Hockey

SCOREBOARD

SHS-6

North Middlesex-0

SCOREBOARD

SHS-5

St.Johns-3

SCOREBOARD

SHS-7

Worcester-4

SCOREBOARD

SHS-3

Algonquin-0

SCOREBOARD

SHS-4

Auburn-1

(above) 2007-2008 SHS Varsity Ice Hockey team

(above) 2007-2008 team captians and coaches

(above) 2007-2008 Seniors

From left, Shrewsbury’s Ian Powers celebrates with teammates Brendan O’Rourkeand Anietie Uko after scoring a second-period goal. (T&G Staff/STEVE LANAVA)

Shrewsbury’s Zach Quinn, right, moves past North Middlesex’ David Shaw to get to a loose puck during the Colonials’ 6-0 win. (T&G Staff/STEVE LANAVA)

Shrewsbury 4, Auburn 1
Pat Brossi had a pair of assists and Pat Army made 17 saves in goal as the Colonials (9-4-5) defeated the Rockets (6-8-3)

at Northstar Youth Forum.
Mark Murray, Castan Sommer, Dave Comeau and Kevin Dufault scored goals for Shrewsbury, Ian Davis for Auburn.

Sommer tricks Devils

Shrewsbury 4, Leominster 0
Junior Castan Sommer scored three goals — one with the Blue Devils on a five-on-three power play — to lead the third-ranked Colonials (7-4-5, 4-0-3) to a Roy Conference win yesterday at Northstar Youth Forum.
The victory leaves Shrewsbury one point from clinching a berth in the Central Mass. Division 3 Tournament.

Sunday, January 13, 2008
Colonials riding the momentum
By Rick Eggleston CORRESPONDENT
WESTBORO— Roll on.
Ask the Shrewsbury High hockey team to name the key moment in its young season, and the Colonials likely will

point to their win over St. John’s a week ago.
It’s amazing what a little momentum can do. The Colonials made it eight straight games without a loss with their

3-0 shutout of Algonquin Regional last night at Northstar Youth Forum.“We’ve been playing solid hockey now for

eight games,” said Shrewsbury coach John Binkoski, whose squad improved to 5-3-3 and remained unbeaten in the

Roy Conference (2-0-1). “We lost our first three, but we’ve been on a roll ever since.”
Leading Shrewsbury on its run has been senior goalie Pat Army, who continued his strong play between the pipes,

turning away 12 shots en route to his third shutout.
“Pat’s been outstanding,” Binkoski said. “He’s a captain and provides great leadership for us on the ice.”
Providing the Colonials with the only goal they would need was Clark Dumart, whose wraparound tally on a power

play 3:50 into the game gave Shrewsbury a 1-0 lead.
Dumart was assisted on the pretty goal that beat Algonquin goalie Pete Kenyon (23 saves) by Pat Brossi and

Derek Ryan.
The Tomahawks (6-4-0, 1-2-0) looked to answer on a power-play push of their own, but were turned away by

the Shrewsbury penalty-killing unit of Dumart, Ryan, Dave Comeau and Kevin Charbonneau.
“(The penalty kill) is something we talk about in practice,” said Binkoski, whose team staved off five Algonquin

power plays, including a two-man advantage, in the first period alone. “They’re smart about what they have to do,

and the guys go out there and make the right moves with the puck and on defense.”
In the end, the Colonials’ best offense proved to be their defense as they quelled four more Tomahawks power plays.
Meanwhile, Army continued to stonewall Algonquin, including a nice save on a Jeremy Richard shot from just

outside the crease late in the second period.
Army’s stellar save came not long after Shrewsbury freshman Steve Stanislaweyk corralled a short pass from

Kevin Dufault to score on a scramble in front to make it 2-0.
Two more Algonquin power plays in the third period resulted in two more kills, led by Shrewsbury’s Drew Inneson,

Mark Murray and Caston Sommer.
Charbonneau netted Shrewsbury’s final goal, an unassisted empty-netter with 14 seconds left.

