Thursday, March 15, 2007 Older Editions

AHS ICEMEN: Ready for a State Championship showdown

By Rick Harrison

Andover High boys varsity hockey coach Mario Martiniello paused to catch his breath.

"It's been quite a ride! A lot of fun," he noted. "The kids have been fantastic."

Defying the odds at almost every turn, the AHS icemen have won their first-ever MIAA North Sectional Tournament championship and earned the right to play for their first-ever Massachusetts State title.

While AHS girls teams (swim & dive, basketball, gymnastics, track & field) have regularly challenged for and won numerous State crowns over the past decade - ultimate successes for boys sports teams have been few and far between.

Golden Warrior football teams won back-to-back Super Bowl championships in 1974 and 1975, while baseball did the same in 1991 and 1992.

Boys basketball, volleyball, track, tennis, soccer and golf are traditional tourney participants and title threats.

But ice hockey - while also a frequent post-season visitor - has never gone this far.

Seeded No. 3 in a 17-school MIAA Division 2 North Tournament field three weeks ago, the Andover icemen began their unprecedented run with a pair of early-round victories over familiar foes Haverhill, 6-1, and Tewksbury, 4-1.

The title possibility came into sharp focus when the locals beat No. 2 seed Masconomet Regional of Topsfield, 3-0, in the North semifinals.

The Sectional crown became a reality when the Merrimack Valley/Dual County League Division 2 champs ended the Cinderella run of surprising 16th-seed Lynnfield last Sunday night at the Chelmsford Forum in Billerica.

The improbable Pioneers reached the final after barely qualifying at exactly .500, and then clicking off four straight wins including three in overtime and the semifinal in a shootout.

Lynnfield, which finished 14-11-2, proved no match for Andover which rolled to a lopsided 7-1 triumph.

Third-year head coach Martiniello's local crew, now 19-5-1 overall and 12-1 in its last 13 games including five straight wins, will face South champ Hanover for State Division 2 supremacy this Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston.

Hanover, 23-1-1 and seeded No. 2 in the South, allowed only one goal in three games and reached the state final with consecutive tournament wins over Oliver Ames, 6-1, No. 3 Coyle-Cassidy, 1-0 in a triple-overtime shootout, and top seed Franklin, 1-0, in overtime.

Coincidentally Franklin was the last team to defeat Andover, 3-1, in the Martha's Vineyard Tournament championship game on Feb. 18.

Because there are no Central and Western Mass. Division 2 teams (all are Division 3), Sunday's showdown is for all the glory.

Impressive run

What has made the Andover skaters march to March madness history even more impressive is the way they have accomplished it.

In most big games the Golden Warriors skate two lines - throwing in a third only occasionally.

The top threesome of senior wing and Capt. Tucker Mullin, senior wing and Capt. Colin Brennan and junior center John Hyslip - one of the highest-scoring trios in the state with 144 total points, has accounted for 66 of the team's 90 goals (73 percent) and 78 of the 144 assists.

Two-time All-Conference defenseman Dan Godefroi has been sidelined during the tourney run - leaving the bulk of the defensive duties on the capable shoulders of sophomore Riki Retelle and juniors Kevin Drew and Mike Taylor.

Until recently senior All-Conference goaltender Dan Abreu had been the most unsung of heroes, posting a school single-season record seven shutouts and holding seven other teams to one goal while doing much of the work between the pipes.

Opponents have consistently tried to wear the well-conditioned Golden Warriors down by skating three lines and four defensemen - but that seeminmgly sound strategy has not worked.

"Our biggest strength is in net," was Martiniello's assessment at the beginning of the season. "Up front we have two very good forwards (Mullin, Hyslip) and at the blue line we have two excellent defensemen (Godefroi and Retelle).

"After that we're a group of players almost totally untested at the varsity level."

The emergence of Brennan and Drew has been huge, along with significant contributions from P.J. Paonessa, Dan Powers, John Cahill, Cam Smith, Matt Perry, C.J. Shea and Joe Lamagna up front, Joe Kuta on defense and Zach Frish as backup goalie.

n n n

"At the beginning of the season I thought we could do some damage - and the expectation every year is that you can get to the final," said Martiniello.

