WESTBOROUGH – When Algonquin’s Jack Gulachenski scored 31 seconds into the game, it seemed the Titans’ opening-round playoff matchup would be a breeze.
After Whitman-Hanson Regional High School answered less than two minutes later, many realized the game would be a battle – battle the Algonquin boys would ultimately lose.
Hundreds packed into NorthStar Ice Sports on Thursday night for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 2 round of 32 playoff game. After an intense, back-and-forth game that featured two hat tricks, 13 goals, two overtimes, 77 total shots and countless momentum swings, the No. 17 Whitman-Hanson Panthers defeated the No. 14 Algonquin Titans 7-6.
“It was one heck of a game to be a part of. I couldn’t be more happy with the way we played to be honest with you,” said Algonquin Head Coach Greg Cappello. “The guys played so hard. They rose to the occasion… It was just a fantastic high-school hockey game. I think if the guys can hold onto that, they’ll be able to be proud of it.”
Although Algonquin and Whitman-Hanson exchanged early goals, both teams added to their score throughout a six-goal first period. Just 70 seconds after the Panthers’ game-tying goal, Algonquin’s Nathan Meschisen found the back of the net, putting the Titans ahead 2-1.
But the lead didn’t last long as Whitman-Hanson quickly attacked the Algonquin defense, adding three goals before the end of the period. Panther Luke Tropeano scored twice, including one shorthanded and one power-play goal, to make the contest 3-2, and Billy Morgan, who scored Whitman-Hanson’s first goal, tallied his second of the game to send the Panthers into intermission leading 4-2.
The Titans weren’t anticipating a high-scoring contest, said Cappello, but they understood they needed quality play to beat the high-flying Whitman-Hanson squad.
“We knew they were a good team. All we had to do was look at their season, watch a couple game films online, and we knew they had a team that was similar to us in a lot of ways. I don’t think we’ve allowed that many shots on net in regulation in a long time… They were good in transition. They knew what they wanted to do; they had some guys who made it very difficult. They moved the puck well,” he told the Community Advocate after the game.
The Algonquin and Whitman-Hanson fans, who had numbers despite living an hour away from NorthStar, traded barbs after every score. Although both fan sections remained resolute throughout the high-scoring contest, Algonquin’s fanbase had more to cheer about in the second period. The Titans fought back and managed to even the score.
After 11 minutes of second-period scorelessness, Algonquin freshman forward Andrew Dunleavy’s long-distance shot found the top-left corner of the net, drawing the Titans within one. Just seconds before intermission, Gulachenski tipped the puck past the goalie to knot the score. One minute after intermission, Gulachenski struck once again for his third goal of the night, giving the Titans a 5-4 lead.
But Whitman-Hanson never relented. Five minutes later, Tropeano’s third goal tied the game once more, and soon after the Panthers took a 6-5 lead.
The 6-5 lead stood until the game’s final 15 seconds. In desperation mode, the Titans – who had a power-play opportunity after Whitman-Hanson was called for a roughing penalty – pulled their goalie, and with the numbers advantage, Wyatt Shea saved Algonquin’s season for the time being, shooting through traffic to tie the game at 6-6.
“[Wyatt is] a senior, quiet leader. He’s a behind-the-scenes guy who does all the right things on the ice. He put that one away, but it took everyone there. It was a ton of determination,” Cappello said, noting his team’s toughness and resilience with the season hanging in the balance.
After Shea’s heroics, the game went into overtime – a sudden-death, eight-minute, 4-on-4 period. After a scoreless first overtime, both teams played an eight-minute 3-on-3 period to decide the game. The Titans were centimeters away from victory – two potential game-winning shots bounced off the posts – but it wasn’t to be. Just over halfway through the second overtime, Tropeano’s fourth goal iced the game.
Algonquin – especially the team’s nine seniors – took the loss hard. The team gathered on the ice after the loss and spent considerable time in the locker room postgame.
But, according to Cappello, the team tried to focus on the good after the season-ending loss. The Titans finished the year 11-6-3.
“We went around the room… and tried to pull all the good stuff out of the game. There was a ton of it for us, so that wasn’t hard to do. But it’s heartbreaking. You’ve got nine seniors; it’s their last game. It means a whole lot to everybody. We had hopes of moving on and showing what we could do down the stretch against really good competition. So, it’s both of those things: It’s a lot of tears and a lot of praise,” he said.
