Hawks rally past Dogs

Friday, January 6, 2012

Staff photo by GRANT MORRIS
Merrimack's goalie Brett Glendye knocks the puck away from the goal during Wednesday evening's game against Bedford at Westside Arena in Manchester.

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Staff photo by GRANT MORRIS
Bedford's Brian Johnson stick checks Merrimack's Chris Fortin during Wednesday evening's game at Westside Arena in Manchester.

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Staff photo by GRANT MORRIS
Merrimack's Dom Valuzzi and Bedford's Brian Johnson scrap for the puck during Wednesday evening's game at Westside Arena in Manchester.

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Staff photo by GRANT MORRIS
Merrimack's goalie Brett Glendye knocks the puck away from the goal during Wednesday evening's game against Bedford at Westside Arena in Manchester.

Enlarge Purchase Photo

Staff photo by GRANT MORRIS
Bedford's Brian Johnson stick checks Merrimack's Chris Fortin during Wednesday evening's game at Westside Arena in Manchester.

Enlarge Purchase Photo

Staff photo by GRANT MORRIS
Merrimack's goalie Brett Glendye knocks the puck away from the goal during Wednesday evening's game against Bedford at Westside Arena in Manchester.

Enlarge Purchase Photo

MANCHESTER – The Bedford High School Bulldogs must wonder just what the heck they have to do to beat the Merrimack hockey team.

Last year the Tomahawks rallied from a 2-0 deficit after two periods to pull out a Division II tournament quarterfinal win. Wednesday, they rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2, scoring the game-tying goal with 18.9 seconds left in regulation before David Downie’s breakaway goal with 32.6 seconds left in overtime gave Merrimack a 4-3 win at West Side Arena.

Unbeaten Merrimack handed Bedford its first loss of the season.

“It’s tough,” Bedford co-captain Tyler Wise said. “They (the Tomahawks) don’t give up. That’s the most difficult part.”

It’s been quite a start to the season for the Tomahawks, 4-0 in Division II and 8-0 overall after winning the four-game grind known as the Bauer Christmas Tournament, mostly in one-goal fashion. How they survived overtime on Wednesday after being outshot 9-3 is anyone’s guess.

“It’s tough,” said Downie (also three assists), who sprinted toward the net off a feed from sophomore winger Connor Powell (whose goal tied the game) and wristed one past Bulldog goalie Stevan Tempesta.

“We don’t have the depth we really need, but we’re working for our wins.”

Bo,y are they ever. It helps that they have one of the division’s best goaltenders, junior Brett Glendye, who collected 30 saves in this one.

“I’ve played with him before and he’s a good goalie,” Wise said. “The first shot is not going in, you’re going to have to get the second or third (rebound).”

Which the Bulldogs did in getting a goal from Michael Dee (assisted by Kurt Mitchell) in the first period and another from Luke McDonough, assisted by Chris Viola and Brian Johnson, in the second for that 2-0 advantage.

“Bedford’s a deep team with three good lines,” Tomahawks first-year coach Kurt Mithoefer said. “There were stretches where we were hanging on for dear life, and Brett kept us in it.”

Still, it looked over after Bulldog Chris O’Hara tipped a Dee shot past Glendye for an apparent game-winner in a 4-on-4 situation at 11:26 of the third, snapping a 2-2 tie. The ’Hawks had valiantly fought back to tie it, Rutger Tupper beating Tempesta (18 saves) through traffic at 2:18 of the third and Cal Lezama tying it three minutes later on a rebound goal (Downie and Tupper with assists).

But the biggest surprise was Powell’s tying goal off a rebound of a Tupper blast in the final seconds of regulation.

“We told the kids, it’s not over until the final buzzer,” Mithoefer said. “But when Bedford (now 3-1) scored that last one, I thought it was it.”

Ironically, the game might not have even gone into the Bedford-dominated overtime had an apparent goal by the ’Hawks midway through the second counted.

The referees told Mithoefer they didn’t seen the puck go inside the post as it deflected out.

“The explanation was (the official) was in the corner and he didn’t know one way or another,” Mithoefer said.

No harm, it just made the game just like they’ve all been lately for the Tomahawks – that much tougher to win. Downie’s breakaway came just after McDonough whiffed on what looked like an open net chance at the other end.

“The games are close, but we have guys that don’t quit, have tenacity, and keep going,” Mithoefer said. “They’ve battled pretty well.”