Third-period goal by White lifts Dover boys hockey past Spaulding

DOVER – Adam White had a moment to realize two things Thursday when the puck got to his stick.

There was a lot of open net in front of the Dover High School senior, and that made him think he’d be able to backhand a shot on goal.

White was right on both accounts, as his third-period goal snapped a 2-2 tie and helped give the Green Wave a 4-2 victory over Spaulding in a Division II game at the Dover Ice Arena.

The goal came with 10:29 still left in regulation, and Dover made it stand up before adding an empty-netter in the final minute.

The win moves the Green Wave into a tie with Spaulding for second in the division at 9-2. Both teams trail Bedford (11-0), which will be making a trip to the seacoast on the next two Wednesday to play Dover and Spaulding, respectively.

“This game meant a lot to us,” White said. “Playoffs are coming up and it was good to get out there and give our best game. I think we’ll be doing that moving forward.”

Dover coach Steve Riker agreed, adding that it helped his team come closer to finding its identity.

“We’re still not sure what we’re going to be about,” he said. “Are we going to be about playing physical, are we going to be about scoring goals, are we going to be about defense, how are we going to win? It was good for us to beat somebody ahead of us in the standings.”

The Green Wave got goals from Robert Markusic and Kieran Lombard in the first period to take a 2-0 lead after one. Spaulding’s Zander Allen cut that lead in half just 2:09 into the second and the Red Raiders tied the game on a power play goal by Brent Phillips with 2:09 left in the period.

“In order for us to be successful, it takes five guys to skate on a regular basis and we weren’t doing that,” Spaulding coach Paul George said. “It’s up to them, they’ve got to be driven to do the work. They weren’t in the first period and they were in the second. The third period was pretty even.”

The teams played a back-and-forth third, but Dover was the only one to break through on the scoreboard.

White’s goal came on a two-on-one with teammate Nick Hudson, who made a pass across the ice to an open White, surprising Spaulding goalie Ben Toussaint (24 saves).

“I think he played Nick Hudson over (on the other side) too much and I had a lot of space after that,” White said. “I was surprised at how much room I had, which was why I decided to go backhand. It was quicker to get on my stick.”

It was one of several key plays Dover’s third line made all game.

“The third line played fantastic,” Riker said. “I couldn’t get them on the ice enough because it was power play, penalty kill, power play, penalty kill. I wanted to get them out there in the right situation, and when they were out there, they were fantastic. They were great defensively and that’s what we need from them. The goal is a bonus.”

A bonus that gives Dover the edge for one of the top seeds in the division, and the first-round bye that comes with it.