I have been writing this piece for a few weeks now and it dawned on me recently that my once-rapid pace of putting words to this place had slowed to a mere trickle or re-reading of words already written. I quickly understood why. It’s because somewhere beyond reality I held hope of another game, another picture, another story, another chance to write about this group. Why must it end this way? Why must it end at all?

Front row: (L-R just like reading) Alex McCarthy, Kyle LaSella, Brett Lassonde, Devin Cote. Back row: (L-R) Jacob Noonan, Colin Burke, Sebastian Beal, Griffin Cook, Stephen Provencher. In the middle, the captain of all managers, Sophie Jones. (Sage Photo)

“Edge of glory, write your story
Seize the moment, no regrets
Our name in stone, forever more“

My mind is aswirl like a storm of thoughts, emotions, pictures, numbers, and memories. I wish my mind could just write itself. In every instance that we watch, we record, and that I write about, instances only came about because each member of the team was present and participating. Over a season, it all gets grouped together like one of my run-on sentences and maybe even forgotten, but it’s critical to recognize the value in the detail. In the moments that define a single play or a split-second decision, while everyone is watching, and every inch of ice is battled for, somehow our kids reach out and snag greatness from equal opportunity in competition. It’s quite amazing when you really think about it. Then add the history of playing together, and even against each other, all while taking classes together, among so many other roads that run closely together in our small community, and the story runs so much deeper than just another season after season on the ice.

Most rinks have boards, but not like these very special boards. (Photo by Charron)

I rather liked the introduction to last season’s summary because every season is like the latest concert in a much bigger production that runs year after year. This season was no less exciting and quite frankly, it was incredible. This year’s hope faded suddenly, as the desperation clearing attempts slid horrifically across the goal line, heads and hearts sank all at once. Goffstown’s season was over. And for this one of many senior dads, reality started to expose the fact that we’d rather not face, several hockey careers ended right there on the ice in front of a packed house.

Ever the realist as it relates to the world of youth sports and competition, I hadn’t pegged this group of freshmen to achieve the successes they have earned and enjoyed over the last four years. Think about this for a second. Griffin Cook, Alex McCarthy, Jake Noonan, Sebastian Beal, Stephen Provencher, Colin Burke, Brett Lassonde (in the order they show up on my very first GHS hockey spreadsheet) all showed up to the tryouts looking for a spot on a team led by a new head coach. Kyle LaSella and Devin Cote weren’t even hockey players, nor were they even considering playing varsity hockey at the time. Sophie Jones was a first-year, freshman manager. Then, all that they did, this group, they became locally legendary.

I am humbled and honored to be a part of this group. (Sage Photo)

I know that nothing in team sports happens in a vacuum, so the achievements of some are most appropriately a reflection of the many. I don’t know many people who are more team-oriented than myself. I do know that whether kids are on the ice or not, it still takes all of them, every single one of them to make up the dynamic that becomes the show that we all can’t wait to see. So, even though some show up on the scoresheet and others do not, all have a hand in the results seen by everyone. Behind the scenes, distant from a winter Saturday night before a packed house under the bright lights, there are practices, friendships, rides given and received, team events, bonding, relationships off the ice and in the classroom year after year, pond hockey, team dinners, and so much more. All of it adds up to the team dynamic, and when it functions on all of its cylinders, it’s beautiful.

We met the group back in late November. A roster made up of four freshmen, seven sophomores, three juniors, and nine seniors. Who knew that this blend would be so amazing! Playing 11 of their 18 games on the road, they only had the best record in Goffstown hockey history with a 14-3-1 posting during the regular season. Unbelievable!

Goffstown Hockey Roster 2018-2019.

Yes, this group, they set a Goffstown hockey record, going 14-3-1 in the regular season. They were an astounding 8-2-1 on the road which also included playing 8 of those games against teams that made their respective playoffs (Windham was in the mix before they forfeited five games). I can honestly say that I couldn’t wait to get home from games and update the sheets that I track for this team. Names, stats, numbers, trends, records, memories, history, all recorded, our kids. Yes, those are our kids. For the kids.

