By Avonlea Cummings
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Families and friends gathered together at the Pirelli Veterans Arena, Wednesday, February 8,
to celebrate the ten Medfield Warriors boys ice hockey seniors. With high spirits in the air, the
seniors embraced their loved ones during announcements before the highly anticipated match
against the Norwood Mustangs.
Not only did they celebrate the senior night, but the Warriors also fought out a fiery competition
against the Mustangs. They snagged the victory, leaving the ice with a 7-3 score.
As soon as the time clock struck, the Warriors bolted around the rink, circling the Mustangs'
defense. With energetic strides, the Warriors were hungry for goals. Freshman Matthew Dickson
drew blood first by knocking the puck into the net with 12:42 left to play in the first period.
Norwood struck back quickly after, as the Mustangs' Andrew Gillis tied the game only a couple
of minutes after Dickson’s first move.
The Mustangs wouldn’t let up against the Warriors. Soon after, Norwood junior Sam Lally
attacked the Warrior net, flinging his team's second goal of the night into the net with 9:48 to go
in the first.
With the Mustangs only leading 2-1 for three minutes, Warriors junior Charlie Hardiman zipped
up the ice to bag another goal for Medfield, closing the first period with the game knotted at 2-2.
In a lull for most of the second period, both teams resisted each other’s offense. Warriors senior
captain Kevin Arthur finally cracked the Mustangs’ defense, however, and whipped the puck into
the back of their net with less than two minutes left of the period.
Tension rose throughout the third as Mustangs began getting feisty against the Warriors. With
small disagreements on the ice, the Warriors remained collected as a team, knowing how to
play under the pressure. Arthur was first to strike in the third with 13:17 left of the period,
bringing the Warriors to a 4-2 lead. Soon after, Hardiman launched another goal against the
Mustangs within less than a minute in between, giving the Warriors a 5-2 lead.
Norwood's TJ Martin would finish out his team's last goal of the match, tallying the Mustangs'
one more notch on the scoreboard at 5-3.
Medfield senior captains Arthur and James Tyer would solidify their triumph over the Mustangs
in the final minute remaining in the competition. Arthur clinched his hat-trick goal with 40
seconds left of the game, giving the Warriors a 6-3 lead. The Warriors weren’t done yet, as
senior captain Tyer scored an empty-netter, finishing off the Warriors' win with a 7-3 score.
“We really wanted to play well for our senior night," said Arthur. "We wanted pucks in deep. We
wanted to play hard and intense, and have good energy. It felt great. We were buzzing the
whole time,” said Arthur.
Bill Ladd is the head coach for the Warriors, and he has led the team with a 13-2-1 overall
record this season. Having the seniors on the team has been impactful for the underclassmen
and the overall mindset for the season.
“They bring commitment, they bring work ethic, they bring intensity, enthusiasm. Every drill, they
always raise the bar for everyone. It’s been a special senior group, and a very special senior
leadership group this season. I’m grateful for that,” said Ladd.
Medfield celebrates varsity seniors James Tyer, Kevin Arthur, Ryan Dolan, Matthew Guindon,
Andrew Ladd, Connor Matthews, and Will Perachi; as well as junior varsity seniors Nick Wong,
Andrew Stanfield, and Matthew Holman.
