There are certain types of sporting events that people associate with different holidays. Thanksgiving seems to be made for football: it’s cold outside and getting dark earlier each day. We eat copious amounts of food that lends itself to laying on the couch nearly comatose with the TV clicker in hand. The 4th of July to me always went with baseball. A slow, lazy day meant for gassing beers and listening/watching to a slow, lazy sport (while gassing beers). As much as the NHL tries to force all the outdoor games down our throats every year, to me it feels just that, forced. In my life (and in my view), the week between Christmas and New Year’s is all about high school hockey.
This is the time of year when everyone is home. The Thanksgiving break is always a blur of get togethers; at least one night out at the local bar that you end up regretting, a rush of family and friends and somehow you find yourself talking to people that you didn’t want to ever see again, let alone get their updated life story. Then it’s packing up leftovers and heading back to whence you came. But the Christmas/New Year’s Eve break? That’s a different cat altogether. You’re home for an extended visit, you have a longer break from work (hopefully?), the kids are all looking for things to do and you still have the post-Christmas glow of actually liking everyone.
I am currently at my in-laws for an extended visit on the South Shore of MA and a buddy of mine that I play beer league with lives in the area too. It just so happens that his son is the goalie for his high school hockey team (and also rocks the A on his sweater, not a big deal) and they had a game on New Year’s Eve day with a noon puck drop. Now Nick has watched A LOT of old-man hockey over the years, so I felt it was only fair to go watch him play. You could say what a nice guy I am, and you could also say that during extended visits with the in-laws I end up desperately searching for things to do. Both of these things can be true at the same time, I won’t use the word hero, but you can if you’d like.
As you can see from the pic above, Nick plays for the Abington Green Wave, and they hosted the St. John Paul II Lions at the Rockland Ice Rink. It’s a rink that shouts “high school hockey” as soon as you walk in. Built in 1962 the barn features the benches side by side on the far side of the rink with stair-seat style bleachers on one side facing them. Scoreboards at both ends and the visiting team exits the ice through the walkway and under the stands, while the home team heads up the stairs and through the student section to get to their locker room. It’s a Norman Rockwellian experience, albeit with saltier language and big hits on the ice.
You see all types of stereotypes at high school hockey games here in the Hub of Hockey. Moms and younger siblings decked out in all the swag that supports the team (or their travel hockey club). Hockey dads that are banging on the glass while shouting instructions to their kid (which usually counters what the coaches are saying). High school kids trying hard to look cool and not be too obvious while checking each other out. The leather-lunged townies that think every call went against them and that the refs drove into town on the visitor’s bus. Little kids hunting every stray puck and asking for every fried concoction that the snack bar has to offer. The dads that are thanklessly pushing the 50/50 and trying to sell raffle tickets to their friends and neighbors. The college underclassmen coming back home hoping the “one who got away” is around and maybe now single for the holidays? We’re all there together in this communal space to watch some high school hockey that somehow has gotten faster and more skilled with every passing year.
The Green Wave came into this one with only one win on this young season but their 2 losses were only by a goal each so they were due to get it all going the right way. St. John’s has had a better time of it so far this campaign, as they were 4-1 before squaring off in Rockland yesterday. The game had a playoff feel to it from the opening draw and the pace and physicality ramped up as the game progressed. Up and down the ice, the Green Wave played a disciplined game with good defensive structure and good puck protection and management. Stick tap to the Abington coaching staff as you had the boys dialed in for this one. HC Bryan Woodford, Assistants Nick Malafronte, Shane Murray and Dennis Murray along with goalie coach Jack Houghton. As someone who’s coached at the high school level, thank you for what you do. It’s long hours and a lot of grief, but a game like yesterday’s makes it all worthwhile.
Abington got on the scoreboard first as Declan McCarthy finished off a feed from Sam McDonald when he beat the St. John goalie up high over the shoulder. D-Mac almost popped the water bottle, but even still: a snipe is a snipe is a snipe. 1-0 and the Green Wave was off and running.
A couple of sophomores extended the lead as Sean Duggan got on the scoresheet when he buried a feed from Amani DeJesus. 33 from 11 to the back of the net. I will say that DeJesus was targeted by the St. John forwards throughout the contest but the young defenseman shed forecheckers with ease and avoided a number of big hits.
To put the game out of reach Sean Niles buried a McCarthy rebound and that was all she wrote. McCarthy was buzzing the St. John’s cage but just couldn’t get it home. Niles (much like his #63 counterpart on the Bruins) had no fear going to the dirty area and he punched home the rebound for his first career goal. The Little Ball of Niler. 3-0 Green Wave gets the dub and the locals all go home happy.
Shout out to Nick Harris in net for his 2nd win on the season and his first shutout. Could be that his 2nd favorite beer league beauty was in the stands watching, but who can say for sure? Great effort in net as he was laterally very smooth and on top of his crease tracking pucks all day. I mean he came into this one with a .920% save percentage and then shut the door for 36 saves. I’m not sure, but is that good?
What a great way to end the 2024 year and turn the calendar over to 2025. An entire community out on a Tuesday afternoon to cheer on their sons and friends, neighbors and classmates. From grandparents to younger brothers and sisters, everyone in the stands (that was cheering for Abington) had a great time and got to watch some top-notch high school hockey. The crowd even got to see the legendary pond skater turned varsity sensation Evan Faulkner take an extended shift in the closing minutes of the third. The local legend got the crowd fired up for sure, what an absolute beauty.
With the Boston Bruins losing to the Washington Capitals yesterday, the Boston Fleet dropping 2 straight and Northeastern still on holiday break it was great to see a team I was rooting for get the dub. St. John’s is back on the Cape licking their wounds as Abington is still celebrating.
Happy New Year and thank God for the Green Wave, if they had lost this one I would have had to start watching basketball.
The Morning Skate 