By Christopher Tremblay, Sports Staff Writer

Last winter the Hopedale-Milford co-op hockey team put up mind-boggling numbers on the ice. 

During the abbreviated season, the squad went a perfect 12-0 with seven shutouts while allowing a mere seven goals and scoring in the mid 90s. Despite the record setting performance Hopedale-Milford did not have the opportunity to capture a Division 3A Central Championship. Two years earlier the squad advanced all the way to the Championship game where they were defeated by Lunenburg. 

“Last year was tough having no tournament, especially since we had the talent. We have 10 seniors this year and if we continue to play as expected then we should once again be in the conversation for the Sectional Championship and hopefully the States,” Coach Mike Macquarrie said. “I expect to make the playoffs and compete at a high level, but I didn’t think that we’d do this well considering the teams we were going up against.”

Although Hopedale-Milford is performing well on the ice, they happened across an emotional downfall three minutes into their first game of the season when senior captain Aiden Collins collided with a player on the opposite team and cut his wrist bad enough to eventually need season-ending surgery. Following the accident and what everyone went through, the first game of the season was cancelled and rescheduled.

When the squad took to the ice for their new first game, the squad was still not all that focused and most likely still thinking about their senior captain. Despite the lack of concentration that they needed Hopedale-Milford still managed to secure the win. 

Macquarrie will look to his two senior goalies to guard the net. Captain Johnny Tomasso and Nick Kannally. Tomasso is one of the leaders on the team and only allowed 6 goals for 1.0 goals against average. According to the Coach, he is a competitor whop plays hard and makes the big stops when he needs to. Tomasso’s partner in crime has made tremendous strides and pushes his counterpart in a good way.

 Kannally, who has not had as many starts due to being sidelined with Covid, has only allowed one goal in his only start. While the two are splitting time, Tomasso is currently the number one netminder, but the coach has the option to change his mind as the season goes on.

Senior captain Cam Collins will center the first line with Will Piett on his right wing and Sean McGee on the left. Through the early part of the season Collins leads the Central Mass in scoring netting 12 goals while adding 13 assists. The senior center not only has increased his offensive skills from the previous year, but he is also looked upon to get the team moving in the right direction. 

Piett, a senior, has a great shot and a release and currently has 10 points during the early goings, while on the other side McGee, a sophomore, has accounted for 6 goals and 5 assists and has made big strides from his freshman to sophomore campaign.

Junior alternate captain Jake Frohn will center the second line for Hopedale-Milford with junior Brady Butler on his left and senior Ryan Auger on his right. Using his great vision and puck control Frohn has already posted 17 assists and leads the team; he has also added a couple of goals as well. Butler posted a hat-trick against Oakmont registering his 99, 100 and 101 goals of his high school career. While Frohn and Butler are working their magic to get the puck into the oppositions net on a consistent basis, it’s Auger who is working the corners and fishing out the puck to allow his teammates to record those numbers. 

“Ryan is a big, strong kid who has had exceptional offensive production since he’s moved up from the third line to fall on the second line,” Macquarrie said. “He is one of some of the adjustments that we’ve had t make due to injuries and illnesses. We’ve had different lines each game and while he dos a lot of the work in the corners he’s managed to score a few goals for us as well.”

Defensively Hopedale-Milford will rotate five athletes on the ice. Senior captain Mike Girard is the defensive leader in points, while he is also the physical and vocal leader of the blue line. Alternate Captain Joey Mahoney stands 6’3” and is a big physical kid and according to his coach the junior is the squad’s best one-on-one defender. He is a smart defensive player that makes it hard for opposing players to get around him.

Other defenseman who have been rotating on the defensive line for Macquarrie are junior Brody Goding, freshman Joe Butler and senior Jarrod Morris. Goding is an all-around skilled player who sees a lot of action on the second power play line while Butler, in his first year on the varsity squad has been playing really well for a freshman. Morris gives the team yet another physical player going into the corners to chase the puck. 

In addition to the five who are seeing the majority of ice time Hopedale-Milford also has a few other freshman defenders who will see some time on occasion, but Macquarrie sees them getting more ice time in the future when they can contribute on a more efficient basis.

Having not been able to play in the tournament last winter despite performing at a very high level, Hopedale-Milford is looking forward to this year’s post-season twice as much, especially since they are once again playing at an exceptional level and believe their team has what it takes to go all the way.

In addition to playing well rounded hockey om the ice, Tomasso, Mahoney and Tyler Lane have lent their free time to the pre school where they have been reading hockey books and coloring with the kids.