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By Dan Zimmermanwalpole@wickedlocal.com

The remarkable season for the Walpole High boys hockey team, which featured more success than any in its storied history, came to an abrupt halt Saturday night after a shootout in the deciding Game 3 of the Super 8 tournament quarterfinals.

After skating to a 2-2 tie through regulation and both overtime periods, No. 2 BC High scored twice to No. 7 Walpoles one during the shootout segment to claim the best-of-three series and advance.

Walpoles season, which wrapped up at 23-2-1, will unquestionably stand the test of time and be talked about for years to come, especially by the scores of supporters on hand to witness the monumental finale at the Chelmsford Forum.

After taking the series opener, 1-0, Walpole was outskated in the first two periods of Game 2 and fell, 2-0. Despite the defeat, the first of the season, there was a positive attitude in the Rebels camp because of a third period in which they controlled the tempo and outshot BC High by a wide margin. Walpole sought to duplicate that effort at the outset of Game 3.

We talked about that over the last few days, said Walpole coach Ron Dowd. They did everything we asked of them and took it to them right from the start tonight. Thats a really good team over there.

BC High claimed a 1-0 lead at 8:09 of the first period on a goal by Michael Ball, who shoveled the puck behind James Corcoran on a second effort. But before long, a determined Rebels squad tied it and soon climbed into a 2-1 lead.

Standing on the doorstep, Ryan Boyajian collected a feed from Ted McElaney and deftly lifted the puck over the catching glove of Eagles netminder Luke Garrity to tie it at 1-1.

With less than a minute remaining in the first, Pat Donovan was chasing down a wayward puck in the offensive zone and with his back to the net and took a half-hearted backhanded swipe. The go-ahead goal, assisted by Ryan Birch and Cam Martin, took a funny hop, handcuffing Garrity as it tumbled in the net.

That was part of our game plan, explained Dowd. Just throw it at the net as much as possible and see what happens. You need a few good bounces when you play a team like this.

Trailing 2-1, BC High cranked up the offense in the second. Corcoran came up big a number of times but with seconds left, yielded a power play goal to Thomas Kramer, who unleashed a rising wristshot from the right circle to tie it.

The first overtime period, six minutes of 4-on-4, was rather uneventful, save for a 6-0 shot disparity by the Eagles. But in the next overtime span, featuring 3-on-3 skaters and a ton of open ice, Walpoles Owen Hunter was taken down from behind on a partial breakaway. Awarded a penalty shot by the officials and a chance to send the Eagles packing, Hunter skated in, swept wide but was stopped when Garrity kicked out the right pad.

With Corcoran in net and stingy as ever, Dowd felt the Rebels held an advantage going into a shootout. And after the first round, with Boyajian beating Garrity while Evan DeLano missed, it looked like the coach might be on to something. But back-to-back Eagles goals in the third and fourth rounds put the Rebels down 4-3. Neither Hunter nor Donovan, the final shooters for Walpole, could beat Garrity to alter the shortfall.

Credit to Walpole, said BC High Coach John Flaherty whose team advances to face Central Catholic in the semifinals. Theyre a well-coached team and they have amazing fan support. We knew we were in for a long series. A pair of overtimes and a shootout is longer than I wouldve liked but I think it was a fitting end to a great series between two very good teams.

Walpoles departing seniors include Corcoran, Martin, Hunter, Pat Donovan. Michael Roche, Andrew Moore, Michael Timson, McCauley Stewart, Colin Buckley, Luke Donovan, Liam Fisher, David White, Paul Heffernan, Jon Stasiukevicius,

I couldnt be any more proud of these kids and they way they competed from Game 1 to Game 25, said Dowd. Im just proud of them.

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BC High 3, Walpole 2 (SO): Super season stopped in Game 3 shootout - Wicked Local Walpole