The Littleton/Bromfield/Parker boys ice hockey season came to an end Wednesday, March 1, with a loss of 4-3 to the Ashland Clockers in the first round of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 4 state tournament.
Based on the final MIAA power rankings, the no. 23 seed Tigers played the no. 10 seed Clockers in the round of 32 at Ashland’s home rink, the Loring Ice Arena in Framingham. With the first period underway, the Clockers were able to maintain the puck in the Tigers’ zone, creating good scoring opportunities.
After a few great saves by Tigers goalie Charles Becker, the Clockers scored about halfway through the first period with a shot from the point.
Early in the second period, with sustained pressure, Ashland scored to make it 2-0. Following the faceoff, the Tigers’ top line controlled play inside the Clockers’ zone and scored when Littleton freshman Paul Doyle beat the Clockers’ goalie five hole following a quick passing play from Harvard’s Zach Lizotte and Liam Glew. Any energy the Tigers’ goal provided was quickly drained when, 20 seconds later, the Clockers intercepted a pass in front of Becker and scored, making it 3-1. Halfway through the second period, Ashland scored for a fourth time when the Tigers again struggled to get the puck out of their defensive zone.
Facing a strong team and a three-goal deficit with only 15 minutes left to play, it would have been understandable if the Tigers had packed it in as the third period got underway. But as they have all season, the Tigers continued to battle and were quickly rewarded when Littleton freshman Gavin Werling scored on the power play, making it 4-2. Play over the next 10 minutes had the puck moving between each team’s zone but neither able to score. With about four minutes remaining in the game and the Clockers on the power play, the Tigers’ resolve remained when Harvard freshman defenseman Liam Glew gathered the puck and rushed into the Clockers’ offensive zone, stickhandling around two players and scoring his first varsity goal. With a one-goal deficit, the Tigers competed hard through the remaining minutes of the game but were unable to score again, and the game ended in a 4-3 loss.
While the end result of losing in the first round of the Division 4 state tournament was similar to last season, the Tigers’ 2022-2023 season saw the team’s record continue to improve since Harvard’s Kevin Lizotte took over as head coach in 2019. The season’s 13 wins were the most since at least 2014 and the 9-1 conference record produced the first Coughlin Conference championship since 2017 with the team capturing the program’s first Central Mass. district championship.
Brian Piekos is a Littleton/Bromfield/Parker parent.
