By Ken Chaisson
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
Intense, passionate, competitive, and spirited—every athletic contest between Walpole and Norwood is a rivalry, regardless of league affiliation.
On Monday, December 30, 2024, the two neighboring towns clashed once again, this time in girls’ and boys’ hockey at the Norwood Ice Arena in Walpole. While Norwood swept Walpole earlier in the month on the basketball court, the Timberwolves took both hockey games, winning 3-2 in girls’ hockey and 4-0 in boys’ hockey.
Walpole has long been known as a boys’ hockey town, with its history rooted in outdoor games on frozen ponds, lakes, and rivers. The boys’ hockey team once played on Memorial Pond, across from Town Hall.
The 2024-25 boys’ hockey team, coached by Ron Dowd, features senior captains Ed Dietel, Ryan Lania, Tyler Dacko, and Paul Whelan. The varsity roster includes 28 players, seven of whom are freshmen, and the program supports two junior varsity teams.
Norwood entered the game undefeated but left with their first loss of the season. Playing their first game in nine days, the Mustangs showed some rust as Walpole freshman Aiden Hoyle opened the scoring just 35 seconds into the game, assisted by Mike Conners. With 1:09 remaining in the first period, senior captain Lania doubled the lead, assisted by sophomore Nico Govoni, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. The excitement escalated to the point that two panels of glass were shattered, resulting in a 30-minute delay as the teams moved to the Olympic-sized rink at the arena to continue the game.
In the second period, Norwood gained momentum with multiple power-play opportunities but couldn’t capitalize. Both teams had goals waved off due to penalties or net displacement. Late in the period, Hoyle stole the puck in Norwood’s zone and fired a wrist shot past goaltender Brody Pacheco, giving Walpole a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the final intermission.
Walpole sealed the victory in the third period with an empty-net goal by Conners, bringing the final score to 4-0. Norwood’s student section, which had started leaving early, missed the final tally.
Goaltender Mike Roof was stellar throughout the game, supported by Walpole’s defensive duo of Dietel and Dacko, dubbed the "Double D’s" on defense. Roof’s steady play, along with the Snoopy Rock artwork on his mask, earned him high praise as he commanded the flow of the game and barked instructions to his teammates.
The Timberwolves capped their holiday break with a 2-0-1 record, tying Framingham, defeating Silver Lake, and shutting out Norwood.
This rivalry will continue in the spring, shifting to the baseball diamond.
