In order to win the Division II title, Bow will have to do something no team has been able to do this season – beat Keene.
The top-seeded Blackbirds (18-0-0) are responsible for the only two blemishes on Bow’s 17-2-1 record. Keene beat the Falcons, 3-0, on Dec. 21 and repeated the trick on Feb. 18 with a 5-3 win. Bow will get another crack at the Blackbirds in Saturday’s D-II championship, scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. at SNHU Arena in Manchester.
Solving the Keene puzzle will start with defense, and the Falcons know it.
“They are a team that can really skate,” Bow Coach Tim Walsh said of the Blackbirds. “They are very talented offensively. They move the puck out of their zone quick. We have to make sure we can’t give up any big plays. If you let up for one second they take advantage and they kill you.”
Keene’s all-senior forward line of Gaetano Delonge, Jason Langvein and Nate Darwin took advantage of some miscues by the Falcons’ defense in their regular season victories and did the same thing in a 4-1 semifinal victory over No. 6 St. Thomas.
“We made a lot of mistakes. We gave (Keene) opportunities to hurt us and they did,” Walsh said. “That’s what good teams do. It’s not a fluke thing … They’re very well coached and disciplined.”
Bow played solid defense in the semifinals thanks to a strong forecheck and great play from senior defensemen Brendan Ulrich and Colin Tracy, and junior Brandon Tibbetts, who broke up several odd-man rushes and tied up Windham’s forwards. Most of Windham’s shots came from the outside, making life easier for sophomore goaltender Nate Carrier (16 saves).
“We view defense as a six-man unit,” said Walsh. “Our offensive forecheck is very aggressive. One of our trademarks is how well we skate. That’s because the kids work so hard in practice, but Keene skates as well as we do. We try to bottle (our opponents) up in the neutral zone. We can’t let teams come flying into the neutral zone.
Walsh highlighted Keene’s Delonge as a strong stick handler, Langevin as a good two-way player and Darwin as the team’s best shooter.
In addition to scoring goals against Windham, Champagne and senior forward Alex Killion were a key part of the Falcons’ forecheck, as were Killion’s linemates, senior Austin Beaudette and junior Ryan Tobeler. Senior Chris Mead recorded an assist on Champagne’s goal in the semifinals.
Champagne, Mead and Beaudette all scored in Bow’s 3-1 quarterfinal win over No. 10 Portsmouth-Newmarket, the same trio that found the back of the net in the Falcons’ 5-3 loss against Keene.
Keene beat No. 9 Spaulding, 4-0, in the quarterfinals.
Not only are the Falcons looking to avenge their two regular-season losses to Keene, they’re also looking for some redemption from last year’s D-II title game, where they lost to Windham, 4-3.
All three scorers from last year’s championship (Champagne, Killion and junior forward Dom Biron) have title game experience, as do Ulrich and Tibbetts, who recorded assists, and Carrier, who made 14 saves.
The Falcons also appeared in the finals in 2014, but they haven’t won a championship since their first appearance in 2010. The Blackbirds are playing in their first championship game.
“Experience is overrated unless its used,” Walsh said.
Getting a quick start could be key for the Falcons, who fell behind 3-0 after the first period in last year’s final and in the second meeting with Keene earlier this season.
“It’s something where you’ve always got to be ready for the long pass,” said Walsh. “You’ve got to be on your toes the whole time. Keene is 18-0 for a reason. They’re the real deal.”