The Littleton/Bromfield/Parker boys ice hockey team had a busy couple of weeks, playing five games over the holiday period. The Tigers had a win and loss in Coughlin Conference play and also had a win and loss while participating in a holiday tournament. They ended the week losing in a close game to a top-ranked Division 4 opponent.
On Saturday, Dec. 23, the Tigers played Coughlin Division opponent Fitchburg Red Raiders in a home game. The Tigers controlled play throughout the contest, ultimately winning 3-0, with goals by Harvard junior Zach Lizotte and Littleton sophomore Gavin Werling, and a long-deserved first varsity goal by Littleton sophomore and second-year varsity player Andrew Archer.
For the second year in a row, the Tigers participated in the Grafton Holiday Tournament, squaring off against the host Grafton Gators on Thursday, Dec. 28. The Gators, a Division 3 team that beat the Tigers 8-2 in last year’s tournament, were victorious again this year. But the Tigers were able to halve last year’s score, losing 4-1, with Harvard junior Fin Piekos scoring toward the end of the game off a rebound from Lizotte’s shot on goal. While each team was able to get 28 shots on net, Harvard’s goalie Tyler Proteau faced more high-danger scoring chances, ultimately turning back 24 Gators’ shots.
In the consolation game the next day, the Tigers faced off against the Worcester Wildcats, giving the Wildcats their second drubbing of the tournament. The Tigers scored two goals each period with some combination of Werling, Lizotte, and Harvard’s Conor Glew and Cael Piekos combining for all the points. Werling and Lizotte notched goals in the first period. In the second period, Glew scored twice, and in the third period, both Werling and Glew scored again, leading to a 6-0 Tigers’ victory.
In their first game of 2024, the Tigers had an opportunity to establish themselves as a top Division 4 team and lead the Coughlin Conference when they played the Lunenburg/Ayer Shirley Blue Knights on Jan. 3. But the Tigers seemed off their game from the very start, and the Blue Knights scored eight seconds into the game. Despite outshooting the Blue Knights over the first two periods, the Tigers lacked intensity and were unable to create any good scoring opportunities. They were down 2-0 after the second period.
The Tigers seemed to find some energy between periods, and with play resuming in the third period, the Blue Knights were on the defensive. Early into the third period, Littleton sophomore and second-year varsity player Jake Taglieri scored his first varsity goal with a singular effort, winning the faceoff, quickly getting a shot on goal, and scoring off his own rebound. After a few more minutes seeing the Tigers dominate play, the Blue Knights were able to extinguish any thoughts of a Tigers’ comeback by scoring three successive goals for a 5-1 victory.
On Saturday, Jan. 6, the Tigers had another opportunity to measure up against a top Division 4 opponent when they traveled to Hockey Night in Boston to face the eighth-ranked Dover-Sherborn/Weston Raiders. The first period saw play move up and down the ice with few high-danger scoring opportunities for either team until the last minute of play when the Raiders were able to score off a one-timer, a shot immediately off a pass that left little time for the goalie to adjust position, that pinged off the post before finding the back of the net.
When the teams returned to the ice for the second period, there was a higher level of energy, with the Raiders using their size and speed to hem the Tigers in their defensive zone for several minutes. The Tigers rose to the challenge and responded with physical play, generating offensive time that ultimately led to a game-tying goal in a deft passing sequence from Harvard’s Lizotte to Liam Glew and over to brother Conor Glew, who buried the puck behind the Raiders’ netminder.
For the remainder of the second period and most of the third, the teams exchanged scoring opportunities, with Parker School’s Charles Becker making several outstanding saves to keep the game tied. With six minutes remaining in the game, the Tigers received a penalty and the Raiders took advantage, scoring the go-ahead goal.
The Tigers enjoy a three-game home stretch, as they were scheduled to play Wednesday this week, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and on Wednesday, Jan. 17, all at 7 p.m. at the Groton School’s O’Brien ice arena.
Brian Piekos is a Littleton/Bromfield/Parker ice hockey team parent.