Shrewsbury 7, Worcester 4
Junior center Pat Brossi had two goals and an assist, junior defenseman Kevin Charbonneau had one goal and

two assists, and the Colonials (4-3-2) beat the Wildcats (1-5-2) at Buffone Rink.
Junior right wing Castan Sommer added a goal and an assist for Shrewsbury, while Steve Sczepaniak scored

twice for Worcester.

Thursday, January 10, 2008
Shrewsbury bests St. John’s for first time in 20 years
By Graham Entwistle RECORD CORRESPONDENT
WESTBORO— When new Shrewsbury High School head coach John Binkoski emerged from the locker room after

his team’s game with St. John’s on Saturday evening, he wore a smile wide enough to bridge the Grand Canyon.
Binkoski’s Colonial ice hockey team had just overcome St. John’s, 5-3, giving Shrewsbury its first win over the Pioneers

in what must have seemed like an eternity.
“I’m still a little elated at this,” Binkoski declared. “I think it’s 20 years since we’ve beaten St. John’s.“Coach (Jeff) Lewis,

my assistant coach, was captain of the (Shrewsbury) team in 1987 when they scored in overtime in the Districts to

beat St. John’s,” he said.
Binkoski, who coached the Colonial junior varsity squad last year, is now 4-0 against St. John’s in the last two seasons.
“We beat their freshman team three times in a row (last year),” he said. “There are a lot of kids in the (locker) room

who were on that team. They haven’t lost to St. John’s yet in high school hockey.”
Junior forward Castan Sommer, the son of Worcester Sharks coach Roy Sommer, picked up two goals and an assist

against the Pioneers. Also scoring were freshman forward Steve Stanislawzyk, sophomore forward Kevin Dufault,

and junior forward Dave Comeau.
Additional assists went to junior defenseman Derek Ryan; sophomore defenseman Dave Finlay; sophomore forward

Clark Dumart, who is the grandson of legendary Boston Bruin Woody Dumart; senior defenseman Kevin Charbonneau

; junior forward Pat Brossi; and Stanislawzyk.
“We got five goals against a team that’s been giving up two a game,” Binkoski said. “That’s pretty good.”
The win, coupled with the Colonials’ 7-4 victory over Worcester on Jan. 8, gives Shrewsbury a 4-3-2 mark on the season.
“I can’t be happier,” Binkoski said. “We were 0-3 at the start. I was ready to hand in my resignation.
“I thought everything I was doing was wrong, but we haven’t lost in five (now six) games, and it’s all to them

(the players). They’re just working hard and doing a great job.”
Binkoski attributes his team’s recent success to three factors: Senior captain Mark Murray, overall hustle, and senior

goalie Pat Army.
“Mark Murray, emotionally, is probably more important to this team than anybody,” he said. “He’s just an

emotional leader. He gave impassioned speeches between every period.
“Pat Army was just immense,” Binkoski said. “He’s a super goaltender.
“We talked before the game,” he added. “I told him I didn’t care if we got 45 face-offs in our own zone — just tie

the puck up. He did a great job controlling his rebounds.”
As for hustle, that starts in practice, and carries into the Colonials’ games when they skate four lines on offense and

three sets of defensemen to keep everyone fresh.
“I helped up at Holy Cross the last five years, so I got to watch who I call the master, (head coach) Paul Pearl,

practice,” Binkoski said. “We practice in the same upbeat kind of way that they do.
“Whatever we do, we do hard at top speed, and it’s starting to pay off,” he said. “I talk to the kids a lot about

playing tough.
“Tough isn’t necessarily making spectacular open-ice hits,” Binkoski continued. “Tough is keeping your stick on the ice

and controlling the puck when somebody’s hitting you. We’re going to be tough and we’re going to get a lot tougher as

the year goes on.”
Shrewsbury’s first line is made up of Dumart at center, Dufault on the right wing and Stanislawzyk on the left. The

second line consists of Brossi at center, and Sommer and Comeau on the wings.
The third line has senior Drew Ineson centering, with Murray and Ian Powers on the outside, while the fourth line

features juniors Dan Sampsonis and Brendan O’Rourke, and either junior Alex Moriaty or junior Zach Quinn.
On defense, Ryan is paired with Charbonneau.
“They also play on our power play, which got us started tonight with a power play goal,” Binkoski said.
Senior Brian Roy is paired with Finlay, while junior AJ Jenkins teams with senior Anietie Uko.
“Pound for pound, (Finlay) is as tough a kid as I’ve ever coached in my life, Binkoski said.
Also on the squad are senior Paul Grip, an alternate captain who is out for the season with a shoulder separation;

senior backup goalie Andrew Valliant; junior Joe McGuinn; and sophomores Riley Kelly, Ryan McWeeney, and

