RallyNorth.net

Tewksbury spoils Newburyport's Cinderella story

Thursday, March, 06 By Dan Guttenplan
Staff writer

An ever-growing Newburyport hockey fan base stood stoically for the better part of two hours last evening.

Clippers fans exchanged few words during their team's 4-0 loss to Tewksbury in the Division 2 North semifinal at Richard H. Rockett Rink. The capacity crowd, which seemed to favor Newburyport in numbers, struggled to put words to the Clippers' first lopsided loss of the season.

And perhaps that shocked fan base was the greatest piece of evidence for Newburyport's inspiring season.

Four months ago, no one could've predicted the Clippers would be playing in the Division 2 North semifinal. Still, after going for the ride, more than 300 Clippers fans struggled to come to grips with its team's abrupt exit.

Their squad, littered with underclassmen and supposedly in the midst of a rebuilding season, had logged nine consecutive wins heading into last night's game. That run proved to Newburyport fans that its team would be legit for years to come.

"I told the guys after the game that we as a coaching staff couldn't be more proud of what they accomplished this year," Newburyport coach Paul Yameen said. "A lot of that reflects on the senior class. We had a lot of young kids playing. These guys groomed them well. Because of that, you can mark this down: We will be back."

There's little question of that. But there was significant doubt, following an exodus of talented seniors last spring, that the Clippers would be back this quickly.

At a distance, this Clippers team looked one year removed from a missed opportunity to make a deep tournament run. Last year's squad, which lost in the Division 2 North quarterfinal, graduated 100-point scorers Max Bayko and Kyle Roback along with Cape Ann League all-star goalie Matt O'Connor. That threesome accounted for two of the top 20 scorers in program history and arguably one of the top five goalies.

And who did the Clippers have to replace the departing stars?

Freshmen.

Clippers coach Paul Yameen settled on freshman goalie Anthony Federico after his team's 3-3 start, deciding to roll the dice on inexperience in hopes of stretching the team's streak of consecutive tournament appearances to four. Federico improved each game, posting an 8-1 record and 2.10 goals-against average over the last nine.

On defense, freshmen William Boudreau and Billy Eiserman played regular shifts. At forward, freshman Gaven LaValley saw shifts on the first line.

Yameen looked to another slew of underclassmen to shoulder the scoring burden previously occupied by Bayko and Roback. Sophomores Kyle McElroy (18 goals, 21 assists) and Derek Freeman (12 goals, 20 assists) stepped into roles in which anything less than 30-plus point seasons could've resulted in their team missing the state tournament. Juniors Kevin Holmes (18 goals, 22 assists) and Collin Cusack (9 goals, 18 assists) formed a lethal second line that rivaled the first led by Newburyport's one previously established sniper, Derek McCoy (22 goals, 20 assist).

On defense, Kevin Ryan and Calvin Fournier provided the senior leadership to a young cast that included the two freshmen and bruising senior Dave Freeman.

The fact that a team with so few seniors played this hungry surprised many. And the Clippers appear to have their best years ahead of them.

"What they've learned this year and in the tournament will prove invaluable," Yameen said. "The experience is going to be huge for us. They're already talking about next year ... I'm really proud to be a part of this program right now."

Yameen's program is one that saw its current team rebound from a 6-6-1 start to close the regular season with seven consecutive victories. It's a program that saw its current team advance one round further than last year's team, despite its lack of age and experience. And it's a program that is establishing itself as one of the state's elite.

"They'll be back," Tewksbury coach Derek Doherty said following his team's win. "Newburyport's always there. They're one of the powers like Gloucester. Whenever they fall, I know they'll always bounce back."

This year's team is proof of that.

As a program, Newburyport can now say it has been to the Division 2 North semifinal twice in the last four years. But if last night's stunned fan base is any indication, the expectations will only rise next season.

Newburyport last won a Division 2 North title in 1997. The bar has been set for next season.

"I think, certainly for the first time since I've been here, we have to be looked at as one of the favorites next season," Yameen said. "That all depends on what happens in the offseason. I know the work ethic on this team is very good. Our seniors had a lot to do with it ... But now these guys know how this feels right now. They'll remember it and hopefully go a little further next year."

Additional stories:

• Clippers can't breach stout Redmen defense