D-S Boys Hockey Ties Medfield In Thrilling Fashion Scoring Four Goals In The Third Period

After giving up their sixth goal of the game, putting them four goals behind in the third period most teams would have packed it in and taken a loss.

Instead the D-S boys hockey team took a win away from rival Medfield, Wednesday night, tying the game, 6-6, on a goal from Cole Tibbetts with 3.1 seconds left in the game.

Medfield had some costly penalties in the game that cost them the win, especially on the final goal of the game when the Warriors had three players in the penalty box, putting the Raiders at a 6-3 man advantage after pulling their goalie.

“You’ve got to be smarter, especially our very last penalty it was unacceptable,” said Medfield head coach Toby Carlow. “Those things cost you games and tonight it cost us a chance at a Tri-Valley League championship for sure.”

The score was tied 2-2 after the first period and it was in the second where Medfield took control of the game scoring three goals.

The second period has been a consistent problem for the Raiders this season.

“All year long our second period has been kind of our toughest period,” said D-S head coach Mike Balzerini. “We just had some mental breakdowns, a couple of costly turnovers, and not picking up guys.”

The Raiders found themselves in a three goal hole heading into the third period.

“A couple players thought to themselves 'Here we go again,'” Balzerini said. “But, you take it shift by shift. You go out, you work hard. You make your linemates better, you do one good thing on your shift and we’re going to get the momentum back.”

After giving up another goal to Medfield at the beginning of the third period, the Raiders began to slowly chip away at the lead. Getting goals from Jared Spence, Jeffrey Williams, P.J. Copponi, and Tibbetts in the final period.

On the final goal Tibbetts scored on a rebound in a flurry in front of the Warriors net with 3.1 seconds left on the clock.

In the end it was the Raiders execution and discipline that brought them back in the game.

“Everybody knew their job. Everybody knew how to line up in the faceoff and once the puck was dropped everybody just went to their position and it paid off,” said Balzerini. “It was an exciting game. We’ll take the one point.”

For Medfield it was perhaps a lack of execution and bad penalties that cost them the win.

“Lack of discipline, guys not doing the little things they need to do to win a game,” Carlow said. “It’s a position we put ourselves in.”