Taconic Hockey Impressive in Loss; Gustafsson Impressive in Win

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Three teams skated off happy after Wednesday's high school hockey double-header at the Boys' and Girls' Club.

 

Greenfield and Wahconah got the victories on the scoreboard. Taconic got one of the moral variety.

 

The Green Wave scored with 3 minutes, 10 seconds left in the third period to break a 1-1 tie and escape Pittsfield with a 2-1 win over Taconic.

 

In the nightcap, Wahconah erased an early 1-0 deficit and Hjalmar Gustafsson scored four goals to pace his team to an 8-2 win over Mount Everett.

 

For Taconic coach Steve Terpak, the loss was disappointing, but his team's performance was anything but.

"I can't really say enough about my team," Terpak said. "It was outstanding. That's the best hockey I've seen my team play in three years.

 

"It was absolutely phenomenal. We had a very specific gameplan laid out — much different than we've ever done before, and we prepared very hard for this game the last two or three days in a row.

 

"And the guys executed above and beyond. I'm so proud of them."

 

Taconic (2-6) figured to be a major underdog against Greenfield (8-1-2), regarded as one of the best teams in Western Massachusetts.

 

But Nick Whittaker gave his team the lead early in the second period when he opened the scoring with a one-timer in the slot off a pass from Brian Henault.

 

At the other end of the ice, Taconic goalie Brenden Leary was holding Greenfield at bay with a little — make that a lot — of help from his teammates.

 

"I've been coaching for three years," Terpak said. "I knew this team. I knew some of their players. I knew they're well coached. That's a well-coached team. And they've got some snipers.

 

"So we had a design set up to help our goalie, and it worked."

 

But with just less than five seconds left in the third period, Greenfield finally broke through.

 

Jake Elwell picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and skated down the middle of the ice before firing a shot past Leary to tie the game at intermission.

 

Taconic had a golden opportunity to break that tie Henault stole the puck at Taconic's offensive blue line and set up a wide open Andy Cella on the doorstep. But Greenfield goalie Barrett Rogoloski made the save to keep it even.

 

With 3:45 on the clock, Connor Conant had a breakaway chance for Taconic, and again Rogoloski was up to the challenge.

 

And about half a minute later, Zach Langlois carried the puck up the left wing into the Taconic zone, deked a defender and slipped the game-winner in between the near post and Leary's pad.

 

The secnod game of the double-header had all the scoring the first one lacked but none of the drama the opener had in spades.

 

The Eagles (0-8) came out strong and got out of the first period with a 1-0 lead after Peter Lovejoy cashed in the rebound of an Aaron Norton shot for a power-play goal in the seventh minute.

 

But starting in the third minute of the second period, it was all Wahconah (4-5-1) and a whole lot of Hjalmar Gustafsson.

 

The Swedish native scored the first of his four goals with assists from Dan Flynn and Pat Jamross  to tie the game. Three minutes later, Flynn set up Gustafsson with a cross from the left wing to give Wahconah the lead for good.

Jamross and Flynn hooked up for a goal to make it 3-1 at the end of the second.

 

And Wahconah exploded for five goals in the third — two by Gustafsson and one each by Vince Orlandi, Flynn and Jeff Hancock.

 

Jacob Malicky had a power play goal for Mount Everett during the third.

 

Nico Romano got the win between the pipes for Wahconah.