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Salem skates into finals

Wednesday, March, 10 By Jeff Hamrick

MANCHESTER – Masks are required this time around, but the Salem boys are returning to the state’s biggest hockey party for the first time since Tom Brady’s ring collection was basically just getting started.

After Salem tied Bedford with fewer than six minutes left Wednesday in the Division 1 semifinals at JFK Memorial Coliseum, Ryan Allard needed fewer than two minutes of overtime to give the Blue Devils a 2-1 victory and their first championship-game berth since 2005.

“That’s the biggest goal I’ve ever scored,” Allard, a senior, sheepishly said after his eighth goal of the year at 13:05 of the extra frame. “I just had to tie up my guy and get to the net and then see what happens.

“And the puck went in. We just gave it our all every shift, and whatever happens happens. We were just lucky to get the winning goal, I guess.”

There was little luck involved with the winning play that began on a faceoff in the right circle – a faceoff that senior Brady Ferreira not only controlled but turned into his second assist of the night.

“We were buzzing out there,” said Ferreira, who has a team high 12 assists. “Coach (Mark McGinn) told us to do the 1-2-2. We just did what coach said and got it done. I won the faceoff back … and like I said ran the 1-2-2 and got the puck to the net.”

While linemates Ferreira and Allard were too modest to take much credit, their coach knew the puck was handled by two of his best guys.

“(Ferreira) is a high-skilled kid,” said McGinn, who has led the program since its inception 22 years ago. “We have a power forward in center (Ryan) Pappalardo. Ferreira is the skilled kid on that line and Allard is the effort guy. It’s a good line.”

The two teams split a regular-season, home-and-home series. While Salem (13-1) outscored the Bulldogs by a combined 5-4, the Blue Devils managed only 34 shots against Bedford’s 72. And the rubber match played out much the same way through the first two scoreless periods. Fortunately, senior goalie Spencer Deane was outstanding despite a heavy early workload.

“That’s how our season has been,” McGinn said. “We were outshot 29-11 after two. Our goalie made some huge saves to keep it at 0-0 … We’re still working on our (defensive) coverage. But the kids don’t quit. They take advantage of the opportunities they do get. We don’t shoot enough.”

Bedford grabbed the lead early in the third on a Dalton Roberto slapshot from the point that slipped above Deane’s glove.

Salem tied the match midway through a power play when senior defenseman Austin Salvetti blasted home a forehand from the top of the slot for his third goal of the year with 5:51 remaining.

“In the third period and overtime, I think we started skating like we can,” McGinn said. “Sometimes we take periods off and a good team like (Bedford) can catch you.”

Now the Blue Devils go after after the program’s second state tile and first since 2004 when they return to Manchester at 7 p.m. Saturday and take on the winner of the Concord-Bishop Guertin semifinal for a state championship.

“This is the first time in my high school career to get to the championship,” Ferreira said. “This is definitely special, especially after that semifinal OT winner. It’s definitely a feeling I’m never going to forget.”

His coach his been around much longer, but he understands.

“We knew we had a good team coming back,” McGinn said. “We were just so happy to be playing hockey … But for me personally … I’m just excited to get back there after that long of time.”