Nearing the end of the winter wrapup series and we skate our way onto the rink and take a look back on area hockey teams.
It was a banner year yet again for Concord High’s boys, who defeated Bedford for their third consecutive championship and the program’s 11th. Belmont-Gilford gave Division III rival Berlin-Gorham a game in the state final but ultimately ended up as the runner-up.
From a total comprehensive view, eight local teams made the state tournament, and several players earned All-State recognition for their play throughout the season.
A closer examination of area programs and their performances from this season, ascending by division and win-loss record:
Key game: February’s tie game at Bedford, 2-2.
Key moment: Two first-period goals in the semifinal win against Hanover.
Season end:Championship win over Bedford, 3-0.
Final marks: The Tide entered this season knowing that the route to the championship would run through them; that’ll be the case next season as well. They lose eight seniors, including both goalies – Kevin Jones and Will Pegnam – and coach Dunc Walsh and his 32 years of experience running the program will be tested during the offseason to find the next batch of talented players to fill the holes.
Key game: February’s 4-1 win over Bow.
Key moment: Final win of the season against Nashua South-Pelham, 2-1.
Season end: Regular-season loss against Oyster River, 7-1.
Final marks: The Giants were on the wrong end of wide-deficit losses, but coach J.T. Thomas retains all but three players from this season. Look for Brady to be a more experienced and poised team in December 2022.
Key game: January’s 3-2 win at Hanover.
Key moment: February’s win against Manchester to snap a six-game losing streak.
Season end: Regular-season loss at Salem, 10-3.
Final marks: It was tough skating for the Falcons, who closed out the season 1-2-0. Coach Tim Walsh has plenty to be excited about for next season, however, with 17 of 20 skaters returning.
Key game: February’s 6-0 win over Kingswood that capped off a four-game victory streak.
Key moment: The quarterfinal win over No. 4 Dover to advance to the semis.
Season end: Semifinal loss to St. Thomas, 6-2.
Final marks: The Bearcats couldn’t replicate the same magic they had a year ago when they made it to the championship game, but they got close by appearing in the semifinals. Senior forward Aaron Bono earned Second Team All-State honors for his play throughout the season for the co-op.
Key game: February’s 2-1 win over Kennett, the final regular-season win of the year.
Key moment: Semifinal victory over No. 2 Hollis Brookline-Derryfield to advance to the D-III championship game.
Season end: Championship loss to Berlin-Gorham, 3-1.
Final marks: It was the second time in as many years that the Bulldogs found themselves in championship contention, and unfortunately – much like the 2016 effort – they had to settle for a runner-up position. Despite the championship loss, it was a successful season for Belmont-Gilford, highlighted by 16 wins and two players earning all-state honors.
Key game: February’s 6-1 win over John Stark-Hopkinton-Hillsboro-Deering.
Key moment: Down the stretch, PAC posted a 4-1-1 record to enter the playoffs as the fifth seed.
Season end: Quarterfinal loss to Lebanon-Stevens-Mount Royal, 4-3.
Final marks: PAC’s early playoff exit might be the loss that fuels the program’s offseason work as the one-goal difference was the third time it had lost to the Lebanon-led co-op by one goal this year. Coach Marc Noel was named the Division III Coach of the Year and tacked on another winning season for the program.
Key game: February’s one-goal win over ConVal-Conant.
Key moment: Securing a playoff spot despite a three-game skid to close the season.
Season end: Quarterfinal loss to Belmont-Gilford, 3-1.
Final marks: The JS-H-HD operation experienced up-and-down moments throughout the season, noted by a 5-4-0 record in the first half of the regular season and a 4-5-0 record in the second part. Senior forward Ethan Molnar earned First Team All-State honors for his play during the season as the program made it to the playoffs and, for the second year in a row, lost to a team that made it to the semifinal round.
Key game: February’s 4-1 win over ConVal-Conant.
Key moment: Consecutive late-season ties to help avoid a regular-season losing record.
Season end: Quarterfinal loss to Hollis Brookline-Derryfield, 3-2.
Final marks: The Kearsarge-Plymouth program closed out the regular season atop a rolling wave by posting a 2-2-2 record. The highlight? Winning the final two games in a combined 6-1 effort. Unfortunately, it couldn’t ride that momentum into the playoffs, but fourth-year coach Justin Garzia has plenty to build upon for next season.
Key game: February’s 4-3 win over Kennett, a playoff team.
Key moment: The two victories came back-to-back.
Season end: Regular-season loss at Hollis Brookline-Derryfield, 5-1
Final marks: If you were to glance at the record, you might think the Laconia-led co-op struggled mightily this season, and on the surface that might prove a point. But a little investigation and you’ll see a squad that had six of its losses decided by two goals or fewer. And a program that suffers close losses is a sign that good things are coming.
Key game: February’s 3-2 win over Berlin-Gorham-Kennett.
Key moment: Winning five games in the span of nine days.
Season end:Quarterfinal loss to St. Thomas-Winnacunnet-Dover, 3-2.
Final marks: Concord was met with a disappointing end to an otherwise successful season. The Crimson Tide entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed and had home ice but couldn’t overcome a stingy St. Thomas-Winnacunnet-Dover team that wound up playing for a state title. Freshman forward Tess Mulkerron was electric in her high school debut and earned First Team All-State marks for her play. While coach Tim Herbert will lose some important names this offseason, look for defenseman Greta Norton to lead the charge next season.
Key game: January’s 5-4 win at Concord.
Key moment: Closing the season out on a 4-3-0 record.
Season end: Quarterfinal loss to Bishop Guertin, 10-2.
Final marks: The Brady-Trinity roster was young and inexperienced – six freshmen and one sophomore made the bulk of the team – but that didn’t prevent the co-op from finding success this season. Brinity’s 11 wins, including its 6-1 score over Keene-Monadnock-Fall Mountain in the first round of the playoffs, provided a great foundation for the team next year with seven of 10 players returning.