RallyNorth.net

Wed, Dec 19, 2007 07:00 PM @ Newburyport

Team	1	2	3	Final
Lynnfield	0	0	0	0
Newburyport	0	1	0	1

Newburyport beats Lynnfield in rematch of last year's Division 2 North quarterfinal

Thursday, December, 20 By Dan Guttenplan
Sports editor

The Newburyport hockey team can breathe a sigh of relief. There will be no 0-3 start this season.

That seemed like a realistic prospect entering last night's tilt with Lynnfield | a team that advanced to the EMass. ivision 2 North final last winter and already outscored two opponents, 15-3, this season. With a North Reading squad that finished 12-6-5 last winter on the schedule for Saturday, the Clippers appeared to be destined for a three-game losing streak.

But the Clippers pulled off a shocker at Graf Rink, holding off Lynnfield, 1-0. Derek Freeman scored the game's only goal on an assist from his brother Dave at 1:27 of the second period. Clippers goalie Brendan Doherty made 19 saves in the shutout.

The victory was especially sweet for the Clippers, considering Lynnfield ended their season with a 4-2 win in the Division 2 North quarterfinal last March. Lynnfield returned may of its top players including standout goalie Craig Cataldo, who posted three overtime victories in five tournament games.

Newburyport, on the other hand, graduated its top two scorers, Max Bayko and Kyle Roback, as well as goalie Matt O'Connor, a two-time Cape Ann League All-Star. The Clippers particularly missed those players in an opening-night loss to Masconomet Saturday night. In a 4-2 defeat, they outshot the visitors and controlled the puck in their offensive zone for the majority of the game.

Clippers senior Brendan Doherty assuaged Newburyport fans' concerns regarding replacing O'Connor last evening, turning away countless scoring opportunities, including a John Connolly shot from point-blank range with 33 seconds remaining.

"Brendan had a couple of good days of practice leading up to (last night)," Newburyport coach Paul Yameen said. "I had confidence in him, and the team had confidence. It's exactly what he needed. Now he knows he can do it."

Replacing Bayko and Roback's scoring may be a matter for another night, but the Clippers got all they needed last evening when Dave Freeman zipped a pass from along the right boards to his brother Derek, who was crashing the net.

"Because of how we lost to them in the state tournament, we were extra pumped up," Derek Freeman said. "I was so happy to get that pass from my brother."

The Freeman brothers didn't exactly spread the love to Lynnfield's side. In a game in which Newburyport surprisingly outshot and outhit its favored opponent, Dave and Derek Freeman were the primary delivery men for body checks.

"We stressed that we had to be physical against Lynnfield because they're so skilled," Yameen said. "For two games in a row, Dave Freeman has been laying the lumber. It's imperative to play with the body, and we had some quality body checks. That tends to weaken an opponent, and that's part of our game plan."

The importance of the victory was not lost on Yameen or his players. Following the final horn, Yameen exchanged high-fives and hugs with other members of his staff. The players on the bench spilled onto the ice and swarmed Doherty to congratulate him on his first varsity shutout.

Newburyport entered last night's game with a 0-3-2 record against Lynnfield in the last five meetings. The last four regular-season games were decided by one goal or less.

"We were so upset about losing to them last year," Dave Freeman said. "We wanted to be physical, we wanted to play fast, and we wanted to play hard. That's what we did, and now we have to keep doing it."