Alvirne advances to D3 semifinals with win over John Stark/Hopkinton

TYNGSBOROUGH, Mass. - Reed Vandergraaf scored two goals and the Alvirne High School boys hockey team advanced to the Division III semifinals for the second straight year by defeating John Stark/Hopkinton 6-2 Saturday at Skate 3.

Vandergraaf scored on a shorthanded breakaway for the game's first goal a little more than five minutes in, and added another tally early in the third that put the No. 2 Broncos up 5-1.

Trevor Perron added a goal and an assist for Alvirne (17-1) while Luke Savoie, Cam Brock and Brian Blanchette also had a goal each.

No. 10 JSH got goals from Simon Hunter and Keith Galli, while goalie Connor McDonald played well and helped hold Alvirne in check for most of the game.

McDonald came up big over and over in the first period, and got a couple of breaks as two Alvirne shots hit the cross bar. The JSH goalie kept the Generals in the game early in the second, making several key saves to keep it a 1-0 game. Perron was finally able to get one past McDonald, scoring off a rebound with 9:15 left in the period.

McDonald continued his stellar play for most of the period, but couldn't make the save on a shot by Savoie with three minutes left in the second. Brock tacked on another shorthanded goal with 1:12 left in the period, but the Generals (10-10) were able to get it back on a power play goal by Hunter with 11 seconds left in the period.

Vandergraaf scored his second of the game with 8:28 left to play in the third, and Blanchette added a four-on-four goal with 4:27 remaining.

Things got physical midway through the third period, when Alvirne's Nick Smith was sent off for a minor penalty. Savoie and JSH's Ryan Hawkes got tangled up after play was stopped, with both falling to the ice, and Hawkes appeared to throw a punch at Savoie. Hawkes received a five-minute fighting penalty and a game misconduct, while Savoie was given a minor roughing infraction.

Alvirne will now face No. 6 Belmont-Gilford, which upset No. 3 Pelham-Windham in the quarterfinals, on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Everett Arena in Concord.