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A banner kind of day at Breakaway Arena | Sports

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TEWKSBURY– On Saturday, the final celebration took place for the state championship winning 2021-22 Tewksbury High School boys ice hockey team by unveiling the championship banner at Breakaway Ice Center.

I was a member of that team, and seeing that tarp fly off that banner symbolizes a whole lot more than winning a championship game. In order to fully understand that, let’s start by turning back the clocks to the early spring of 2011.

I was seven years old, and just finished up my first season of playing hockey with my brother Matt, who was also a member of the team last season.

That same year, the 2010-11 Tewksbury High School ice hockey team was playing at the TD Garden for the state championship against Franklin. Being aspiring young hockey players from Tewksbury, my Dad thought it was a no-brainer to take us into Boston to experience the game and to support our town.

I don’t remember much from when I was seven years old. But, I do remember my Dad coming home with “Tewksbury vs. Franklin” promo t-shirts that were being sold to be worn at the game, wearing them under my un-zipped jacket while at the Garden.

The only aspect of the game I remember is the sound of the crowd when the game winning goal was scored in overtime. Hands went flying in the air as the Redmen celebrated their championship on the Garden ice.

I didn’t know it, but that moment would push me the rest of my hockey career to want to be out there on that ice for the Tewksbury Redmen one day competing for an MIAA state title.

Fast forward to the fall of 2021, myself and the rest of the senior class on the team knew it was our last chance to fulfill our championship dreams.

That senior class consisted of Caden Connors, Andrew Della Piana, John Ragucci, Billy Doherty, Cody Mercuri, Sean Lane, Justin Rooney, Aaron Connelly, and Cole Stone.

Growing up with all nine of those kids, the bond we developed in and outside of the rink was special. There’s something about playing alongside the people I grew up with and have known my whole life. It’s easy to want to block a shot or take a hit when I know every single one of those guys would do the same for me. And they did.

It wasn’t just the senior class that was bonded, either. The whole team from top to bottom was a family. The word “family” gets thrown around a lot when it comes to high school sports, but I’ve truly never experienced a family like this one in sports before.

David Karlberg, Nick DiCioccio, Cullen Mangan, Michael Connors, Ryan Flynn, Matt Cooke, Cooper Robillard, Tyler Barnes, Jeremy Insogna, Ben O’Keefe, Aidan Macdonald, Conor Cremin, Andrew Whynot, Brady Chapman, and Robby Beggan rounded out the members of the team.

Every single player on the team contributed to the success we had all season, whether that was on the scoresheet, in practice, or in the locker room. And that played a major role in the success of our team. When we stepped onto that ice, we played for each other.

We also knew we had the talent to win. Defenseman Caden Connors had one of the most dominant high school seasons I’ve ever seen, eclipsing the 50-point mark through the 24 games we played. Connors truly did it all, whether it was being a lockdown defender in front of our net, the quarterback to the power play, or the spark we needed to claw us back into a close game. If we needed a goal, he would go out and get one for us, it was as simple as that.

The line of Matt Cooke, Tyler Barnes, and Sean Lane were also dominant throughout the season. That line complimented each other perfectly. They all played physical, smart, and with poise, but each had their own specific qualities that made the line click. Barnes was fast, physical, and relentless, often creating opportunities for my brother and Lane, or vice versa. My brother was also a very physical player, and combining that with his skill made him a scary sight for the opposition. Lane truly elevated himself this season and was the perfect role model for both of the sophomores. His skill and tenacity made that line a problem for many teams, and they helped us a lot by setting the tone when it came time for playoffs.

My linemates, Cole Stone and Aaron Connelly, were the best pair of linemates I could have asked for. We might not have scored the most goals on the team, but every shift we battled. And I could really tell how much it meant to the both of them. Stone would do anything to get in the way of a shot, and took pride in his ability to kill penalties. Connelly was a strong power forward who was physical, smart, and a three-zone player that made it easy to play with him. They both had touch around the net, creating a lot of scoring chances for us all year long.

Of course, we had Ben O’Keefe in between the pipes. His ability to make a timely save is something I was never surprised by; Benny has been doing that ever since we were Mites. Having him in net was truly a game changer.

Our fire power didn’t end there. Brady Chapman, Ryan Flynn, Conor Cremin, and Jeremy Insogna provided much needed boosts to the offense all season long.

Justin Rooney, Nick Dicioccio, Cullen Mangan, and Billy Doherty were all crucial parts of our team defense.

Everyone played a role on the team, and they would do it with full effort.

The coaching staff of Derek Doherty, Bill Gosse, David DeRoche, Randy Boyce, and Ryan Doherty not only made us better hockey players, they made us better people. One thing I vividly remember is the coaching staff preaching to us that on the ice, we were animals. But off the ice, we were gentlemen. That’s how we carried ourselves throughout the entire season. Teams were petrified to step on the same sheet of ice as us. But when we left the rink, we strived to best represent the team and our school the best. Many of us were in the TMHS Best Buddies program, peer leadership groups, positions of leadership of various clubs and activities in school, the list went on.

As a result, we had a 22-2-0 season, including a dominant 13-0 sweep through the MVC/DCL.

When the playoffs rolled around, we knew our talent and depth of the roster wasn’t what was going to win us a ring. We took it one game at a time, and simply asked “who’s next?” after every game.

That mentality eventually took us to the final destination: the TD Garden. Like many of my teammates, I was also a part of the team that lost to Canton in the state championship in 2019.

Ever since that moment, every single one of us knew we’d be back to seek our revenge. And that’s what we did. When we beat Canton in the state championship on March 20th, it was a dream come true.

When I picked up that trophy, I pictured my seven year old self in the stands with my brother and my Dad. I also pictured the seven-year-olds in the Garden stands at that moment who were newly inspired to make this their dream who were going to go home that day and shoot some extra pucks in the driveway, or even ask their Dad to build a backyard rink to practice on like my Dad did for me.

And that’s when I realized what Redmen hockey was all about. It wasn’t about playing in front of big student sections or scoring goals. It was about the pride and tradition of the program, and representing both the past and the future.

When I watched that banner be revealed on Saturday, I thought the same thing. That just maybe there might be a young me in the stands who is going to want to strive to put another banner next to it.





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