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Fishermen pull away late to drop Big Blue

For the second straight game, the Swampscott boys hockey team found itself trailing by two goals in the third period. This time, though, the Big Blue's comeback bid fell short as host Gloucester scored two back-breaking goals in the final minutes to emerge with a 6-3 triumph in Northeastern Conference action.

"I was pleased with the overall effort to hang in with a high-powered offense like (Gloucester's) and have a shot at the end," said Swampscott coach Geno Faia. "Some mistakes on our part caused those quick goals at the end."

In an up-and-down affair that saw Swampscott goalie Conor Barten stop 39 shots and counterpart Bradley Robinson make 36 saves, John Pelletier scored early in the third cut Gloucester's lead to 4-3. Swampscott had the would-be tying goal waved off by a whistle and the Fishermen assumed control from there before adding the insurance goals.

"It goes to show that we can play with the top teams in the league so it's a bit of a confidence boost for us," said Faia. Danny Rakoc and Justin Massey also found the back of the net for Swampscott.

Additional stories:

• Fishermen find offense, defeat Big Blue