McCann Tech Rallies Late in Home Opener
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The mood was celebratory at the outset on Saturday evening as North County’s high school icers played their first home game under McCann Tech’s banner.
The real celebrations came in the third period.
John Stack had a goal and two assists, and the Hornets scored four times in the third to earn a 5-2 win over Mount Everett.
Nick Gilman scored with 3 minutes, 34 seconds left in regulation to break a 2-2 tie after the Eagles fought back from deficits of 1-0 and 2-1.
Less than a minute after Gilman’s game-winner, David Delisle lit the lamp. Then, with 11 seconds left, Delisle set up Stack to punctuate the win.
“It’s nice, especially for my senior year, I get to represent my school,” Delisle said. “It’s really nice to have all the McCann kids and even the McCann mascot here.
“It is a little different. I was repping Drury for four years. It’s like a home, but you get switch over. You get to represent your own school. It feels nice.”
Mayor Jennifer Macksey dropped the puck to inaugurate the season for the new-look co-op of Drury, Hoosac Valley, McCann and Mount Greylock.
And a larger than typical Saturday night crowd at Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Rink was ready to watch the locals bounce back from their road loss 24 hours earlier to Souhtwick.
But keeping Mount Everett in its end of the ice most of the first period, the Hornets had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard as the teams played to a 0-0 tie through the first 15 minutes.
“I think a little bit was nerves,” McCann Tech coach Mathew Parise said. “First home game, in front of a big crowd. We’re young. We do have some seniors up front, but all of our defense, besides two, are sophomores. We came out a little nervous here.
“That was my message before the game: Settle down. Control what you can. … I’m very proud of them. From last night to tonight was night and day, two different teams.”
One big reason the Hornets were scoreless going to the first intermission was Mount Everett goaltender Hunter Shepardson, who had 11 of his 28 saves in the first period.
McCann Tech also was hampered by a pair of penalties in the first period, something it was able to avoid the rest of the way.
After outshooting the Eagles, 11-3 in the first period, the Hornets started the second with a goal in the 17th minute when Nolan Abuisi converted an assist from Stack to make it 1-0.
Mount Everett answered two minutes later. Dom Velasco scored to tie it up, and the Eagles started generating numerous opportunities on McCann keeper Abby Fuls.
She made eight saves in that second period, including a sequence where she took on a Mount Everett forward on a breakaway and ended up needing several seconds and a visit from Paresi to recover before getting back into the crease.
“Abby played great – had a couple of saves on the breakaways that kept us going,” Paresi said of Fulls (15 saves).
“Just outstanding effort by her. Refocusing after that hit, a couple of breakaway saves, she just played outstanding. I can’t say enough about her. And you know what’s best about her? She directs traffic out there. I don’t know if you could hear her, but you’ll hear her yelling at these guys all game long. It’s awesome.
“Such a great thing to see.”
Like it did in the second period, McCann Tech started the third with an early goal. This time it was Brayden Canales doing the honors with a blast from the point through a Delisle screen to make it 2-1.
But again, the Eagles answered. This time less than a minute later when Velasco raced down the left wing on a breakaway and scored to tie it up.
It stayed 2-2 for 10 minutes before Gilman took a pass from Wesley Emerson deep on the left wing side and slotted a shot into the net to give McCann Tech a 3-2 lead.
Less than a minute later, Delisle scored with an assist from C.J. Diesz to give the Hornets the first two-goal lead of the night.
“The seniors stepped up,” Parise said. “David Delisle, playing between two sophomores – Johnny Stack and Ethan Wilson – really came out and played a great third period of hockey.”
McCann Tech (1-1) hosts Taconic on Wednesday. Mount Everett (0-1) hosts Greenfield on Thursday.