After press time:
North Reading falls to Dennis-Yarmouth 4-1 (Feb. 18)
North Reading falls to Auburn 4-1 (Feb. 17)
North Reading defeats Everett 10-2 (Feb. 15)
North Reading defeats Pentucket 8-1 (Feb. 12)
Crowned CAL Champs
By DAN ZIMMERMAN
TEWKSBURY — Try as they might, the North Reading boys’ hockey team was unable to snap their current losing streak which reached three consecutive following Saturday afternoon’s 4-1 defeat to Essex Tech.
After scoring 31 goals combined in their earlier five game stretch of first-rate hockey, North Reading has suddenly fallen on hard times offensively, adding only a single goal in each of the three losses. The Hornets were edged by Newburyport, 2-1, and were pounded in the season rematch with Amesbury, 6-1, prior to the matinee with Essex Tech.
The results with Essex Tech were eerily similar to the recent defeat to Newburyport in which the Hornets were competing only to suffer a late game collapse. In this instance, the Hawks netted three third period goals in a 2:03 span.
“We knew coming in, they were going to be hungry,” said North Reading Coach Brian McAuliffe of Essex Tech, which improved to 13-3-1 overall and is currently ranked top-5 in Division 3. “For them, a win today will help cement the CAL Kinney title.”
There was, however, a window of opportunity for North Reading. Riding an undefeated month of January, featuring an eight-game string of wins, the Hawks came into Breakaway Ice Center smarting after back-to-back February losses. After a scoreless first period, the Hawks beat Steven DeLisle in the first minute of the second.
Certainly no surprise but the game turned decidedly chippy. To their detriment, a number of the Hawks skaters were guilty of taking liberties in the crease, often jabbing at DeLisle well after the whistle. Scrums resulted and penalties mounted.
North Reading squandered a 55-second 2-man advantage midway through the middle frame but later capitalized on a power play when Essex Tech yielded a 2-on-1 break. Christian Lava fed a cross-ice pass to Tom Gazda in an oft-practiced play, resulting in a game-tying goal. It was Gazda’s 11th of the season while the helper moved Lava to 26 points (16-goals, 10 assists).
Essex Tech redoubled the effort as play resumed for the third. DeLisle, who missed a scheduled start last week while joining a number of his teammates fighting the flu bug, was no worse for wear. But the Hawks relentless assault was too much for the exceptional goaltender.
“I thought Steven played a great game, facing 44-shots today,” said McAuliffe, who is 8-7 overall with 4 regular season games remaining. “Unfortunately, they were able to sneak a few in.”
North Reading is clinging to the 10th spot in the MIAA Division 4 Power Rankings. The top-16 teams will claim home ice in the upcoming State tournament.
The Hornets traveled to face a resurgent 7-9 Pentucket club on Wednesday night (results in after press time) and will host Everett in a season rematch on Saturday at 12 p.m. On Monday and Tuesday, the Hornets will wrap up the regular season, joining three other clubs in the annual Jeff Hayes Memorial Tournament, contested at the Gallo Ice Arena in Bourne.