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01/09/2023 01:25 PMThe Thunderbirds boys’ ice hockey team extended their success from December into the New Year by overcoming a formidable Farmington Valley Generals team.
It seemed the Generals were still on the bus when freshman T.J. Connelly took a backhand sauce from Jack Maley, and with a quick spin-around shot he surprised the Farmington goaltender, recording his first high school career goal! The secondary assist went to CJ Sherwood. Time of goal: 48 seconds into the game!
The action was fast and physical throughout, and at the end of the first period North Branford had a 1-0 lead.
The second period saw scoring chances from both sides, yet it was at the mid-game mark that Farmington tied things up, with a blast from the point that was redirected past North Branford goaltender Aidan Geist. Geist managed 38 saves, many of them spectacular, before the final buzzer.
Deep into the final period, with the game knotted at 1-1 with nearly two minutes remaining, it was defenseman Collin Augur who saw Maley open in the neutral zone. His stretch pass was tape to tape, and Maley then passed to a streaking Sherwood who drove to the net, placing the puck behind the Generals goalie. North Branford led 2-1 with less than two minutes to go.
A frustrated Farmington player took a 2-minute penalty shortly after the next face-off. The Generals pulled their goalie to add scoring power. The result was Sherwood’s second goal, this one a 190-foot empty netter. The Thunderbirds walked away with a 3-1 win.
After this victory, Head Coach Ralph Shaw shared his comments: “I thought that was our most complete game played. We were down a few players for this afternoon, but the boys stepped up, we had to lean on some players tonight and they rose to the occasion.” Coach Shaw added, “proud of their resilience and effort today. Well done, Birds.”
After the win, the T-Birds then headed to East Haven for a meeting with the Guilford Grizzlies on Jan. 7. The battle between these two foes was amped up for this Saturday afternoon game at the newly renovated Veterans Memorial Rink.
Bright lights, loud buzzers, a flashy Zamboni, spirited fans, and two undefeated teams ensured this to be one for the ages.
The Thunderbirds opened this game with immediate offensive pressure that challenged the Grizzlies defense. After several scoring attempts at one end, it was Guilford striking first at the 10:00 minute mark of the first period. The ensuing offensive pressure by the Grizzlies resulted in two more goals against NB before the first period ended.
With Guilford up by three, the T-Birds needed a lift and that is what freshman T.J. Connelly gave them, with a goal less than two minutes into the second. Assists were recorded to Michael Matteo and Collin Augur.
The Grizzlies, however, responded quickly with their fourth goal of the game just 16 seconds later.
The second period closed with Guilford up 4-1 and the T-Birds looking for answers. The game to this point was feisty and the referees doled out numerous minutes of infractions to both teams. The penalty box stayed warm from body heat for most of this game.
The third period was a wild back and forth event, with multiple chances on both sides. It was Guilford that scored next. The Grizzlies went up 5-1, seemingly putting this one out of reach for the T-Birds with 11 minutes to go.
With close to seven minutes to play, it was North Branford’s winger Jake Pedersen who responded with a goal resulting from his teammates’ persistent forechecking, making the score 5-2.
Just 35 seconds later, it was Collin Augur tipping in a shot from Connor Stoner while on a Power Play, secondary assist being credited to Pedersen.
A Guilford penalty gave the T-Birds a man up advantage with nearly five minutes to go in the third. Michael Matteo put a hard wrister toward the goal that hit both posts, and the bouncing puck found Jack Maley’s stick, who quickly deposited it into the back of the net. Assists on this goal were credited to Matteo and Pedersen. The margin was now down to one, 5-4.
The next five minutes of play were intense. With the T-Birds looking to complete the late comeback, they pulled goaltender Aidan Geist (34 saves total) to add an extra scoring threat, yet it was Guilford that managed to put one more on the board with an empty netter with 30 seconds to go. The final score was Guilford 6, North Branford 4.