"I knew we had the character to succeed. The question was did we have the depth? The kids answered by stepping up. They've been great on the ice, in practice and in the locker room where the comraderie and spirit has been tremendous.

"The first line has carried the scoring, with the second line chipping in and the third line doing their job by eating up minutes.

"The defense has performed well, especially in Danny's (Godefroi) absence, and Danny (Abreu) has made the big saves in net," said Martiniello.

Hanover

The state final is shaping up as a classic tug-of-war.

"We went to Bourne last Friday night to watch Hanover play," reported Martiniello. "They're a good, solid team with an excellent first line, strong defense and a goaltender that has shut out their last two opponents including stopping all 5 shots he faced in the shootout win (Coyle-Cassidy).

And you don't go 23-1-1 by accident.

"From the way both our teams have played in the tournament - I'm expecting a close, low-scoring 2-1 or 3-2 game," said Martiniello. "Both goalies are playing fantastic. It's a matter of which forward on which team breaks through. Tucker (Mullin) is tough to contain. If he's 'on' we'll be OK.

"We're about the same size physically so I doubt that will be a factor. It won't be a matter of physicality. It should come down to who works harder - and the game could be decided by one lucky bounce," said Martiniello.

Stats & Facts

o The 19 victories are a single-season program record - and the locals are obviously shooting for their first 20-win season on Sunday.

o Andover finished 9-1 in league play, and the 15 wins are the most during the regular season in at least three decades.

o Last year the Golden Warrior skaters won 13 regular-season games for the fifth time since 1989 - and 14 counting the tournament.

o Andover has now won or shared four league titles in boys hockey, and coach Martiniello has stretched his personal won-lost-tied record to 40-20-7.

o The seven shutouts this season - including three in a row from Feb. 3-10 - are believed to be team records.

o No. 1 goaltender Abreu posted four straight shutouts at one stretch, which is also thought to be an individual AHS mark. Since transferring back to AHS from Malden Catholic last year, Abreu has posted 11 solo and one shared shutout.

o Through the first 25 games the locals have outscored the opposition by a healthy 90-35 margin for a stingy 1.40 goals-against average.

o AHS has yielded only 14 goals in its last 16 games (0.88 ave.).

o Andover, which has not been shut out this winter, is 5-3 in eight games decided by one goal.

Scoring leaders

Tucker Mullin leads the way after 25 games with single-season records for goals (33), assists (30) and total points (63).

John Hyslip had 15-28-43, Colin Brennan 18-20-38, and rounding out the leaders are Riki Retelle 1-17-18, Dan Godefroi 1-16-17 and P.J. Paonessa 7-8-15.

The 144 points for the first line makes it one of the state's highest scoring trios regardless of division.

In four years, although being used sparingly on the varsity as a freshman, Mullin has now scored 53 goals and passed out 59 assists for 112 career points.

He is the first AHS boys hockey player to score at least 20 goals and 50 points in a season since 1994-95 when Chris Cullen established school records for goals and total points with 29-22-51.

Cullen, who held virtually every AHS scoring record for boys hockey until this season, also had 19 goals, 24 assists for 43 points in 1995-96, 27-13-40 in 1993-94 and 22-14-36 in 1992-93.

Cullen still holds all the career scoring marks with an impressive 97 goals, 73 assists for 170 points.

Police escort

Like the girls swim and basketball teams - after they won their state titles - if the AHS icemen win the championship game on Sunday, expect their bus to get a police escort back to the high school after they exit the highway on the return trip from Boston.

Especially with assistant coach Steve Neal a member of the force.

If you hear police sirens blaring and wailing through the center of town on Sunday evening, it's a pretty good bet the Golden Warriors are state champs.

Team banquet

The hockey awards banquet is scheduled for next Thursday night, March 22, at Indian Ridge Country Club.

Division 2 North Tournament

Championship Game

Andover 7

Lynnfield 1

"The key was jumping out to the early lead," said coach Martiniello. "When Colin (Brennan) scored 18 seconds into the game (rebound) - I thought it was something we really needed.

"Lynnfield entered riding a hot streak - knocking off higher-seeded teams, left and right, while winning tough, close games.

"I felt if we could jump on their eighth-grade goalie right away he might get rattled - and we have the kind of firepower to get on top quickly. Then it would be a matter of protecting the lead - and we've been very good at that all season."

