Westfield Mite 2 Team Runner up in Lower Cape Cod Classic
March 1-March 3
Cape Cod-Orleans, MA
The Jr. Bombers Mite 2 team had an amazing showing last weekend at the Lower Cape Cod Classic, going 3-1 and taking the runner up trophy home to Westfield. The Mite 2 team represented the sportsmanship and playing ability that we know and love in the Jr. Bombers. They played aggressively and held an impressive defensive line. The Jr. Bombers took on tough competitors in Pioneer Valley, Danvers and the Seahawks only to fall to a stacked Coyotes team. The Jr. Bombers should be proud of their performance on the ice, they have wrapped up a great 2012-2013 season with some impressive games. Thank you to Coach Hosmer and Asst Coaches Major, Fitzgerald and Jarrell for making this a season supporting the concepts of teamwork, hard skating and core hockey skills, which translated to some great Mite hockey.
Congratulations to the Lower Cape Cod Classic Runner up Team, the Jr. Bombers- Mite 2: Cody Collins, Katie Collins, Brody Fitzgerald, Jax Grady, Gwen Hosmer, Jacob Jarrell, Olivia Lawry, Josh Lecrenski, Ryan Major & Hunter Stockseth.
Westfield Jr. Bombers 1, Amherst 1
February 2nd, Mullins Center
Division: Peewee 1
The Jr. Bombers headed to the Mullins Center practice rink for Saturday morning for a matchup against an improving Amherst squad, and the teams skated to a 1-1 tie. Westfield struggled to find openings in the Amherst defense throughout the contest getting shots and passes blocked throughout. Finally, with 1:29 remaining in the 1st period, they broke through. Scott Bussell read the Amherst breakout perfectly stealing a pass at the blue line and going in alone depositing the puck into the back of the net. The larger ice surface starting taking its’ toll as the game progressed and Amherst began gaining momentum. Matt Brady made a key save in the 2nd period to keep his team in the lead going to the final stanza. Connor Koziol played a stellar game contributing on both ends of the ice with key defensive plays as well as several offensive rushes. Amherst pressured the Jr. Bombers into many turnovers in the 3rd and carried the play. They scored with 4:57 remaining in the period to knot things up, and continued to take the play to Westfield. Two tremendous saves within the last minute of play saved the tie for the Black-and-Red who outshot Amherst 26-14. Nik Chepurin worked hard throughout the game forcing turnovers and creating opportunities.
Holy Name Stars 3, Westfield Jr. Bombers 1
February 3rd, Amelia Park Ice Arena
Division: Peewee 1
Westfield played a solid two-way game and left everything on the ice, but was still unable to find a way to defeat their strongest competition for the league title with the game ending in a 3-1 win for Holy Name. The 1st period had end to end action as both teams created chances for themselves. Both squads showed strong defense and terrific back checking preventing scoring chances, and the crowd could sense that a mistake could be the difference. That happened with 42 seconds remaining in the 1st when while short-handed, the Jr. Bombers failed to clear the zone. Holy Name took advantage with a quick pass from the blue line to the top of the circles, with a shot making its’ way into the net. Holy Name used that momentum and continued to apply pressure resulting in a follow up goal with 4 seconds left in the 2nd. That could’ve deflated the Jr. Bombers, but they persevered creating some offensive chances in the middle stanza led by Joe Czarnecki, Spencer Cloutier, and Alex Beauchemin. Holy Name withstood that pressure, and created a chance of their own where they scored with 5:28 left in the 2nd to take a commanding lead. The Jr. Bombers once again didn’t give in and battled throughout the final period controlling play. Defensemen Wyatt Jensen finally broke through with 3:39 remaining as he took a feed from Spencer Cloutier at the point firing a wrist shot into the net as he was taken down by a defender. Shots on goal were 18-10 in favor of Holy Name.
