Locals: It was no routine game

Thursday, March 22, 2007
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Locals: It was no routine game

By Rick Harrison

The Andover High hockey players arrived at the TD Banknorth Garden at 12:45 p.m., almost two hours before the puck was scheduled to drop for the opening faceoff in their State Division 2 championship game against Hanover.

"We usually get to a game about an hour or so ahead of time," said Golden Warriors' head coach Mario Martiniello. "So this was a little bit different. A slight break from the routine."

Of course, this was no routine game.

"The kids sat on the bench, looked around and soaked it all in," said Martiniello. "We thought it would be a good idea to get a feel for the place.

"They were obviously a little in awe of the Garden - but we kept telling them to think of it as 'just another game' once the puck drops."

Nobody played afraid or skated like they were intimidated or overwhelmed by their surroundings.

"The only time I noticed the size of the crowd was during warmups before the game," said Martiniello. "Once we started I looked up at the JumboTron just once that I can remember - when they replayed Tucker Mullin's first breakaway early in the game.

"After that I got totally caught up in the game and so did the kids. You almost forget where you are at that point."

Shave 'em or save 'em?

Gentlemen... start your razors!

The majority of the AHS players indicated after the game the tournament beards they were sporting would be gone by the next morning.

But it was fun while it lasted.

Godefroi plays

Senior two-time All-Conference defenseman Dan Godefroi did see some ice time in his final high school hockey game.

"He didn't get the same number of shifts he would have normally - if he was 100 percent healthy," said Martiniello.

"But it was great he had the chance to play on the Garden ice and be a part of a state championship game."

Godefroi (ankle injury) was scheduled to begin baseball practice on Monday - just 24 hours after the hockey season ended - although chances are he'll be allowed to rest and recuperate until ready.

Seven seniors

Playing their final game for the Blue and Gold icemen were senior goaltender Dan Abreu, defenseman Dan Godefroi and forwards Tucker Mullin (captain), Colin Brennan (captain), P.J. Paonessa, Dan Powers and John Cahill.

Although nothing is etched in stone, Godefroi is set to attend Georgetown University on a baseball scholaship, and Brennan, one of the state's top high school golfers, will go to Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. to display his talents on the links.

Mullin will likely attend Phillips Andover Academy as a postgraduate, while Abreu will do the same and is looking at several Central Mass. prep schools, including Winchendon and Williston-Northampton.

Paonessa has his sights set on Quinnipiac College in Connecticut, Powers on the University of Vermont, and Cahill is currently undecided.

"We 're going to miss them all," noted coach Martiniello. "All seven were big contributors to the program."

n n n

Junior John Hyslip is also considering transferring to Tilton School in New Hampshire for his senior year. He has not made a choice yet, but his loss would also be enormous.

Big crowd

Andover officials sold all 1,000 game tickets issued to the school by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA).

There were estimates that upwards of 2,500 Golden Warrior fans were in attendance.

"I don't know, but I saw a lot of "Andover" jackets and the lower-bowl portion of the Garden was pretty well packed," said coach Martiniello.

There were also dozens of kids of all ages with their faces painted blue and gold throughout the stands.

Celebration

Team and school officials are reportedly going to meet this week to discuss a possible rally-type celebration of the boys hockey season. Nothing definite had been set up at presstime.

"We're going to meet as a team on Tuesday to turn in equipment and probably elect next year's captains," reported Martiniello.

Team banquet

The hockey awards banquet is scheduled for tonight (Thursday, March 22) at Indian Ridge Country Club.

Not the best

Many of the Golden Warriors, while dutifully respectful of Hanover, weren't ready to call them the best team they faced all season.

"We played a few Division 1 schools in our league," said coach Martiniello. "Hanover is right up there, of course, but I think Central Catholic (Division 1A Tournament qualifier) was better.

"Franklin (1-0 overtime loss to Hanover in the South final, 3-1 winner over Andover) and Billerica may have been, too, and Tewksbury wasn't far behind."

Andover lost only three Division 2 games this season to Hanover, Franklin (in Martha's Vineyard Tournament final) and Haverhill (5-4).

"Haverhill-Andover is always a grudge match," explained Martiniello.

The other three setbacks were to Division 1 schools Central (3-2), Billerica (3-2) and Pinkerton Academy of New Hampshire (3-1).

Final scoring

Tucker Mullin wrapped up the finest individual season in program history, leading the way with single-season school 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 were Riki Retelle 1-17-18, Dan Godefroi 1-16-17 and P.J. Paonessa 7-8-15.

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

The top threesome of Mullin, Brennan and Hyslip accounted for 66 of the team's 90 goals (73 percent) and 78 of the 144 assists.

In four years, although being used sparingly on the varsity as a freshman, Mullin 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.

Brennan, who blossomed as a scorer this season, graduates with career stats of 25 goals, 33 assists, 58 points.

Hyslip, with another year left, has three-season totals of 35 goals, 48 assists, 83 points.

All-Conference goaltender Dan Abreu posted a school single-season record seven shutouts and held seven other teams to one goal while doing much of the work between the pipes.

Stats & Facts

© 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.