Shrewsbury attempts to squeeze a shot past Westfield goalie Cam Parent in the 2016-17 Division 3 semifinal. The Bombers and Colonials will renew their matchup Thursday in the 2017-18 state semifinal at the MassMutual Center in Springfield at 5:30 p.m. (Staff photo)
WESTFIELD – When the Westfield High School boys ice hockey team secured its fifth title in six years by upending top-seeded Longmeadow 2-1 in an overtime thriller last week, it resulted in a three-peat and cemented the Bombers claims of being a true dynasty.
The Westfield crowd broke into song, serenading senior forward Alex Beachemin with a rendition of “Happy Birthday” after he netted the game-winner on a breakaway in OT.
Although Westfield and Longmeadow combined for 16 of the last 17 divisional championships, the scale continued to tilt more in favor of the Bombers.
Westfield’s championship trophies are beginning to pile up. They have now won five of the last six titles, 13 championships in 17 seasons, and 11 since 2002.
“We all stick together, we all play together and we do our job,” he said.
All of the hockey players – past and present – that have called Amelia Park Ice Arena their home ice and longtime head coach C.B. “Moose” Matthews have proved to be a winning combination like no other in Western Massachusetts.
Even when the Bombers have appeared to be an underdog to the casual observer – Longmeadow swept the 2017-18 regular season series 2-0 – Westfield has continued to prove the non-believers wrong.
Several different players have contributed on the offensive side of the puck.
“Anyone can come up with it and put it in,” coach Matthews said. “You never know who is going to step up to the plate and finish it.”
The one constant has been Westfield’s solid core of defensemen, and senior goalie Cam Parent. In the WMass championship, Parent made 30 saves.
“He’s very focused this year and making the big saves,” Matthews said. “He’s even focused in practice.
The heart and desire are evident all throughout the red, black, and white-jersey players, and the statistics back up the fact that coach Matthews and the Bombers have constructed a juggernaut of a champion in Western Mass and a perennial contender at the state level.
“Young kids come up and they want to be a Bomber,” Matthews said. “It’s a big plus for this team. That’s a big key. We’re a family.”
Coach Matthews said his coaching staff, which includes assistants David Pelletier (a former coach of the Westfield-Longmeadow girls ice hockey co-op team) and Brett DiClemente, has also been critical to the team’s success this season.
Matthews has often dropped hints of retirement over the last few years, but admitted Wednesday that with such a “super” staff at his side that may delay the decision even further.
Talk of the future is a discussion for another day. Right now, Westfield has earned another chance to be the best of the best, the cream of the crop.
On Thursday, Westfield (15-4-2) will collide with Central Mass champ, Shrewsbury (18-2-2), its region’s top seed in a rematch of the 2016-17 state semifinal game. The latest semifinal showdown will begin at the MassMutual Center at 5:30 p.m.
“It’s going to be another dogfight,” coach Matthews said. “They have some really big snipers. We’re going to have to work hard and chisel one out.”
In last year’s semifinal, Shrewsbury overwhelmed Westfield 5-0. The Colonials peppered Parent with multiple shots early, led 2-0 in the first period, and never looked back.
Earlier in a regular season matchup, Westfield fell to Shrewsbury 2-1. The Colonials were even better at tournament time.
Matthews said Westfield attempted to schedule Shrewsbury again this season, but the rematch never materialized. The Bombers coach is more confident this time around.
“We’re a better team this year,” coach Matthews said. “We put a plan together (Tuesday). They have one super line. We put together a defense that is going to try to slow them down. They took us good last year, so it’s our turn.”
