Bedford boys hockey comes back to tie Bishop Guertin
Two teams with a lot they wanted to prove met Wednesday, but neither team decided much of anything.
MANCHESTER - Two teams with a lot they wanted to prove met Wednesday, but neither team decided much of anything.
The Bedford High School boys hockey team twice rallied from a one-goal deficit, tying Bishop Guertin with 4:01 remaining in regulation, but neither team could break through in overtime. The two teams that met in last year's Division I championship game ended the rematch in a 3-3 tie at Sullivan Arena at Saint Anselm College.
Griffin Gagne scored all three goals for the Bulldogs (1-0-1), including two shorthanded goals, while Bishop Guertin got a goal each from Jacob Rodrigue, Jack Johansen and Cameron Fagan.
"They're a good team," Bedford coach Marty Myers said. "We knew they were big, strong, fast, and they're all that. They got good goaltending and I thought they played solid defensively. They had more opportunities offensively than I'd care to give them, but they are certainly one of the best teams in the state."
Bishop Guertin (2-0-1) got a big game from goalie Jacob Perrin, who stopped 34 shots, including a flurry of Bedford chances in overtime that seemed destined for the back of the goal.
"He was spectacular," Cardinals coach Gary Bishop said. "Jacob is a great goaltender. He had a great year last year for us.
"We've got a lot to get better at. We gave up too many shorthanded goals. Too many mistakes."
Gagne started the scoring with his first shorthanded tally in the first period. With Jacob Rioux off for a slash, Gagne was able to slip by the Bishop Guertin defense and got the puck in stride at center ice.
The senior went in on Perrin alone and beat him to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead with 3:56 left in the second.
Bedford killed off the rest of the penalty, and survived a Bishop Guertin 5-on-3 early in the second, but the Cardinals tied it up when Rodrigue beat Bulldogs goalie Frederick Voloshin (12 saves) over his glove to make it 1-1 with 4:54 left in the period.
Bishop Guertin got another man-advantage when Nick Cannone was called for a trip with 1:58 left in the period, and 35 seconds later, Johansen's slap shot found its way through traffic and into the net for a 2-1 lead for the Cardinals.
But the Bulldogs weren't done. With Bishop Guertin on the power play again, Gagne got behind the defense and tied the game with 9:15 left.
"We were on the power play, so our defense was pinching up trying to hold the zone, and they just threw it up," Bishop said. "The kid out ran them. Shame on us for letting their best player get free like that twice."
It took the Cardinals just 58 seconds to get the lead back, as Fagan beat Voloshin before the power play was over to give Bishop Guertin a 3-2 lead.
Moments later, Johansen (interference) and Ryan Flynn (cross check) both went to the box, giving Bedford a five-on-three for almost a minute. Bishop Guertin was able to kill off the first penalty, but with time running out on the second, Gagne ripped a shot past Perrin to tie the game.
"He's a good player," Myers said of Gagne. "He's all over the ice. We need that. He's a contributor every time we go out there, I don't care what zone, he helps us."
Bedford's Colin Voloshin was called for a trip 90 seconds into overtime, but the Bulldogs killed off the penalty and threw everything they had at Bishop Guertin's goal. But Perrin stood tall, making a pair of pad saves in the final moments that kept the game tied.
"I don't know how he saved them." Myers said. "There was one in the second period and one in overtime that I don't know how he did it. He kept them in the game when he needed to keep them in the game."