Bobby Fitzgerald.
“I’ve been preaching to them all year about how hard they can work and how hard they can skate,” Binkoski

said. “Top to bottom, we just keep getting better.”

Sunday, January 6, 2008
Finally a little bit of payback
By Carl Setterlund CORRESPONDENTWESTBORO— The 2008 edition of the classic Shrewsbury rivalry —

Shrewsbury High versus St. John’s — was one hockey enthusiasts will remember for a long time, as the Colonials

knocked off the Pioneers, 5-3, last night at the Northstar Youth Forum.
“They worked hard and kept us away from the front of the net,” St. John’s coach Brian Murphy said. “You have to

take your hat off to them, I thought they played an outstanding game.”
It was the first time Shrewsbury (3-3-2, 1-0) bested St. John’s hockey in 21 years, and head coach John Binkoski

says he remembers the occasion.“Coach (Jeff) Lewis was our captain of the team in 1987,” Binkoski said, “when they

scored in overtime in districts to beat St. John’s.”
Knowing how long it’s been since they’ve taken down the Pioneers (2-4-2), the Colonials celebrated by storming the

ice as if they had just won the state title.
With bragging rights on the line, the game featured things every hockey fan enjoys: open-ice hits, back-and-forth scoring

and sound goalkeeping from Colonials netminder Patrick Army (37 saves).
“He’s a super goaltender,” Binkoski said. “We talked before the game, and I told him I didn’t care if we have 45

faceoffs in our own zone, just tie the puck up whenever he got it. He did a great job controlling his rebounds.”
Army set the tone for the night when a Shrewsbury defender tripped in the first minute, giving St. John’s a two-on-none

opportunity, but he gobbled up the Pioneers’ shot.
“We put a lot of shots on the net,” Murphy said. “Their goaltender played well, and they just did a real job of clearing

the puck out. We didn’t get many second or third chances.”
At 3:39 in the first period, junior Nick Yacuzzi opened the scoring for St. John’s when he got his own rebound and put

it in the back of the net.
Just 11 seconds later, Castan Sommer (two goals, assist) struck back for the Colonials, taking the air out of a Pioneer

cheering section that was still celebrating their goal.
Receiving a passionate speech from team captain Mark Murray after the first period, Shrewsbury came out on a mission,

scoring three goals in the second period.
Sommer put his team ahead at the 6:30 mark on Shrewsbury’s only power play of the game with some tricky stick

work in front of the net. Derek Ryan and Dave Finlay picked up the assist on the play.
Pioneers forward Thomas Krysil found the goal at the 9:17 mark after a Shrewsbury turnover, but his work was

quickly undone by Colonials freshman Steve Stanislawzyk (goal, assist).
Reminiscent of Sommer’s first-period effort, Stanislawzyk scored just 10 seconds after Krysil, getting the assist from

Clark Dumart (two assists) and Kevin Charbonneau.
“When we scored right back, it just gives you so much more confidence knowing that your team is behind you like

that,” Army said.
In the waning seconds of the second period, Dave Comeau capitalized and put Shrewsbury up, 4-2, as St. John’s

goalie Ben Siok (21 saves) was slow to cover a rebound in front of the net.
Though it seemed the Colonials had the game in hand, Pioneers forward Mike Coulombe scored (1:48) in the early

part of the third, giving St. John’s some life with more than 13 minutes left to find an equalizer.
Kevin Dufault ended any such dreams, five minutes later, when he put in another rebound sitting in front of the St. John’s

net.
A strong defensive effort the rest of the way gave Shrewsbury the result it desired and a dose of retribution for

all those years on the losing end of this rivalry.

