It wasn’t easy. In fact, heart rates rose and jaws dropped. But in the end, Marblehead’s boys hockey team was off to TD Garden.
The No. 6 Headers – who began the season 0-6 – defeated No. 2 Shawsheen Valley Tech, 2-1, Saturday evening at Stoneham Arena, punching their ticket to the Division 3 state championship.
Hogan Sedky fed London McDonald for the eventual game-winning goal in the second period (2-1), while Kyle Hart began the scoring with a power-play strike in the first (1-0).
Fast forward to the third period. After a Marblehead penalty – plus a pulled Shawsheen goalie – the opposition had its chances late, but it wasn’t enough to get by netminder Leo Burdge (23 saves).
Celebration ensued, and now, the mission is one game away from being accomplished. The Headers take on top-seeded Nauset Sunday at The Garden with puck-drop set for 3 p.m.
Backtracking to Wednesday. There’s never a bad time to score your first varsity goal, but it doesn’t get much better than what happened at Gallo Arena in Bourne.
Noah Feingold of Marblehead’s boys hockey team tucked his first varsity goal in the No. 6 Headers’ 2-1 victory against No. 3 Scituate in the Elite 8.
Better yet, a freshman-to-freshman connection as Will Sullivan dished out the first-period assist (1-0).
Charlie Grenier joined the party before first intermission, potting one off a feed from junior James MacKenzie (2-0).
Scituate cut the lead in half during the third period courtesy of James Sullivan, but despite a late push, failed to find an equalizer as time ran out on its season.
Add 21 saves from netminder Burdge, and the Headers were off-and-running to the Final 4 behind second-year coach Mark Marfione.