WESTBOROUGH – Five years is a long time to go between playoff victories, and Algonquin Regional High School boys hockey Coach Greg Cappello was basking in the moment.
The Titans, who were seeded seventh in the MIAA Division 2 Boys State Hockey Tournament, beat Newton South 4-0 in the Round of 32 on Wednesday at Northstar Arena.
“This is great. We haven’t been beyond this point for a while,” said Cappello. “It’s awesome. We had the opportunity for two home games and now we’re going to play two home games, so you have to be excited.”
Algonquin boys hockey team’s last victory in the postseason came in 2018, a 4-1 win over Auburn in a Division 3 Central Sectional semifinal. The years since have seen Algonquin bounced in the first round three times and one season lost to the pandemic.
Senior Captain Andrew Hodge and junior Nate Gulachenski had two goals each and senior goalie Jack Stiles turned aside all 26 shots he faced, to lead the Titans. Sophomore Ben Yosca added three assists.
Hodge’s goals (20th and 21st of the season) gave Algonquin complete control of the game. In real time, they were scored about 15 minutes apart. But in game time, it was just 20.3 seconds.
The Titans were clinging to a 1-0 lead, as the final seconds of the second period ticked off. Hodge was camped in front of the net, took a feed from behind the goal from Yosca and flicked a shot that clanged off the post. But the puck ricocheted into the back of New South goalie Dylan Zukowski, deflected into the net and earned the goal with just 1.3 seconds on the clock.
Hodge would score again, just 19 seconds into the third period, giving Algonquin a 3-0 lead and sapping all the fight from the visiting Lions.
No. 26 seed Newton South (5-14-2) was able to hang close through the first two periods, thanks in large part to a sensational game from Zukowski, who finished with 42 saves.
Stiles was just a little bit better for the Titans.
Newton South’s best scoring chances came on power plans in the first and second periods, when they buzzed the Algonquin zone with almost constant pressure. Stiles made a huge pad save on Tim Kasyanov and then a gutsy poke check save on Declan Daley to keep the Lions off the board in the first period.
“He was fantastic there and he’s been that way for us all year long,” said Cappello. “In those big moments, he’s covering it up, he’s taking care of business.”
Algonquin broke the scoreless tie 1:27 into the second period. After a shot from the point by Jack Gulachenski was blocked in front, younger brother Nate was able to get a stick on the loose puck and snap it past Zukowski for the goal and a 1-0 lead.
It stayed that way, with Stiles and Zukowski frustrating the respective offenses, until Hodge’s “puck luck” goal at the end of the period.
Nate Gulachesnki capped the scoring with his second goal of the game and fourth of the season with 6:24 left to play.
With the win, the Titans (14-4-2) advance to the Sweet 16, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. at Northstar. They will take on the winner of Thursday’s Round of 32 game between No. 10 Wakefield and No. 23 Plymouth North.
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