For me, each season the production from this little Chromebook that was a gift from my wife, so I could really pursue writing, has been bigger, more involved, and hopefully better. I can truthfully tell you that each game consumes 10+ hours per write up for me. But, when you think about it, aren’t our kids worth it? I mean, how good is a story really, if nobody is there to tell it, capture it, or perpetuate it so that others may also share in the glow of our kids playing team sports and having the times of their lives. Our program has friends and family all over the country and many can’t get to the games, so we bring it to them the best way I know how. Goffstown TV is, and has been a huge help in this area too. They continue to be great friends of the hockey program. I try very hard to remember and to promote the simple fact that all of this; It’s all about the kids. This season was a special blend of personalities, skills, unconditional commitment to a greater cause, and humor, for sure.

I have written about being part of a team many times, over many years, and I would still find it difficult to say that there are many better ways to learn about life, to learn about the depths of yourself, than to play for something bigger than yourself, on a team, in pursuit of a common goal. Commitment is a good thing. And the memories of the experience, quite frankly, can be everlasting.

Grizzlies Win! Grizzlies Win! (Sage photo)

Holy Hat Trick! December may have been the first sign that something special was afoot. The Grizzlies netted five hat tricks in the opening month of the season. Griffin Cook had three of them, while Sebastian Beal and Grady Chretien each added one. Goffstown ran out to a 3-0-1 record before Christmas and then did something that nobody had ever seen before. They won all three games in the pool-play portion of the Brian C. Stone Memorial Christmas Tournament and advanced to the Championship Game. In one of the best games of the entire season, the Grizzlies battled the ever-present contenders, and eventual Division I State Champs, the Bedford Bulldogs, for three incredible periods before falling 4-3. Nobody could remember a year when Goffstown won more than one game in this tournament. I know the schedule they played, and nobody wins games on paper, it’s not accomplished until you show up and play the games, and Goffstown showed up. Goffstown would end the season with 9 hat tricks, a feat which is unbelievable! Cook had 4, Beal 2, Chretien 2, and Gamache 1.

Just to make sure that December wasn’t a fluke, the schedule makers made sure of it. Goffstown came out of the Christmas break with a road game at Keene, the defending State Champs, who hadn’t lost a game in ages. Furthermore, the Grizzlies hadn’t beaten Keene in almost 4 years which didn’t bode well for this matchup either. The Grizzlies used the experience from playing a battle-tested, high-speed, intense pressure team like Bedford and served up a 7-4 victory before the Keene faithful. The Grizzlies relentless offensive assault produced 5 third period goals. It was like watching sharks getting after blood in the water. Sebastian Beal had the first hat trick of January while he, Griffin Cook, and Colby Gamache each registered 4 points on the night in a game that put this squad on the map. The balance of January was tough. Goffstown got out of Rochester with a 5-4 win over a motivated good skating Somersworth-Coe-Brown team that ended up winning their last 4 regular season games and just missed the tournament. Then the Grizzlies got ‘out-physicaled’ in a 5-2 loss at Dover. Dover’s game was literally like Green Wave after Green Wave coming at the Grizzlies. Goffstown returned home to beat Alvirne-Milford. Next, the Grizzlies had all their home game winning streaks end in a 4-2 loss to Merrimack on a night that Griffin Cook and Sebastian Beal joined the 100 career point club. January came to an end with impressive gut-check type wins at Portsmouth-Newmarket, at home against Spaulding, and an overtime thriller at home against a very tough Kingswood team.

Calvin cuts against Oyster River. (Sage photo)

February got off to a bad start with maybe the worst game the Grizzlies played all year, in a 6-3 loss at Windham. Then Goffstown won the last 5 games of the month, allowing just 11 goals. The highlight of the month may well have been the showdown on Senior Night at John Stark-Hopkinton on February 19th. It was the best-played game of the entire season with neither team willing to give an inch while maintaining a tremendous level of play. Goffstown beat the defending D-III Champs 3-1, who also happened to be undefeated at the time. JSH would go on to win the D-III title again this year. At Winnacunnet the Grizzlies duo of Cook and Beal both managed to pass Noah Charron as the all-time leading scorers in Goffstown Hockey history. And everyone on the roster got some serious, well-deserved ice time. Then unlike last season, the Grizzlies finished strong. They beat the mighty Keene BlackBirds at home. Then they blew a two-goal lead before winning a heart-stopping overtime contest at home against the always tough Oyster River Bobcats. Goffstown finished the regular season by blowing open a 2-2 game at Alvirne-Milford, scoring six straight goals to win it 8-3.

