Alvirne hangs on to knock off Hollis/Brookline

HUDSON – The Alvirne High School boys hockey team was successful on every penalty kill against Hollis/Brookline during Saturday night’s game.

Surely the Broncos could handle the Cavaliers after H/B pulled its goalie with more than three minutes left in the game.

Alvirne did, although it did surrender a goal that allowed H/B to pull within one, but the Broncos held on for a 4-3 victory in Division III action at Cyclones Arena in Hudson.

Phil Sweeney provided the offense for Alvirne (4-1 in division), recording a hat trick, including the goal that proved to be the game-winner just 1:26 into the third period. Reed Vandergraaf also had a goal for the Broncos while Cameron Brock, Trevor Perron, Joshua Steele, Christian Gamst and Lee Vandergraaf each had an assist.

Hollis/Brookline got a goal and an assist from Kyle Berman and Jake Kobylarz while Jack Collins had a goal off an assist from Griffin Brown with 2:12 left in the game to pull the Cavs (2-2) within one.

That H/B was able to get that close was a testament to the heart that coach Bob Fields had hoped to see from his team.

“We needed to be more aggressive, so our focus in the third period, you could see we came out real aggressive,” Fields said. “We could have put another one in and tied the game. Overall, I think the kids showed a lot of heart.”

The Cavs needed the heart and some perseverance, as Sweeney scored the first goal of the game for the Broncos just 1:35 into the first period and Alvirne scored two goals in less than two minutes midway through the second to take a 3-0 lead.

But H/B got one back with 7:15 left in the second when Berman sent a shot over the right shoulder of Alvirne goalie Brian Carpentier to make it 3-1.

The Broncos managed to avoid any further damage by killing off four penalties – including a 5-on-3 – in the second period alone. For the game, Alvirne’s penalty kill was successful on all six H/B power plays, while scoring two goals of its own with a man-advantage.

“They take a lot of pride in it,” Brian Gould said of his team’s penalty kill. “That was a good thing, and for us to score on the power play. Doesn’t happen very often, do it was nice to do that.”

Sweeney completed his hat trick by putting Alvirne up 4-1 in the third, but H/B answered just 13 seconds later on Kobylarz to cut the lead back to two goals.

The Cavs were able to kill off two penalties after that, and with about 3 ½ minutes left, H/B pulled goalie Jake Hahnl for the extra skater.

H/B took its timeout with 2:41 left and pulled within a goal when Collins scored off a rebound. The Cavs were able to keep the pressure on, although twice Alvirne nearly put the puck in the empty net.

“That’s tough to play that long,” Gould said. “I was going to take a timeout with a minute left, but he was keeping the same line out there, so I didn’t want to take a timeout. I wanted to keep them tired. It’s tough when you go that long of a period trying to play 6-on-5.”

But the Broncos pulled out the win and will host Pelham-Windham on Wednesday, while the Cavs will take on Souhegan.