Belmont edges Reading in Div. 1 North boys semifinal

LOWELL — It took every last ounce of effort, down to the very last second for Belmont to take down top-ranked Reading last night at Tsongas Center, but the resilient Marauders were able to survive a late flurry of goals and come away with a 3-2 win to advance to the Div. 1 North Final.

Belmont moves on to play St. John’s of Shrewsbury in the Div. 1 North final on Monday night.

Belmont (13-5-5) carried a 1-0 lead late into the third, when forward Evan Pennucci redirected home a wrist shot from Cam Lawhorne with 4:16 to go to even the score.

Seemingly on their heels, the Marauders responded 1:32 later when a loose puck came to the point for junior Henry Stonehouse, who fired a slapshot into traffic in front that bounced off a skate and in.

“For us to respond after that goal and get one up again was just unbelievable,” said Belmont head coach Fred Allard. “You could feel the momentum turn.”

With 1:19 left in the game, sophomore Matty Rowan picked the pocket of the Reading defense, make a power move to the net and jammed it home to make it 3-1.

The Rockets (11-6-6) did not go quietly. Lawhorne cut it to 3-2 on a wrister from the slot with 59 seconds to go.

With its net empty, Reading won a faceoff in the offensive zone with eight seconds on the clock. The puck squirted loose to Landyn Greatorex in front, who pulled it backhand but was denied by the right pad of senior goalie Nico Carere, who also denied the rebound at the buzzer.

“We had to gut it out down the stretch,” Allard said. “These boys have won and lost every which way you can this year, and here’s a new one.”

Carere turned aside 28 of 30 shots he face on the night.

“He’s been our backbone,” Allard said. “Whenever there’s a breakdown he’s there to save us and he did it again tonight.”

 

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2VKt17v