The hockey program at Goffstown isn’t that old and never gets much respect among larger schools, or more historic hockey powers in the area. For some reason, I have worked many hours over the last four years to reconstruct the history of Goffstown’s hockey program, or at least tie it together, and I have come across all kinds of numbers, scores, and players from the past. One player that I remember watching play is Liam House-Meyers. When Noah Charron was approaching the 100-point mark last year, it was Liam that I asked people about because I thought he had to be one player that certainly could have approached, if not surpassed, the century mark. I have been told that Liam had more than 100 points in his career, and I am waiting to confirm any other numbers that I can gather. He was an outstanding player who was a joy to watch play. To that end, this season Griffin Cook had one of the best single seasons I have ever seen and ended his career with 122 points. He posted an incredible 57 points this season alone. Sebastian Beal followed up a 39-point campaign last season with 43 points this season to finish with 114 points in his career.

Griffin and Sebastian celebrate a goal at Keene. (Sage Photo)

Then there’s Colby Gamache who really exploded on to the offensive scene this season, centering the ‘CBC 2.0’ line and all he did was multiply his 18-point output last year into a 49 point outburst this season. Grady Chretien skated circles around just about everyone on his way to 25 goals and 36 points. He also netted a pair of overtime game-winners that led to some of the most memorable celebrations in recent history. Colin Burke cranked out 12 goals and 27 points to follow up his 21 points last season. Brett Lassonde had another double-digit point season with 14, while Jacob Noonan had a career-high 12 points from the blue line.

With Gamache, Chretien, and Theo Milianes all returning, the team has some strong skills and leadership to draw on. Melanie Riendeau has another year left, and big Eric Purcell looks to improve be more of a factor in his final two seasons. Perhaps the near future will rely heavily on the likes of Luke Chase, Eric DesRuisseaux, Colby Wright, Luke Ouellette, Sean Hunter, Calvin Sage, and Isaac McGregor. There is promise in this group without question. James Amorelli and Madeline Sage return as a very capable tandem of goaltenders for the Grizzlies. The captain of all managers, Sophie Jones, who also joined this team four years ago as a freshman, leaves her commitment and duties in the capable hands of Megan Charron. Sophie is off to the nursing program at the University of New England, and something tells me that she will be exceptional. Even our managers continue to raise the bar for this program. Megan’s smile and can-do attitude will be welcomed again next year as she takes over the manager reigns. The Class of 2019 has raised the standard to a height that potentially puts Goffstown on the threshold of even greater possibility. We will see what these returning players have learned, and how they impose their collective will moving forward.

Four years ago when these freshmen tried out for the team, they had no idea how thin the line had been between having a varsity team or not having a varsity team at all. It’s a story I won’t get in to but a couple of things happened at the same time, thankfully. One, a new coach took over with a new staff. Two, a large group of freshmen started their careers at the same time. Three, the combination of coaches and players was a contagious breath of fresh air that invigorated the entire program, and they haven’t looked back since. I don’t think anyone knows how long Coach Ben Slocum will be at the helm for the Grizzlies but let me say, that in my mind, his career and this senior class will forever be intertwined. I think that was visibly apparent at the banquet, and rightfully so. Not only that, this senior group has re-written the record books for Goffstown hockey. Before I get to more numbers and records let me talk about Coach Slocum and the staff for a moment. They have been outstanding even though, believe it or not, they are just as human as the rest of us and everyone around the program is better for it. I cannot stress enough the commentary that I have heard over the last 4 years with regards to how much fun this group has been. This is a credit to the leadership behind the bench and in the room. I have heard coaches tell me and others that coming to the rink has been an absolute pleasure for a number of reasons. I completely agree.