P.J. Paonessa made it 2-0 a short time later (10:59), collecting a loose puck off a rebound and circling the net for a wraparound stuff.

It was a 3-0 lead late in the first period, when Cam Smith connected just 34 seconds after Paonessa (11:33), and then Lynnfield scored its only goal (Brendan Costin) at 13:14.

The locals added two goals in the second by Brennan (5:19) and Tucker Mullin (7:32), and two more just 78 seconds apart by Matt Perry (6:08) and C.J. Shea (unassisted at 7:26) in the third to cap its biggest offensive output of the season.

"Another huge plus for us came early in the second period when Danny (goalie Abreu) made a spectacular save on their top scorer," said Martiniello.

The Pioneers were applying the pressure, with 8 or 9 shots in the first four minutes, and it was still 3-1 when (Ryan) Smith moved in for what looked like a sure goal until Danny flashed out his leg and skate-tipped the puck wide.

"That would have made it 3-2 and given them even more momentum," said Martiniello. "But instead we took over from there. A couple minutes later we scored (Brennan) and you could see their shoulders sag."

By the third period Andover's third and fourth lines were taking regular shifts, including junior forward Ben Insuik who returned to the ice after missing several games with a shoulder injury.

Six players contributed to the AHS attack, Brennan finishing with two goals while Paonessa, Cam Smith, Tucker Mullin, C.J. Shea and Matt Perry connected once each.

Big Dan Powers passed out three assists, John Hyslip had two and solo setups went to Mullin, Paonessa, Smith, Riki Retelle and Mike Taylor.

"Just about everyone factored into the offense," said Martiniello.

Abreu finished with 35 saves and Lynnfield eighth-grader Craig Cataldo made 28 as the Pioneers held a wafer-thin 36-35 shooting edge.

"Our defense did a good job clearing the rebounds," said the AHS coach.

These teams also played one period in a pre-season Jamboree with Andover outscoring the Pioneers, 2-0.

Semifinal

Andover 3

Masconomet 0

First-liners John Hyslip, Tucker Mullin and Colin Brennan scored a goal each - all three on the power play - and netminder Dan Abreu stopped all 27 Masco shots for his seventh shutout of the season as the Golden Warriors skated into their first Division 2 North Tournament championship game with this impressive victory at the Chelmsford Forum.

"Dan (Abreu) was phenomenal again - adding to his school record for shutouts - and the entire team played exceptional defense," said coach Martiniello.

"Tucker also kept adding to his scoring records. It was just business as usual. The kids are playing tremendous hockey.

"All the guys are stepping up. We have a lot of unsung heroes like Riki Retelle, Kevin Drew, P.J. Paonessa and Mike Taylor," said Martinello. "They don't get the notoriety but they're just as valuable.

"Drew has picked up his defense and Retelle is logging all kinds of ice time to help make up for Danny's (Godefroi) absence (injury).

Hyslip scored the only goal necessary at 8:55 of the first period with assists to Mullin and Retelle.

Mullin worked the puck to Retelle at the point - and he blasted a shot that went wide of the net before bouncing off the rear boards.

Huslip scooped up the carom and stuffed it behind Chieftains' goalie Ryan Dillon.

"Their goalie came way out of the net to try and get the puck - and he couldn't scramble back in time to stop John," noted Martiniello.

Mullin's man-advantage goal just 37 seconds into the middle period, assisted by Hyslip and Retelle, boosted the score to 2-0.

Hyslip tossed a nice pass out of the corner to sharpshooter Mullin, who beat a Masco defender and walked in alone on Dillon.

Colin Brennan provided the final insurance with the third power play tally at 1:05 of the final stanza, the setups to Hyslip and Mike Taylor.

"There was a perfect back-door feed from Hyslip to Brennan - and Colin finished it nicely," said Martiniello.

AHS outshot Masco in each period - 14-9, 13-11 and 15-7 - for an overall margin of 42-27.

Cape Ann League All-Star goalie Dillon kept it interesting with 39 saves and his Merrimack Valley/Dual County League Division 2 All-Conference counterpart Abreu made 27 stops.

No. 2 seed Masco finished with a 16-4-3 mark including tourney wins over Bishop Fenwick of Peabody (4-0) and North Reading (5-2).