THE WARRIORS line up for the National Anthem before their 5-1 season opening win over Triton on Tuesday night. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
STONEHAM — The Wakefield High boys’ hockey team cruised into the 2021-22 season with a convincing 5-1 victory over Triton at Stoneham Arena on Tuesday night.
The Warriors were led by senior captain Joey O’Brien who tallied four points with two goals and two assists while centering Wakefield’s top line.
Junior captain Matt Elwell, skating on O’Brien’s left wing, had two goals and an assist.
Senior centerman Mike Pellegrino had a goal.
Wakefield had additional assists from senior defenseman Matt Burns, junior right winger Jack Curran, junior right winger Bobby DeFeo and freshman defenseman Trevor Veilleux.
Senior goalie Jonathan Guida had 14 saves.
The Warriors, who have continued to grow as a program under 3rd-year head coach Mike Geary, looked like they were in midseason form against the Vikings, especially in a dominant second period in which they outscored Triton 2-0 for a commanding 4-1 lead.
Guida and the defense shut out the Vikings again in the 3rd period on their way to a 1-0 start.
Before he started the scoring, O’Brien blocked two shots in his first two shifts, sending a message to his teammates that this year’s group would do whatever it takes to succeed.
The second line of Seniors Ryan Rossini and Dan Mailhoit along with freshman Andrew Nemec had a quality shift and were robbed of a great scoring chance by the Triton goalie while the defense, especially junior Joe Colliton, skated well to clear the zone.
The Warriors killed a penalty before O’Brien made it 1-0 with 3:27 to go in the period. He received a dish from Elwell at the blue line and flew around the last defenseman before a quality finish. Burns had a clean breakout in the Warrior defensive zone to start the play and earn an assist.
That opened the flood gates for two more goals in the final two and a half minutes. Pellegrino tipped home a Curran shot in front to make it 2-0 but Triton responded well to make it 2-1 after one.
O’Brien wasted no time in getting Wakefield another one in the second, scoring an unassisted goal just 16 seconds in. He recovered a loose puck at the point and sent in a long, low shot that found its way through some good traffic in front set up by his linemates Elwell and DeFeo.
Wakefield’s fourth and Elwell’s first was the prettiest of the night. DeFeo found O’Brien behind the net, after he turned the goalie by skating it through Gretzky’s Office, “OB” put a perfect pass in front and Elwell hammered it home with a one-timer.
The Warriors outshot the Vikings 21-15, an advantage that was most evident in the second.
Guida was busier in the 3rd making multiple quality stops. Elwell finished the scoring with a nice shot off a pass from Veilleux following a Warrior faceoff win in the offensive zone. Following his fellow captain’s lead to start the game, Elwell finished it by blocking a slap shot as the buzzer sounded.
Wakefield will look to keep it going with another non-league matchup tomorrow night, 5:30 p.m. against Beverly at Endictott College’s Bourque Arena. They start up league play on Monday night, 8 p.m. against Arlington at Stoneham Arena.