Bedford boys hockey overcomes slow start to beat Bishop Brady
HOOKSETT – The Bedford High School boys hockey team did not allow a slow start to prevent it from capturing its second road win in 24 hours.
The Bulldogs scored the game’s final five goals to earn a 6-1 victory over Bishop Brady Thursday at Tri-Town Ice Arena, one day after defeating Manchester Central, 9-1.
“It was new but I don’t really think it affected anything,” Bedford junior forward Zach Bayer said of the back-to-back contests. “We just definitely came out slow but we picked it up once we got a couple goals in there, took more shots and we started playing Bedford hockey.”
The score was knotted at 1-1 after the opening 15 minutes before Bedford (7-0-1) found its stride offensively to the tune of three goals in the second period.
Bayer broke the 1-1 deadlock 6:18 into the second stanza when he scored on a low shot that went past Green Giants goaltender Nathaniel Pushee (33 saves).
Griffin Gagne and Jack McDonough provided the final two second-period goals for Bedford. Gagne redirected a shot past Pushee 7:31 into the second. McDonough built a three-goal Bulldogs lead when he scored off a feed from Jack Flanagan just before the buzzer sounded for the end of the period.
Jay Roberto and Flanagan found the back of the net in the third period to tally Bedford’s final two goals.
The Bulldogs outshot Bishop Brady, 39-10, and did not surrender a shot on goal in the third period.
“The first period, we weren’t as prepared as we should have been and we played that way,” Bedford coach Marty Myers said. “But I thought the second and third period, we turned it around and we played better, for sure.”
Bishop Brady (1-6) had two power plays in the second frame but could not best Bedford netminder Erik Voloshin (nine saves). The Green Giants also had a goal waived off with 45 seconds left in the middle period. The puck squirted in during a scrum in front of the net but the referees determined it was not a goal.
“It could have been 3-2 at the end of two (periods),” Bishop Brady coach Brian Saucier said. “Instead, we got a goal called back … And then they went down and scored with two seconds (left) in the period. That was a huge swing for us and we don’t have the goalscorers that can come back from that, typically.”
Saucier also felt fatigue played a factor in the contest. The Green Giants have 17 players on their roster, seven less than Bedford.
“They have a lot of heart,” Saucier said of his players. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the numbers so we just get worn down as the game goes on.”
Bedford was about to enter the first intermission with a 1-0 lead before the Green Giants scored late in the opening period.
Nate Bowler knotted the score at 1-1 with 1:46 left in the first frame. The senior forward scored from the right circle on Bishop Brady’s first power play off a feed from Stephen Donelan.
Bedford senior Jacob Rioux opened the game’s scoring 4:08 into the contest when he went top shelf on Pushee.
Bishop Brady did not allow the Bulldogs to set up camp in its zone in the first period but Bedford still ended the frame with an 11-5 shots advantage.
“That’s a really good team over there,” Saucier said of the Bulldogs. “Obviously they’re No. 1 in the state for a reason. They’re undefeated. I can see why.”
