RallyNorth.net

Clippers notch fifth win in a row

Tuesday, February, 19 By Jim Sullivan
Staff writer

It's an old sports cliché New England Patriots fans were reminded of all too painfully earlier this month.

Beware of a team on a hot streak.

In case local sports fans forgot, the Newburyport hockey team provided a reminder Saturday evening with an 8-1 victory over Amesbury in the opening round of the 13th annual Newburyport Bank Classic.

"It's great to see how this team has come together," said Clippers coach Paul Yameen. "I don't think people realize we have four freshmen and four sophomores that play a regular shift. It took a lot of effort for us and our upperclassmen to show them how to play Clipper hockey and that takes time."

The effort is paying off with the Clippers riding a five-game winning streak this month, heading for the EMass. Division 2 North Tournament for the fourth year in a row.

Despite an hour-long delay, (thanks to a broken-down Zamboni that eventually had to be jump started) the Clippers brought the heat early and often, out-shooting the Indians 13-2 in the first period.

Kyle McElroy scored his first goal of what would become a hat trick on the Indians' Matt Irwin unassisted at 13:54, followed by a five hole tally from Derek Freeman assisted by his brother David and Derek McCoy at 13:11. McCoy himself got a taste at 8:23, gliding in from center ice assisted by Kevin Ryan and Gaven LaValley. He later watched as McElroy scored again assisted by David Freeman and Kevin Holmes at 8:06. Holmes himself scored next, goaing five-hole and being assisted by McElroy and Colin Cusack.

"The unity on this team is the best we've been around in our tenure here. They enjoy being around each other, on and off the ice. But when game day comes, they're all business," Yameen said.

The second period saw the Indians gaining some life with the help of Justin Isaac (who moves like a bullet on the ice) and peppering Clippers goalie Brendan Doherty with shot after shot in the first two minutes. Doherty remained unfazed though, allowing McElroy to clinch the hat with a breakaway unassisted from center ice.

Doherty made way for Kyle Trafford in goal in the third as Holmes scored again assisted by Chris Gogolos and Teddy O'Connor who Yameen sites as an embodiment of his team's all-for-one, one-for-all style.

"One of our players forgot his skates one game," Yameen said. "Teddy took off his skates and gave them to him so he could play because he knew it would benefit the team." The Indians were in no mood for a shutout though as Matt Lambert blew one past Trafford's left skate.

"Everybody on our team has a role," Yameen said. "The kids getting a look in practice are just as important as the kids that get to play a regular shift. Unfortunately not everyone gets to play. But that is part of high school varsity athletics."

Dramatically proving his coach's point, senior defenseman Alex Silvio hit the ice, scoring the first goal of his varsity career assisted by McCoy and O'Connor with exactly 0.1 seconds left.

Teamwork.