[ccfic caption-text format="plaintext"]
By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
Mike DiCenzo (11) fights off a Mansfield fore-checker and gets the puck up the boards.
The Walpole High School varsity boys hockey team opened its 2018-2019 season with a pair of games this past week, and currently sits at is 1-1-0. The Rebels dropped a tough 4-1 contest to Mansfield on December 12 before picking up their first victory of the season on Saturday against Newton North (4-2) in their home and Bay State Conference opener.
The Rebels fell behind early against Mansfield on Wednesday, as the Hornets went ahead 1-0 on a goal at 6:39 before doubling their lead on the power play at 11:36 to take a 2-0 into the first intermission.
Jack Garland made it a 3-0 game for Mansfield at 6:08 of the second period with a goal on a five-on-three power play. Senior captain Conor Foley made it a 3-1 game early in the third period by tucking home a breakaway off of a feed from fellow captain Ryan Boyajian, but Mansfield responded with an empty-netter to make it a 4-1 game and seal the victory.
On Saturday against Newton North, Ethan McDonough got the Rebels on the board early with a rebound goal before Matt Donnelly put Walpole up by two with a power play tally to make it a 2-0 game at the first intermission. Foley potted home his second goal of the season at 1:44 of the second period to give the Rebels a commanding 3-0 lead.
Senior captain and forward Conor Foley (16) dashes for a loose puck.
Newton North responded with a pair of goals to cut the deficit to 3-2 with just over six minutes to play, but Boyajian’s first of the season on an empty-netter with just over a minute to play extended the lead back to a pair for Walpole and sealed the first victory of the season for the Rebels.
Walpole returns to action at Bridgewater-Raynham on December 22.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0.
