BROOKLINE, Mass. -- Dexter and Rivers skated to a 2-2 tie in a matchup of two teams that were both in last year’s NEPSAC Stuart/Corkery Elite 8 Tournament.
Rivers jumped out to a 1-0 lead after one period of play thanks to the first of two goals scored by its first line. Michael McEachern banged home a rebound with assists going to linemates Matt Cormier and Philip Tresca at the 4:25 mark.
The score stayed 1-0 in favor of the Red Wings until 9:32 of the second period. ‘03 sophomore right wing Vincent Gould, who played sparingly, scored a rebound goal after some good cycling from Chase McInnis and Ben Raymond.
Rivers regained a one-goal edge at the 5:34 mark of the third period. Skating in on an odd-man rush, Tresca fired a low wrist shot on goal from the left wing. The shot was saved, but the rebound went right to Cormier for an easy finish.
Dexter knotted the score at two with 5:50 to play in regulation. Wesley Gierkink sniped a shot over the glove of Rivers goaltender Connor Sullivan. The play was made by right wing Jack Dempsey who did a great job digging the puck out from below the goal line.
The two teams skated to a scoreless overtime, resulting in the 2-2 tie. Dexter had the better of the chances in the extra session, including a power play attempt in the final minute.
With St. Sebastian’s playing at home just over two hours prior to the start of this one, there were numerous NHL scouts in attendance, including some crossover scouts and head scouts from teams across both conferences.
With potential second round pick John Farinacci still out of the lineup for Dexter, scouts were there to watch Rivers junior defenseman Cade Webber, who was merely pedestrian. He only made one play on the evening and struggled to use his size to his advantage to protect his own net. Too often he'll rush up the ice with his size and smooth stride, but the play seems to be left out there.
Some scouts also like Dexter goaltender Derek Mullahy, a Harvard commit. While the Scituate, Mass., native is undersized for NHL goaltending standards, he’s consistently been the best goaltender in prep hockey this season. However, Wednesday’s game wasn’t his best. Both Rivers goals came off rather juicy rebounds.
In the opinion of this observer, the best draft-eligible defenseman in this game was Dexter junior Ben Meehan, a UMass Lowell recruit. The Walpole, Mass., native didn’t do much to the casual eye, but he doesn’t make mistakes. He plays a solid game and uses his good stick, strong hockey sense, and an edge to defend well and make solid breakout passes on first touch.
While not a NHL prospect, Rivers’ best defenseman was Brown commit Tony Andreozzi. He skates well and plays hard. He’s not afraid to throw his weight around and he can make plays in transition as well as quarterback the power play.
Wakefield, Mass., native Bobby Pearl had another strong game for Dexter. While he won’t play Division I, he should receive more accolades than he does. He’s an exceptional two-sport athlete that will play both hockey and baseball at Bowdoin.
Dexter Lines
24 Chase McInnis - 18 Ben Raymond - 11 Connor Blanchard
26 Cullin Wilson - 23 Aidan Connolly - 17 Doug Grimes
2 Jack Dempsey - 10 Tommy Grealy - 19 Wes Gierkink
X RW - 15 Vincent Gould
7 Matt Fusco - 14 Ben Meehan
4 Bobby Pearl - 3 John Fusco
21 Kevin McKay - 12 Patrick Morrissey
6 Mikey Adamson - 22 Jack Hughes
35 Derek Mullahy
Rivers Lines
5 Michael McEachern - 7 Phil Tresca - 6 Matt Cormier
22 Henry Muller - 11 Ziv Deener-Chordiker - 21 Sam Amato
14 Will Conway - 3 Coleman Nee - 17 Tommy Miller
8 Cade Webber - 16 Ryan Bell
20 Pat Lawn - 15 Tony Andreozzi
19 Ryan Rahbany
30 Connor Sullivan
