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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
There are many different roads that a young hockey player can take in his or her life.
Some play the game up until their fates are determined during high school tryouts (*raises hand*). Others play in high school but give it up to pursue a college education.
There are also those who excel in high school and get recruited to go on and play in college, like Walpole native and current Northeastern Husky, Lincoln Griffin.
Pictured here strategizing before a neutral zone face off on Friday night against Vermont, Wellesley native John Picking (7) and Walpole native Lincoln Griffin (19) have played critical roles in Northeastern men’s hockey’s 7-3-1 start to the 2017-2018 season and the Huskies climbing to No. 12 in the latest PairWise rankings.
But there’s also the player who dominates in high school, yet somehow, largely goes unrecruited. However, this player works, and works, and works, and works some more until finally, he gets the call. That player is exemplified by Wellesley native and Northeastern Husky, John Picking.
Griffin, a junior and Thayer Academy product, has already registered four goals and two assists while primarily serving as the right wing on Northeastern’s second line this season. Meanwhile, Picking, a sophomore and a two-year product of the Boston Jr. Bruins (USPHL) following his time at Wellesley High School, has registered an assist and has switched around periodically from third to second line centerman, while also seeing time on the penalty kill and in critical defensive situations.
On Friday night, Northeastern hosted Vermont. While neither Griffin’s nor Picking’s names wound up on the score sheet, the talent possessed by both of these young men was put on full display. Griffin, who scored two goals last Friday night in a 6-1 win over Boston University, was all over the ice, creating offensive chance after offensive chance for the Huskies. Trailing 1-0 late in the third period despite outshooting and outplaying the Catamounts for the majority of the game, Northeastern turned to their playmakers to produce in the late minutes, and Griffin and company got the job done.
With 8:10 remaining, the Huskies tied it up at one just after a power play came to an end when Ryan Shea tipped home a shot from the point by Matt Filipe. A little under six minutes later, the Huskies broke out of their own end on an odd-man rush. Griffin fed a breakout pass to Garret Cockerill who dished a drop pass in the neutral zone to Dylan Sikura who then threaded a seed to defenseman Jeremy Davies up the right wing. Davies flew into the Vermont end and sniped a shot off the far left post and in to give the Huskies their first lead of the game with 2:12 to play.
Lincoln Griffin (19) celebrates with teammates following the game-winning goal by Jeremy Davies with 2:12 remaining in the third period.
In the final minutes, Picking and the NU grinders did their defensive duties, clogging shooting lanes, laying the body in the corners, and clearing the puck out to thwart a tying goal for Vermont, allowing Northeastern to emerge with a 2-1 win.
While the roads that led both John Picking and Lincoln Griffin to Northeastern may differ, as do their styles of play, there is no denying that this Walpole/Wellesley duo is making a significant impact for the Huntington Hounds, who’ve now begun the season 7-3-1 and sit at No. 12 in the country.
Best of luck to these two young men as they continue to serve as core pieces of NU hockey and make the towns of Walpole and Wellesley extremely proud.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0, or read his blog at www.flannylive.wordpress.com.