Kyle LaSella had everything under control this season. (Photo by Charron)

Griffin Cook, Grady Chretien. Same initials, both sensational. (Sage photo)

The Captain, and the rest of the Grizzlies celebrate another win at home. (Sage photo)

Colby Gamache had an explosive junior season, centering one of the best lines in all of NH hockey. With some more seasoning and one more campaign, I expect that Colby will be a force next year. (Photo by Charron)

It truly has been my complete joy to walk into Sullivan Arena these last four years. Honestly, it’s been one of my happy places. And no wonder why, the Grizzlies are 24-2 at home in the regular season over the last 3 seasons (30-6 over the last four years). Coach Slocum has started quite a legacy of his own as well. He is the first and only coach to win 10 or more regular season games 4 seasons in a row, and counting. He is poised to take over the lead in all-time career wins some time next season. Let’s remember that this is high school varsity hockey and not a, ‘everybody must play’ sport. There are coaches in New Hampshire that have been coaching high school hockey for more than 40 years, some at the same school. So, yes this about winning and losing, on and off the ice. Players come and go. Classes graduate and wide-eyed freshmen hold on for dear life, if not their lunch, as their high school varsity careers begin. Then before you know it, time is up, and each year, you really have no idea what you’re going to get. So, to maintain a high level of performance, to have kids line up to play (maybe for the first time), then just maybe the staff is doing a lot of things right.

I know this isn’t college hockey, but it is, in most cases, the highest level of hockey any one of these kids will ever play. I am reminded of a quote/story from a legendary college basketball coach, Tubby Smith. He’s talking about commitment, about kids transferring from one school or another…“We had over 800 Division I transfers last year. Over 800. C’mon? We’re teaching them how to quit. That’s what we’re doing. Things not going well, let’s quit.” He goes on to tell a story about his days attending college. Smith repeated a story he used previously about when he played at High Point College in 1969 and called his father to express a desire to transfer. Once Smith told his father he was being treated fairly, still on scholarship, and getting free education and housing, Guffrie Smith informed his son, “your bed’s been taken … but you can join the Army”…”The best thing he ever said to me,” Tubby Smith said…Smith then added, “Somebody needs to tell them that you made a commitment. Stick to it. But it doesn’t happen that way,” Smith said. “They got a lot of people in their ear. That’s the way life is. Those are the distractions, the noise.” I agree with Mr. Smith. Too much noise, not enough commitment. Why do so many people question t

Every year, the Goffstown Hockey team selects a charity of choice. Or, over the last two seasons, they have decided to be hands-on and not let the parents and board members run a charity night that they are disconnected from. They wanted to get their hands dirty and do the work themselves. Personally, I love it. These players are all in, hands-on, and doing the work themselves.

All 22 players were there after morning practice on Wednesday morning at 8:30 am until 11:30 am.

After splitting the group in 2, they were trained in their particular jobs.

Group 1 sorted nonperishable items by type, protein, pasta, drinks etc.

Group 2 sorted frozen types of meat.

After 2 hours, they probably did close to 10 pallets of food to be given out to food pantries statewide!

The groups were then given a tour of the rest of the facility including a kitchen where they prepare 300 hot meals a day.

And guess what, the players liked the volunteering.

Our donation from the food drive at a recent home game was totaled at 117# of food.

Thank you to parent volunteers -Margo Amorelli, Brenda McGregor and David DesRuisseaux who pitched in with the players.

NH Food Bank (DD Photo)

NH Food Bank (DD Photo)

NH Food Bank (DD Photo)

NH Food Bank (DD Photo)

NH Food Bank (DD Photo)

NH Food Bank (DD Photo)

Sullivan Arena, St. Anselm College, Goffstown, NH – March 2, 2019:

There are a time or two maybe, if any times at all, that I have seen a hockey game that played out like the last Quarterfinal to start in the D2 Tournament on Saturday night. Goffstown carried the play for virtually the entire hockey game but was unable to get a puck past Ben Hardy and the Tomahawks. The Grizzlies fell, 3-0, after Merrimack added a pair of desperation, long distance, empty net goals late in the 3rd period. The #3 seed, the Grizzlies were shut out for the first time since Feb. 4th, 2017 (51 games) at Oyster River, on a night when they outshot their opponents 31-12 and lost 2-0.

