Littleton-Bromfield varsity hockey crushed Gardner 13–1 in a home match at the Groton School Saturday, Jan. 2. With Littleton sophomore Jacob Montepeluso scoring three goals for a hat trick in just the first half, the Tigers dominated from the start.
Goal scorers from Bromfield included senior captain Richie Planchet with two goals, sophomore Dmitri Dutkewych with two goals, and seniors Matty Banker and captain Nate Dutkewych with one each. Littleton freshman Danny Angell scored once, senior Matt Green once, and senior captain Joey DeCoste twice. Planchet, Banker, Angell, Green, junior Ricky Gilpatrick, and freshman Justin Montepeluso each had one assist; senior Brian Johnson, Dmitri Dutkewych, and junior Kris Cecere assisted two goals each.
The game was clean with relatively few penalties, and the Tigers controlled the puck consistently in the corners and behind the net. Montepeluso scored within the first three minutes, followed with another score by Planchet only 75 seconds later. First period was the highest-scoring period, with the Tigers putting in six goals and Gardner scoring its only goal 11 minutes in.
The Tigers now sport a winning record of three wins, two losses, and one tie in Central Mass. Division 3A. To recap their victories thus far, the Tigers defeated Northbridge 3–2 Dec. 19, Hopedale 4–2 Dec. 22, and Gardner 13–1 Jan. 2. They lost to Nashoba Regional 5–1 in their first game of the season Dec. 16, and they fell 4–0 to Dover-Sherborn Dec. 30, the only game in which the Tigers were unable to rack up any goals. They tied Attleboro 2–2 Dec. 21. As of the Gardner game, the Tigers have allowed 16 goals but boast 23 goals scored.
Gardner’s only win this season was against Hopedale, which came as a surprise given that the Tigers beat Hopedale by only two goals Dec. 22 but defeated Gardner by a whopping 12 goals just last week. The Tigers were scheduled to next face off against Hopedale in an away game Jan. 6 at Blackstone Valley Ice Arena. Having beaten the team before, the Tigers anticipated a win.
Lily Moore-Eissenberg is a senior at the Bromfield School.
