Westfield’s Ethan Nassar, left, takes a stick to the neck by a West Springfield defender during Saturday’s match at the Olympia Ice Arena. Westfield went on to win 2-1 in OT. (Photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
Bombers blast Terriers in OT, 2-1
WEST SPRINGFIELD – The top-seeded Westfield High School saved the best for – first – the first overtime.
Westfield senior forward Adam Collier took two steps inside the blue line and zipped a shot into the net 1:25 into OT to lift the Bombers to a 2-1 win over fifth-seeded West Springfield in the Western Massachusetts Division III semifinals Saturday night at the Olympia.
Anthony Cagliostro set up the game-winning play with a pass from center ice.
“I got the puck in the neutral zone and chipped it toward the goal,” Collier said. “I tried to get one in on the net for a rebound. I was lucky it went in.”
Westfield coach C.B. “Moose” Matthews would beg to differ on the luck factor.
“If anybody was going to get the goal for us, I knew he’d be in the mix,” Matthews said. “He came through for us.”
One of the most telling statistics is that Collier has scored more goals shorthanded than when at full strength, proving his mettle.
Collier’s shot sends Westfield into the WMass championship against No. 2 East Longmeadow, who finished off No. 2 East Longmeadow in OT, 3-2.
It was a slow-moving first period as both teams looked to be skating in quicksand, but Westfield exploded for three quick shots in the final minute. It was a harbinger of things to come.
After a couple of penalties shook both teams from their doldrums, the offenses awoke.
West Springfield took the game’s first lead when A.J. Collette’s shot from the right circle found the left side of the back of the net 3 minutes, 54 seconds into the middle frame.
Later in the period, Westfield’s defense played a pivotal role. The Bombers defense killed off three penalty minutes, including a period when the Bombers were outmanned 5-to-3. Goalie Nick Liberto also made a point blank save, and turned away several other shots from the Terriers.
Westfield managed to keep from falling two goals behind, and, in fact, tied the game with 2:09 left in the period. Cagliostro scored with assists from Sean Spohr and Collier.
The Bombers took over the third period, outshooting West Springfield by an astounding 9-1. But Terriers goalie Kevin Griffen (25 saves) made one incredible save after another, and the 1-1 tie remained … until Collier’s overtime heroics.
“We scored at will early in the season,” coach Matthews said. “Our scoring tapered off, and we had to work for it.”
Westfield goalie Nick Liberto finished with 14 saves.
The Bombers now return to the finals where it has made a living over much of the last decade.
“We’re there again,” Matthews said. “We coughed it up last year. That left a bad taste in our mouths, but we’ll see. We’ll give it our best shot.”
“It’s going to be another battle,” he added. “It always is, especially in the semifinals and finals. They’re close, tough, physical games. …We’re going to be ready and be on our game.”
