopefully it’s a good thing for us. … We know what we’re up against now.”

    Canton's Liam Connolly, center, holds the Ed Burns Coffee Tournament trophy Sunday at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. (CJ Gunther/Boston Herald)
    Canton’s Liam Connolly, center, holds the Ed Burns Coffee Tournament trophy Sunday at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. (CJ Gunther/Boston Herald)

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    Tom Mulherin

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  • Jeremy Insogna aiming to net second state hockey title at Tewksbury High

    Jeremy Insogna aiming to net second state hockey title at Tewksbury High

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    TEWKSBURY — There’s no denying the numbers.

    What senior center Jeremy Insogna has done this season for the Tewksbury High School boys hockey team with linemates Matt Cooke and Tyler Bourgea is mind-boggling.

    Numbers aside, Insogna is one of those rare players who just does everything right. Two years ago, when he was a part of the state championship team, he took one penalty all season.

    The 2023-24 Redmen need to beat Woburn on Saturday to get back to the TD Garden. Besides his off-the-charts 36 goals and 22 assists, and his team-leading plus-43, Insogna has again taken only one penalty all season.

    “He’s a special player,” said head coach Derek Doherty. “He’s just gotten better and better and now he’s one of the top players in the league (and in Division 2). We have a lot of good players on this team, but that line really moves the puck well. All three of them are very unselfish and that’s why we’re winning. We don’t have people being point hungry.”

    Knowing the team was coming off a disappointing second-round loss to Norwood last year, he sought leadership guidance, asking a captain from the 2022 state championship team how to get the program back to elite status.

    Insogna’s passion for the game is second to none. His commitment and drive are also special. He’s a complete player having a complete season.

    The first line has combined for 168 points, including 80 goals. As a team, Tewksbury has 131 goals and that trio has 61 percent of them. They have been unstoppable all season. In the playoffs, Insogna, Cooke and Bourgea has combined for 14 goals and 16 assists in three games.

    Cooke and Insogna surpassed the 100-point career total this season. Bourgea has 53 points and he’s just a sophomore.

    “They are fabulous and I don’t think there’s two better guys in the state who I could have been paired up with,” said Insogna. “It’s just so easy to play with two guys, who you know are always going to be there and always will be in the right spot. There’s never any arguments or anything. Those are the guys who I have been with for the past three months day in and day out. Those guys are really my brothers at this point. I’m going to be talking about them 20 years from now.”

    The 5-foot-11, 165-pound Insogna sticks out because of his speed, skating ability and creativity around the net. He’s also responsible in all three zones every shift.

    “By the time he was a sophomore and how he’s gotten so, so much better as a player is just crazy,” said Doherty. “He just works at it. He’s always working on his skills. He sees the ice so well. His hands are ridiculous. His hockey sense out there on the ice is special.”

    That hockey sense comes from thinking and working on his game 24/7.

    “Just stems from the love I have for the game. Hockey has always been there for me no matter what,” said Insogna. “It’s a way to almost escape reality. I’d be sitting in the winter and the pond behind my house freezes and I’ll go out there for eight hours a day. It’s just so easy to put on my gear, pick up my stick and go out there. Then it’s just hours I’d spent shooting pucks in my driveway. I’ve got a couple of posters up in my garage of the team and everything. Hockey will always be a part of my life. It’s my passion. I wake up every day, I sit in school and just look forward to 2:30 to come around so I can get on the ice.”

    Insogna wants nothing more than to help Tewksbury beat Woburn and then prepare for a state title game against either Duxbury or league rival Boston Latin.

    “We know what it takes to get (to the state final) and we’re just trying to get everyone to focus on one game at a time, one period at a time and one shift at a time and not thinking about going forward and just focus on what we can do instead of trying to take it for granted. We’re just trying to go through it shift by shift so our opportunity doesn’t slip away this time,” he said.

    “One of the goals I set for myself before the season was to hit 100 career points. It felt so good knowing that all of that hard work paid off. I have one goal left and that’s to win the state championship.”

    Tewksbury High’s Jeremy Insogna, left, tries to score on a backhand shot during a game earlier this season against Concord-Carlisle. The senior has 58 points this season entering Saturday’s state tournament game against Woburn. (James Thomas photo)

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    James Albert

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