Flurry of goals in second period lifts Salem boys hockey over Nashua South-Pelham
The Salem High School boys hockey team might have had the lead after one period, but that didn’t mean coach Mark McGinn liked what he was seeing.
SALEM – The Salem High School boys hockey team might have had the lead after one period, but that didn’t mean coach Mark McGinn liked what he was seeing.
After the Blue Devils played what the coach called a “sloppy” first period, they started to put things together early in the second, scoring two goals in 81 seconds on the way to a 4-1 win over Nashua South-Pelham on Wednesday at The Icenter.
Matty Pappalardo led the way for Salem, having a hand in all four goals, as he finished with a goal and three assists, and goalie Paddy Capsalis stopped 19 shots, including a few key ones in the first period.
“Matty is a great leader,” McGinn said. “With him it starts with physical play. If he’s banging and he’s moving his feet, he’s really effective. He had a little energy and excitement (Wednesday). He might not wear a ‘C,’ but he’s a big leader for us. He is going in a positive direction.
“We’re allowing (Capsalis) to see everything, which is helping him. Most of the shots he sees, he stops, like most good goaltenders. We’ve got to eliminate those rebounds and second scoring opportunities.”
Mitchell McGinn added a goal and two assists for Salem (3-0 in Division I) while Alec Svenson and Mason Healey also had a goal apiece.
Robert Haverty had the lone score for the Kings (0-3), who beat Capsalis just 1:07 after Svenson had given Salem a three-goal lead. Nathan Radin and Adam Gagnon combined to make 18 saves for South-Pelham.
“We played great in the first period, and then we kind of collapsed in the second and third period,” South-Pelham coach Shawn Connors said. “They were just making bad choices. We stopped skating, we weren’t hustling. I don’t know if it’s because we got down by a couple of goals and they started hanging their heads, or what, but we definitely didn’t play the second and third like we wanted to.”
The teams opened the game going up and down the ice, trading possession and chances until Mitchell McGinn took a pass from Pappalardo in the slot and whipped it over the shoulder of Radin at 7:36 of the first period.
South-Pelham had a chance to tie it with time winding down in the first, as Haverty brought the puck in the Salem end, but Capsalis was able to make the stop.
But the Kings couldn’t carry momentum into the second, and Pappalardo made it 2-0 by converting a McGinn pass at 3:51 of the second. South-Pelham’s Michael Fournier was called for a trip just 1:24 later, and Salem needed just 14 seconds to go up three, as Svenson ripped a shot off the post and the puck caromed off Radin’s back and into the net.
“That power play, we set it up right, we did it as we practice,” Mark McGinn said. “Nice shot and we got a little bounce, and certainly, we had momentum from the goal before that, which helped. The third goal was pivotal.”
Haverty got one back, but with 4:17 left in the period, a turnover in the Kings’ end led to Healey’s goal to restore the three-goal lead.