You have to wonder how things beyond our control playout sometimes. The Goffstown vs. Merrimack game was scheduled to start at 7:00 pm but didn’t get underway until after 8:00 pm. There were college and high school tournament games beginning at 1:00 pm and things fell behind when SNHU beat St. Anselm, 4-3 in the NE-10 final. Then Bedford scored in the last fraction of a second at the end of the second overtime to beat Exeter, 3-2, which further delayed the evening’s events. After both teams had been at the rink for 2+ hours and warmed up more than once only to realize another false start, it was game time. For real.

The Grizzlies line up for the last time in the 218-2019 season. (Photo by Charron)

Finally, it was time to announce lineups, sing the anthem, and get things started for the final game of the day. Al St. Louis belted out the National Anthem once again and did a great job as usual. Then the puck dropped somewhere around 8:05 pm. Merrimack didn’t get their first shot on goal until 5:00 into the opening period. Then Goffstown took a penalty on an obvious interference call.

Brett Lassonde showed his skating prowess throughout the evening. (Photo by Charron)

The Grizzlies killed the penalty without allowing a single shot. While shorthanded, Grady Chretien created a shot for himself and grazed the far post with his shot. At 9:57 of the period, Dylan Sadowski let a shot go from the right faceoff circle that met Kyle LaSella’s left pad at about the same time that Noah Melker arrived on the doorstep of the crease.

LaSella made the save but the puck was immediately rebounded by Melker and put into the net to give Merrimack 1-0 lead on their 3rd and final shot of the opening period. I don’t think anyone in the building would have guessed then that would be the last goal scored of the night while both goalies were on the ice.

My ever-skeptical mind noticed some things early on in the game that I didn’t want to see because, to me, they often times lead to an outcome like last night’s final. For example, Griffin Cook has a step and speed for a potential breakaway, but the puck bounced away from his blade long enough for the defense to recover.

Devin Cote on the move. (Photo by Charron)

Grady Chretien receives a great pass but the puck just barely gets tipped by the Merrimack defense and he has to break stride to make the next move, and the advantage is lost. The same type of thing happens to Colby Gamache on his way out of the zone for a potential 2-on-1 and nothing much materializes. Some people around hockey refer to this kind of thing as something known as puck luck. Goffstown didn’t lack in scoring chances at any point in the game, puck luck or not. The Grizzlies knew they were facing a top-notch goaltender in Ben Hardy and subsequently, many Grizzlies’ shots missed their mark completely as the shooter was likely trying to be too perfect in trying to beat Hardy. It seemed that all of the Grizzlies that played had chances to score throughout the game. Cook-Beal-Colby did everything but score. Colin Burke, Jacob Noonan, Brett Lassonde, and Colby Wright all made plays that led to great chances too. Isaac McGregor, Grady Chretien, and Theo Milianes worked the puck up and down the ice, in and out of the offensive zone, but nobody could get that elusive first goal for the Grizzlies.

Sebastian Beal has time to take a look against Merrimack. (Photo by Charron)

Over the course of the second period, I only made a few notes on my notepad, and all of them were notes about Ben Hardy making sensational saves against Goffstown. At 2:09 a huge glove save on Colby Gamache. At 8:30 a brilliant left toe save. At 13:10 a tremendous save on Colin Burke after a brilliant pass from Colby Gamache. Then at 13:37 Griffin Cook was robbed by Hardy after Sebastian Beal and Gamache set him up. There were no penalties called. There were no goals or assists. Goffstown led the shot parade by a count of 15-4 in the period and held a 25-7 advantage in shots on goal through 30 minutes. Still, the Tomahawks had the advantage on the scoreboard, 1-0.

