BOURNE – It required a shootout to determine a winner, but fifth-seeded Dover-Sherborn/Weston managed to defeat the high-scoring top-seeded Winthrop team on Saturday afternoon.
Captain Calvin Roman, a senior, scored the second shootout goal in the third round, and Andrew Goldstein, the goalie, made three saves in the five-round shootout to secure a 2-1 victory for the Raiders over the Vikings in the Div. 4 semifinals at Bourne Arena.
“We practice all possible scenarios – including overtimes and shootouts, and had a couple of practice games to prepare for that as well,” said Alex Barlow, coach of Dover-Sherborn/Weston. “We hadn't won in shootouts before, and we managed to score two goals, which was enough today. So, I'll take it.”
During the two overtimes, both goalkeepers made critical saves, totaling 33 saves between them, and Goldstein made several crucial saves to end the first overtime as well as the regulation period.
“I approach every save as if it's necessary,” Goldstein commented about his ability to maintain composure during the overtime periods.
Goldstein ended with 44 saves, including three in the shootout, effectively limiting Winthrop (18-4-2) to just one goal.
Dover-Sherborn/Weston (20-4) dominated the first five minutes of play, but Winthrop turned the tables during the final 10 minutes of the first period. The Vikings outperformed the Raiders 8-1 in shots and secured a power-play goal by senior Pete Silverman at the 11:46 mark to take a 1-0 lead.
During the second period, the Raiders quickly took control with a 7-1 shot advantage just over five minutes into the period. Winthrop then had another man-advantage at the 5:46 mark. A little over a minute later, junior Brayden McKenna intercepted a pass and scored a short-handed goal to tie the game 1-1 with 8:27 remaining in the second period.
“I don’t like playing with fewer players, but I believe they perform well in that situation,” Barlow commented about the short-handed score. “It did create more opportunities for us, and we do have a fast team.”
McKenna also scored the first goal in the shootout.
Winthrop accumulated more shots for the remainder of the period, and both teams ended with 10 shots in the second period. The Vikings had several chances to regain the lead in the final minutes, including a close-range save by Goldstein with just under a minute left.
The Raiders will now face the winner of Sunday’s Hanover/Stoneham matchup in the Div. 4 finals at TD Garden next Sunday.
