DOVER — After a disastrous first period left the Portsmouth/Newmarket high school boys hockey team trailing Kingswood 3-0, the Clipper Mules showed some resolve to reverse its fortunes and force overtime.
Then their comeback victory hopes were squashed.
Portsmouth/Newmarket senior center Andrew Weeks scored his second goal late in the third period to tie the game, but the Knights had all seven shots on goal in overtime and skated off with a 4-3 Division II victory. Burke Ruel’s rebound goal with 4:28 remaining ended Wednesday night's game at Dover Ice Arena.
“We didn’t have them ready to play in the first period and we dug ourselves a 3-0 hole,” Portsmouth/Newmarket coach Bill Widi said. “We corrected that at intermission and the kids kept battling; we had our opportunities. We were short some guys today and we just ran out of gas.”
Besides missing Jack Suhesky and David Lefan, sophomore Andrew Martin broke his collarbone during Monday’s 6-3 victory over Timberlane and is out for the season.
Kingswood (2-3) took a 1-0 lead on Logan McEvoy’s power play goal with 6:34 left in the first. Nick Potenza and Ruel added goals 41 seconds apart to give the Knights a 3-0 lead with 1:46 remaining in the period.
Portsmouth/Newmarket (2-5) emerged out of the locker room a different team. Weeks scored 42 seconds into the second period on assists from Will Perry and Luke Squire. Senior defenseman Jacob Morin followed a minute later on a power play, sending a wrist shot from the right circle past Kingswood goalie Joseph Vetanze (17 saves) to bring the Clipper Mules within 3-2.
“It’s always tough going down 3-0; they say that’s the toughest lead in hockey,” Morin said. “We came in the room and Coach Widi gave us a kick in the butt and we turned it on. We got two quick goals and that definitely propelled us to where we got.”
Neither team had any serious chances the remainder of the second, and the Clipper Mules couldn’t capitalize on a two-man advantage early in the third.
But they did cash in on a power-play opportunity later in the frame, when Weeks converted the rebound of Morin’s slap shot, tying the score 3-3 with 4:39 left in regulation. Portsmouth/Newmarket junior goalie Brad Weit (30 saves) stopped shots by Sean Harrington and Andrew McCullen in the final two minutes to force overtime.
“Brad settled in. He let in the third goal on the short side and I know he was disappointed with himself and I think that motivated him to come out and put a stellar effort in the second two periods and overtime,” Widi said. “He had some exceptional saves and he’s playing some of his best hockey. This is his first year starting and nobody knew what to expect, but he’s been one of our brightest stars.”
Weit stopped a point-blank shot by McEvoy in the opening minutes of overtime, but the Knights continued pressuring. Burke scored the game-winner after he poked home his own rebound.
“The first period we came out pretty strong, they went into the locker room feeling pretty high about themselves and I think they took the foot off the gas,” Kingswood coach Mike Potenza said. “They finally showed back up to play in overtime.”
“It didn’t help with the lack of depth running into overtime, and when you’re playing behind, you have to play with that extra (energy) to try to get back even,” Widi said. “We had two periods having to skate extra hard and then we had to go into overtime. We still played well in overtime, but that’s the way it happens.”
The Clipper Mules are off until next Wednesday’s home game against Oyster River (3-0).
“We didn’t get the outcome we wanted, but the good part is we battled back and it’s still a positive in my mind,” Morin said. “We’re a young team. It’s been tough, but we’re getting there and we’re building.”