Rockets skate to 2-2 tie with Rebels

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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor

Last year’s magical Super Eight run by the Walpole High varsity boys hockey team is one that will forever be remembered in this area. However, now three games into the 2017-2018 season, it’s all about the present for head coach Ron Dowd and his group.

On Saturday night the Rebels (0-1-2) welcomed in long-time rival Needham to Rodman Arena for a pivotal Bay State Conference matchup.

Entering off the heels of two dominant victories over Acton-Boxboro (6-2) and Brookline (8-2), the Rockets (2-0-1) rode the momentum of their recent two-game win streak into Walpole on Saturday night, and it showed. The Rebels may have held a slight edge in the number of the scoring chances throughout the first period, but it was Needham who struck first. With 5:19 remaining in the period, senior captain and defenseman Trent Kamke fired a shot from the point that was partially blocked and sent high up in the air. The puck bounced in front of the Walpole cage and senior captain Tommy Fachetii was there to smack the puck home for a 1-0 Needham lead.

After Needham took a 1-0 advantage into the intermission, Walpole responded midway through the second period when Cullen McGlynn fired home his first of the season on the power play to tie the game at one. A little over four minutes later, with 5:17 remaining in the second period, junior forward Tommy Chmielewski gave Needham back the lead with a wicked wrist shot from the high slot, and the Rockets led by a goal entering the third.

The third period saw Needham play an extremely defensive style of hockey, with pucks constantly getting dumped in deep to try and chew up clock and players sacrificing the body in their own end to thwart scoring opportunities for the Rebels. For about 85 percent of the period, this strategy worked wonders for the Rockets; Needham’s defensive corps kept winning the races to loose pucks in their own end and clearing them out, all while goaltender Dylan Jones (27 saves) stood tall in net.

Despite all the hard work done in their own end by Needham, however, it still was not enough to stop the defending Bay State Conference champs from finding the back of the net. With a little under three minutes to play, Walpole senior forward and assistant captain Tyler Page fired home the tying goal off of a rebound on a net-mouth scramble, sending the Walpole side of the stands at Rodman Arena into a frenzy. The game ended in a 2-2 tie, and while Needham had probably done everything that they possibly could to knock off the defending conference champs, it just didn’t happen.

Nevertheless, the Rockets picked up a crucial point in the standings with the tie and remain unbeaten on the season. They have proven to be a major threat in the Bay State Conference through their first three games.

At the time of print, Needham will take on Weymouth on December 20 before heading over to Babson to face arch rival Wellesley on December 22.

Walpole, meanwhile, will try and pick up win No. 1 on the season when the Rebels host Milton on December 20 before squaring off with arch rival Norwood on December 23.

For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0, or read his blog at www.flannylive.wordpress.com.