St. Mary sophomore forward Johnathan Spear, left, tangles with Chicopee Comp’s Jeremy Lewis, center, as St. Mary’s Jake Neilsen, right, chases a loose puck during the second period of last night’s season opener. St. Mary went on to win 7-6 at the Amelia Park Ice Arena. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – A long offseason appeared to be well worth the wait for the St. Mary High School hockey team.
St. Mary won a penalty-laden, high-scoring affair on opening night, defeating Chicopee Comp 7-6 Friday night at Amelia Park Ice Arena.
St. Mary’s Charlie White scored two goals, and five others scored one apiece, including Tim Mercer, who had one goal and four assists.
There were a combined 18 total penalties called in the game between both teams.
St. Mary fell behind early, but stormed back in an incredible second period which saw 10 total goals scored. There were so many goals tallied in the period that it was a surprise the puck did not burn a hole in the threads of the back of the net.
St. Mary rallied from deficits of 4-1 and 5-2 with six goals over a 7-minute, 7-second span. White scored two goals to help spark the 6-1 run.
Only two goals were scored in the first period – one from each team.
Sullivan Webster, Nate Tremblay, Andrew Booth, and Matt Wurster each finished with one goal for St. Mary. White and fellow Saints’ Ryan Gendron and Wurster had one assist apiece.
In the third period, St. Mary killed off three penalties before yielding a goal on its fourth penalty of the period with 1:05 remaining in regulation.
Tremblay hit the right post on an open-net breakaway with the goalie pulled in the final minute. Saints’ goalie Brendan Gawron came up big in the final period, turning away every effort save for the last-ditch score.