The third period wasn’t much different really. Goffstown continued to possess the puck, make passes, and get scoring chances. Then the Grizzlies went on a powerplay after Andrew Frothingham tripped Sebastian Beal from behind causing Beal to fall awkwardly backward and smack the back of his head on the ice. He recovered quickly. Goffstown ripped off 5 shots on the powerplay. Hardy again was huge. He made back-to-back saves on a pair of Beal shots at point blank. Then right at the end of the penalty time, the Grizzlies made a series of passes leading to a Colin Burke one-timer opportunity. Burke gathered the puck instead and let a powerful wrist shot go.

Jacob Noonan played another solid game for the Grizzlies. (Photo by Charron)

The slight pause to gather and shoot the puck gave Hardy just enough time to get his torso in front of Burke’s shot. The shot stung Hardy but it didn’t go into the goal. The Grizzlies just could not get the tying goal. Then at 13:38 Goffstown pulled Kyle LaSella for an extra skater. At the time, Kyle had faced only 10 shots in the contest. Goffstown couldn’t convert any opportunities and both Frothingham and Zach Stimeling scored empty-net goals, at 14:02 and 14:12 respectively. The final score read, 3-0, and Goffstown had an astounding 36 shots on goal, to just 13 shots against Kyle LaSella. Merrimack advanced and will play against #2 Dover on Wednesday night in the semifinals.

Goffstown finished the regular season at 14-3-1, the best in their history. Adding the Christmas tournament and playoffs, they were 17-5-1 overall, also the best overall record in their history. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies though, they lost their third straight home playoff game in as many seasons.

Wishing all the best to the remaining teams in the final four. (NHIAA Tournament Page)

Please keep an eye open right here for the season recap coming in the next couple of weeks. Thank you.

Even on a difficult night like Saturday night’s season-ending loss. There are some images and moments that, when isolated, speak volumes to us, or at least to me. Then I hold back tears and say thank you, because if it wasn’t for the kids and their pursuit of whatever each player values within the team dynamic, there be nothing here to see.

While many of us held back tears through some sort of choking effort, these guys found ways to smile after maybe their toughest loss of all. (Photo by Charron)

This picture is a story all in itself. This young man showed up 3 years ago having never played hockey before. All he did was win 20 times in his career and baffle the establishment with his meteoric rise to brilliance throughout this season. (Photo by Charron)

I was standing right next to these two young men when this picture was taken and anyone who saw this was in tears. The feelings were real, and the hurt tugged with ferocity at every fiber in each of us. Colin and Kyle; this sums up what this team meant to each other, and certainly to all of us following many of these kids since they were first entering grade school. The pleasure has been ours. (Photo by Charron)

James Noonan and I have been talking about this for 4 years, packing the seats at Sullivan Arena. Year over year bigger crowds came back to watch these Grizzlies play hockey. Saturday night the house was packed because four years of excellence warranted it. Thank you Goffstown fans! (Photo by Charron)

Brett moves the puck quickly against the Tomahawks. (Photo by Charron)

Devin Cote and the other seniors will be sorely missed next season. (Photo by Charron)

Ben Hardy wasn’t alone in defending the Merrimack net against the Grizzlies. (Photo by Charron)

Merrimack was content to tie up pucks and limit space for Goffstown. (Photo by Charron)

It would be hard to find a closer knit, more fun, collective gathering of good kids, than this group. (Photo by Charron)

The season just ended, and these 3 thrilled us all season, yet still remembered there is still plenty to smile about. Thank you. (Photo by Charron)

To all of you who make the production of game night such a special, meaningful event each and every time; thank you. Goffstown hockey gets it right. (Photo by Charron)

Colby Gamache whizzes past a would be hit. (Photo by Charron)

The puck seemed elusive at times for the Grizzlies despite their offensive onslaught. (Photo by Charron)

B

Goffstown scored 3 goals in the first period and added 4 more in the final period to come from behind and win their pre-season scrimmage game against Manchester Memorial at Sullivan Arena on Sunday evening. The Grizzlies open the Division II Regular Season on December 10th at Oyster River (Whittemore Center). Game time is 8:00pm.