RallyNorth.net

Bates, Reny deliver underdog Headers first-ever North title

Friday, March, 07 By Matt Williams
Staff writer

NORTH BILLERICA -- If a picture is worth 1,000 words, the look on Marblehead senior Eric Fader's face as he hoisted the Division 3 North championship trophy might as well have been worth one million.

Simply put, one thousand words aren't enough to describe the joy Fader and the 12th-seeded Headers (14-10-0) felt when, against all odds, they dropped No. 2 Concord-Carlisle, 1-0, to win the first sectional title in school history at the Chelmsford Forum last night.

"This is something special, something that I've never felt in my life. Ever," said Fader, who dislocated his elbow in the second round against Boston Latin Academy. Though he didn't skate, a brace allowed the senior to don his No. 7 jersey and participate in warm-ups and the post-game celebration.

Andrew Bates broke a scoreless tie with 8:31 left in regulation when he hammered home a perfect pass from Chris Donahue. It was all the offense the Headers needed with junior goalie Aaron Reny (30 saves) holding the fort to earn his second straight shutout win.

"This is unbelievable," said Bates. "No one picked us to win anything and now we're North champs. It's a great feeling because our locker room has always been positive. It's awesome."

On the winner, Bates passed back to Donahue at the blue line and skated around the cage. Donahue fired towards the net and found Bates on the door step to complete a beautiful give-and-go behind C-C goalie Jon Nessa. Sophomore Anders Gunderson earned the second assist.

"Chris made an awesome pass. He just slid it right back to me and the goalie didn't even know what hit him," Bates said.

The Header defense was exemplary against a Concord-Carlisle team that came in having totaled 15 goals in their two tournament wins. Gunderson, who double-shifted as a center and defenseman, as well as Mike Cohn and Ben Koopman stayed with the fast and dangerous Patriot skaters and stopped them from cutting to the front of the net.

"Concord-Carlisle was scoring anywhere from four to seven goals in most of their games," said Marblehead coach Bobby Jackson. "We wanted to get them in uncharted waters a little bit because they hadn't been in many 0-0 games."

The strategy worked. Once the Headers went on top 1-0, the Patriots were frustrated and generated little offense aside from a P.J. Fulton bid that hit the post with 3:30 to play. The backchecking of centers Jackson Barber, Gunderson and Chris McLeod was instrumental in shutting down C-C.

"We have a system that does a lot with the third forward," explained Jackson. "He helps keep the opposing cycle deep and our three centers did a great job of picking up their third guy. That made a big difference."

Not to be forgotten was Reny, who stoned two breakaways in the third and made a highlight-reel glove save as time expired in the second. The junior | who Jackson called the Rock of Gibraltar after the tourney opening win over Swampscott | extended his personal shutout streak to an amazing 98:11.

"Aaron made some huge stops; he's been unbelievable the entire tournament," said Bates. "We're a great defensive hockey club and that's our number one goal. We're playing great hockey right now."

The Headers thought they had scored the game's first goal with 12:27 to go when McLeod's bid from the blue line appeared to sneak through Nessa's pads. The officials denied that the puck had crossed the line, though, despite adamant protest from the Marblehead bench.

"From our angle it looked like it was in. The referee was adamant that he was there and it didn't cross," said Jackson.

Thankfully for Marblehead, Bates' goal made it irrelevant and put the exclamation point on an incredible run through the Division 3 North bracket highlighted by 1-0 wins over the No. 1 (Trinity Catholic) and No. 2 (C-C) seeds.

"I always believed in us," Bates said of his underdog squad. "I always believed we could get there and stayed positive and everybody else believed in each other, too."

As the squad took the traditional victory lap around the Chelmsford Forum ice with the Div. 3 North hardware in tow, and Fader among them where he belonged, the team unity and trust that lifted them to these heights were obvious.

"I couldn't play but I knew I could help them get motivated and it felt great to hold up that trophy," said Fader. "I just told them that we have nothing to lose and we have to prove that we're champs. We did."