Division: Peewee 2
Friday, March 2nd – Fitchburg Civic Center
Westfield Jr. Bombers 5 Cambridge Falcons 2
Massachusetts State Tournament – Peewee Tier III Division
The Pee Wee Two Jr. Bombers got off to a strong start in the Tier III State Tournament by beating a tough Cambridge team 5-2. Kenny Bonney got Westfield off to a quick start by depositing a goal just 3: 20 into the first period for an early 1-0 lead. After a penalty left Westfield a man short, Cambridge tied the game at 1 with a power play goal at the 7:21 mark of the first.
The Falcons than took a 2-1 lead at 2:56 of the second, but then the Jr. Bombers began to find their skating rhythm, as they scored three goals in a 2:12 span in the middle of the second. Isak Lund took a pass from TJ Willis and beat the Cambridge goalie to tie the game, and a minute later, Gavin Rock gave Westfield a lead they wouldn’t relinquish by finding the back of the net. 1:14 after Rock’s unassisted goal, Joey Czarnecki took a pass from Rock and gave Westfield a two goal cushion after two periods.
Rock added his second goal of the game 2:47 into the third, and from there, the defensive efforts of Willis, Evan Glenzel, Andy Warren and Wyatt Jensen, along with some stellar goaltending from Val Reopel (13 saves) stifled any Falcon hopes of coming back. Riley Siart, Devin Baker, Quinn Powers and Logan Klein added to the Jr. Bombers offensive attack that had Westfield cruising to an early 1-0-0 record in the tournament.
Division: Peewee 2
Saturday, March 3rd – Fitchburg Civic Center
Westfield Jr. Bombers 5 Everett-Revere 1
Massachusetts State Tournament – Peewee Tier III Division
The Pee Wee Two Jr. Bombers kept playing strong in the Tier III State Tournament with a resounding 5-1 thrashing of Everett-Revere in their 2nd game. Isak Lund got the scoring started for Westfield just 46 seconds into the game by taking a TJ Willis pass and zipping a shot past the E-R goalie. Just one minute later, Logan Klein took a Wyatt Jensen pass and gave Westfield a quick two goal cushion. With time winding down in the first, Kenny Bonney added his 2nd goal of the tournament with Riley Siart and Lund assisting, and Westfield was up 3-0 after one period of play.
Westfield would go on to add goals from Joey Czarnecki and Gavin Rock, and the Jr. Bombers dominated the game from start to finish, outshooting an overmatched E-R team 33-7 for the game. The strong offense was aided by Devin Baker and Quinn Powers, while the defense, led by Evan Glenzel, Andy Warren and Wyatt Jensen, stood tall in allowing only the 7 shots against Val Reopel.
Division: Peewee 2
Saturday, March 3rd – Fitchburg Civic Center
Westfield Jr. Bombers 3 Natick Comets 3
Massachusetts State Tournament – Peewee Tier III Division
In a rematch from a January tilt that Westfield won 4-1, the Jr. Bombers matched up with the Comets from Natick in a game to decide which team advanced to the Final Four in the Tier III State Tournament. The Jr. Bombers came out sluggish for the first time in the tournament, and Natick took advantage of that to take a 1-0 lead 3:16 into the first. But that goal proved to be just the wakeup call the Jr. Bombers needed, as wing Kenny Bonney took a pass from his center Riley Siart and tied the game at 1 just 22 seconds later. The Jr. Bombers were clearly invigorated by Bonney’s goal, as 1:17 later; Devin Baker took a pass from Gavin Rock and found the back of the net for his first goal of the tournament and Westfield’s first lead of the game at 2-1.
The score would remain that way for over a period, until the Comets finally broke through the Jr. Bombers tough defense (led by The Twin Towers of Evan Glenzel and TJ Willis, along with Andy Warren and Wyatt Jensen) to tie the score at 2 after two periods.
The third period proved to be an epic battle for the Jr. Bombers and The Comets (The game would also feature 25 shots on goal for both sides). After an early power play goal gave Natick the lead back at 3-2, the Bombers put on a flurry in the final minutes of the game in a last-ditch effort to secure a birth in the final four. And with just 2:12 remaining in the contest, Riley Siart found Isak Lund flying up the right side of the ice; hit him with a perfect pass, and Lund beat the Natick goalie to tie the game at 3 apiece. The game would remain tied until the final buzzer sounded. Unfortunately for Westfield, the tie would prove heartbreaking, as Natick won the tie breaker and was chosen to move on in the tournament, eventually being crowned Massachusetts Tier II Pee Wee Champions.
The Jr. Bombers now stand a strong 13-1-1 against Tier III level competition this season.
Division: Peewee 2
Sunday, March 11th – Fitzpatrick Arena, Holyoke
Westfield Jr. Bombers 8 Pioneer Valley Lightning 2
The Pee Wee Two Jr. Bombers continued to dominate the Lightning with a convincing 8-2 pounding in a late season push for the playoffs. Logan Klein and Gavin Rock tallied goals in the first two minutes of the game to get Westfield off to a quick start, but Pioneer Valley came back over the remainder of the period to end the first tied at 2.
But from there, it was all Westfield. Over the next two periods, they would outscore Pioneer Valley 6-0, with goals from Joey Czarnecki, Isak Lund, and four from center Riley Siart. A number of Westfield players contributed to the strong overall team play, including Devin Baker, Quinn Powers and Kenny Bonney on offense, as well as Evan Glenzel, Wyatt Jensen and TJ Willis on defense. Westfield will look to close out the season in fourth place with a win in their final game next weekend.
