RallyNorth.net

Wed, Feb 27, 2008 07:10 PM @ Salem

Team	1	2	3	Final
Playoff Game Division I Tournament - Round 1
Berlin	0	0	1	1
Salem	1	2	0	3

Henderson the unlikely hero as Salem advances

Thursday, February, 28 By David Willis
Staff writer

With the second highest-scoring offense in the area, Salem knew it could score. But Jared Henderson waited until the tournament to make an impact.

"I was just trying to keep the puck low and hard and get it on net," said the junior defenseman. "I saw a lot of bodies in front and I just hoped it would go in."

Henderson's second career varsity goal, with 24 seconds left in the first period, broke a scoreless tie and gave the No. 5 Blue Devils the momentum they needed to down No. 12 Berlin 3-1 in the first round of the Division 1 playoffs last night.

Salem will travel to No. 4 Concord on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Blue Devils fell to Concord 4-3 during the season. "We came out a little flat after a lot of sickness during the week," said coach Mark McGinn. "But that first goal just got the monkey off our backs. We were breathing easier and we just started to play really good."

Berlin appeared to be the aggressors through most of the first, keeping the puck in the Salem zone. But with less that a minute to go, Henderson took a pass from behind the net, fired it into a group of bodies and found the back of the net.

"I was looking for open ice and not to get it blocked," said Henderson. "I thought it might have gotten tipped on the way, but it doesn't matter because it went in. We were so pumped after that goal. Everything just started going right."

Henderson's only other career goal came Jan. 26 of this season against Bishop Guertin. He also has nine assists on the year.

"He put a really nice shot on net," said McGinn. "We have been working on him to shoot the puck. And he found a spot between (the goalie's) legs."

The Blue Devils were rolling after that. Just 2:42 into the second period, Derek Tomes put Salem ahead 2-0 on a goal off assists from Mark Baroni and Josh Frahm. Then, 1:51 later, Joel Vastl took a pass in front of the net, put a move on the goalie and tallied his 14th goal of the season with assists going to Ryan Desroches and Tyler Vigue.

"We knew we had to get a few goals early because we are a good offensive team," said Tomes, who also assisted on Henderson's goal along with Vigue. "Once we had a few goals on the board, we could relax and play defense."

Sophomore goalie Robbie Liberatore was on top of his game, making 31 saves. The saves of the night came late in the second period when he stopped a slap shot with his chest, then dropped to the ice to squash a rebound off a hard-charging Berlin forward. That brought a chorus of groans from the Mountaineers fans.

The only goal he allowed came with 6:33 left on a slap shot from the blue line that took a funny bounce.

"He has been doing this all year for us," said Tomes. "He is why we have gotten this far. He is winning games for us. He knows that we rely on him and he is responding."