Shrewsbury 6, North Middlesex 0
Derek Ryan had a goal and an assist for the Colonials (2-3) at the Northstar Youth Forum.
Pat Army and Andrew Vaillant combined for a 14-save shutout.

Westboro 2, Shrewsbury 1
Senior forward Scott Brady reached the 100-point milestone with an assist on the tying goal by Austin Scaplen

two minutes into the third period for the visiting Rangers (2-1) at North Star Arena.
Castan Sommer scored a power-play goal midway through the first period to give the Colonials (0-3) the early lead.
Junior Eric Collato broke the tie three minutes after Scaplen’s tying goal.
Junior Mark Ferreti stopped 20 of 21 shots for the Rangers.

Thursday, December 13, 2007
Rockets get it together
Auburn responds with three-goal rally for win
By Brendan Hall CORRESPONDENTAUBURN— Having watched a scoreless tie erupt into a two-goal lead in a

minute’s span, Auburn High coach Glen Bombard looked agitated as he called a timeout.
Words were had, the Rockets responded, and eventually the anguish vanished.
Over the final five and a half minutes of the second period last night, Auburn’s Ian Davis led a three-goal rally to

overtake a 2-0 Shrewsbury lead. The Rockets then held off the Colonials with tight defense in the third to win,

3-2, in the nightcap of the opening round of the Dana Willard Memorial Hockey Tournament at Auburn’s Horgan

Rink.This was the season opener for both squads. On Saturday night, Auburn will face Hudson, which beat

Hopkinton, 5-3, in the preceding game. Shrewsbury will face Hopkinton in the consolation game.
The Colonials’ aggression on face-offs and the forecheck built them a 2-0 lead after seven minutes of play.

First, Ian Powers took a feed off a face-off in Shrewsbury’s zone, and found Kevin Dufault at Auburn’s outer

left circle. Dufault beat goaltender Matt Drapeau top shelf, glove side, for the game’s first goal at 6:57. Speedy

junior forward Pat Brossi followed up a minute later with a tip-in off a face-off, set up by Dan Sampsonis, for the

two-goal lead.
Brossi’s goal prompted an Auburn timeout, where Bombard let them have it.
“I told them, ‘Look, if you want to embarrass yourself, that’s fine and all. Just let me know,’ ” Bombard said

. “The practice we had (Tuesday), we looked like a great team. I said, this is not the team I saw in practice. I want

to see that team.”
Added Bombard, with a smile, “They got the picture, they got it quick, and I said a few other things.”
After one period of play, the Colonials had outshot the Rockets, 13-2.
The Rockets answered with three goals in the final 5-1/2 minutes of the second, including two Ian Davis power-play

goals, to take a 3-2 lead. The rally started just as the Colonials fought away an Auburn two-man advantage.

Brendon Robidoux won the face-off in Shrewsbury’s right circle and fed Ian Davis in the slot. Davis went stick side,

top shelf for a power-play goal at 9:41.
A minute and a half later, Robidoux won another face-off and hit Stephen Coyne in the neutral zone. Coyne went back

to Robidoux on the two-on-one, and Robidoux went five-hole from the high slot to tie it up.
Davis put the Rockets ahead with a rebound at the far post. Just when Vinny Gauthier looked ready to take a shot from

the blue line, he pushed the puck across the ice to Evan Pluff, who fired to Pat Army’s glove side. The shot was

deflected, and Davis flipped up the rebound for the goal.
“I was just in the right place. It was a whole team effort,” Davis said of the goal.
Neither team was able to find the back of the net in a physical third period full of hits along the boards and in the

open ice. Shrewsbury had a goal through a scrum in front disallowed, to start the period; one of the goal posts had

come off before the puck went in.
“The penalties killed us. That changed the whole complexion of the game,” Colonials coach John Binkoski said.
The Colonials got a scare late in the second period, after Robidoux’s tying goal. In a pileup around the net, an

Auburn player fell on the back of Army’s head. Binkoski thought Army may have blacked out, but when he showed

full range of motion and fine balance, kept him in there.
Army finished with 20 saves, to Drapeau’s 23.