Amherst 6, Westfield Jr. Bombers 5
February 16th, Amelia Park Ice Arena
Division: Peewee 1
The Jr. Bombers Pee Wee A squad was outscored by an ever improving Amherst team 6-5 at Amelia Park. Amherst’s Adam Mattingly scored the only goal of the 1st period with 5:22 remaining. Westfield evened the score on a goal by Alex Beauchemin. An incredible flurry followed with 6 goals being scored in the final seven minutes of the 2nd period. Amherst’s Evan Smith converted on a back door pass from Carter Woodward, only to be answered by a nice give and go play by Beauchemin and Scott Bussell who sniped a shot to the top corner. After back to back goals 24 second apart by Amherst’s Doug Hanieski, Bussell responded again assisted by Spencer Cloutier and Katie Neilsen. Amherst regained a 2-goal lead before the end of the 2nd period on a goal by Woodward. Westfield mounted a comeback surge to start the 3rd period finally applying consistent pressure in the offensive zone. The aggressiveness found the Jr. Bombers shorthanded early in the period. It was at this point that Cloutier stole a pass at the Amherst blue line, juked a defender and found the back of the net to bring his team within a goal. Joe Czarnecki pulled Westfield even when he stole a neutral zone pass going in alone on the goalie and snapping the equalizer to the back of the net. Luca Brashear broke Westfield’s heart stopping any hopes of a comeback by hustling to prevent an icing call and slamming in a goal with 2:28 remaining. The Jr. Bombers continued to apply pressure, but it was too little, too late. Amherst outshot Westfield 16 to 15.
Westfield Jr. Bombers 10, Ludlow 0
February 23rd, Amelia Park Ice Arena
Division: Peewee 1
The Jr. Bombers Pee Wee A squad once again found their stride as they began to tune up for what hopes to be a successful trip to a tournament in Lake Placid followed by a long GSL playoff run besting Ludlow 10-0 at Amelia Park. Coach Tom Roskey modified the lineup prior to the weekend’s games in hopes of rekindling a vaunted fore-checking attack as well as sparking better offensive play. The moves worked as Westfield pinned Ludlow in their own end throughout the entire contest peppering the Ludlow goalkeeper with 35 shots. Defensemen Ryan Roskey got things going 28 seconds into the game scoring on a blast from the blue line. The newly formed line of Scott Bussell, Alex Beauchemin, and Spencer Cloutier clicked immediately buzzing the Ludlow zone generating chance after chance. The line combined for 10 points led by Bussell’s hat trick and assist, Beauchemin’s 2 goals and assist, and Cloutier’s 3 assists. Joe Czarnecki (2 goals, assist), Katie Neilsen (assist), and Quinn Powers (assist) also provided sustained offensive pressure throughout the game including a text book 3 on 2 break in. Wyatt Jensen moved up from defense to wing playing along with Justin Oski (goal) and Nik Chepurin (assist). This trio wreaked havoc with their pressure and generated threats nearly every shift. The new lineup shortened the defensive corps to 3, but Roskey, Connor Koziol (goal), and Matt Pelletier were stellar in shutout limiting Ludlow to 4 shots.
Westfield Jr. Bombers 6, Springfield Capitals 0
February 24th, Amelia Park Ice Arena
Division: Peewee 1
Building on a dominant performance on Saturday, the Pee Wee A’s continued to assert themselves offensively with an impressive 6-0 shutout of a chippy Springfield Caps squad Sunday at Amelia Park. Once again, the offense provided plenty of pressure on the Caps defense creating quality scoring chances, but the Caps goaltender was strong keeping Westfield off the board until 3:32 remained in the 1st period. That’s when Scott Bussell was able to pester the Caps defense into a turnover at their own blue line. He poked the puck forward, outmuscled and out-skated his opponents to it, and fired a shot by the goalie for the 1-0 lead. As the 2nd period kicked off, the Joe Czarnecki Show was about to start. Czarnecki hammered home a power play goal at 9:22 on a terrific feed from behind the net by Wyatt Jensen. The power play came courtesy of some terrific hustle by Quinn Powers. Czarnecki converted again a minute later on a pass from line mate Katie Neilsen. The same combination connected later in the period for a short-handed goal as Neilsen won a faceoff to Czarnecki who sniped a wrister top bunk past the goalie. Connor Koziol capitalized on a Caps penalty with 3 minutes remaining scoring for the second straight game to make it 5-0. Showing no quit, Westfield completed the scoring with 33 seconds remaining in the game when Powers outhustled the Caps defense to a loose puck, gained the zone and feathered a backhand pass to the streaking Czarnecki who tallied his 4th of the game. The defensive trio of Koziol, Ryan Roskey and Matt Pelletier were tough to beat again in this contest handling the Caps pressure with poise and starting many of the Westfield opportunities.
COURTESY OF WESTFIELD YOUTH HOCKEY
