Childhood neighbors to playoff heroes, Alex Peck-Sam Hubbard connection lifts Natick boys' hockey past Weymouth
After the Wildcats (13-8-2) equalized with Ryan MacDonald's goal with 2:05 left, the Redhawks responded. On a low-to-high play, Peck found junior Grady Flynn at the goal line. Flynn returned the favor back to Peck in the high slot, and he made no mistake.
Advertisement
'You're not even thinking out there, honestly,' said Peck, who netted his 18th goal of the year. 'Pass it down low, get it right back. Once I saw it go in, it's one of the best moments ever.'
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
Natick's Sam Hubbard (left) is joined by teammate Tate Cogliano to celebrate one of his two goals against Weymouth.
Barry Chin/Globe Staff
Natick took leads of 1-0, 3-1, and 4-3, but each time, Weymouth had an answer – except in the final two minutes.
'With 13 seniors, being able to refocus is the most important,' said Natick coach Karl Infanger. 'We've practiced all year for the final two minutes.'
Related
:
Hubbard upped his goal total to 29, slamming home a power-play one-timer off a feed from Peck. In the third period, Hubbard scored shortside, more than willing to showcase his devastating wrist shot. Hubbard, the team's leading scorer, was also a Globe All-Scholastic on the gridiron. He proved his football prowess with a series of devastating hits.
'It's like clockwork out there,' said Peck, on playing with Hubbard. 'I know that he wants the puck on his stick, so I'm looking for him.'
Related
:
After losing to Weymouth, 5-3, on Jan. 4, the Redhawks emerged victorious in a battle of Bay State Conference division winners.
'They beat us earlier in the season, so to get that game back on them, that's awesome,' said Hubbard. 'It helps us going deeper in the tournament.'
Natick's Joe MacDonnell (6) celebrates after putting the Redhawks up 3-1.
Barry Chin/Globe Staff
Natick's Brauer Malcom (31) makes a save late in the third period.
Barry Chin/Globe Staff
Natick's defense puts the squeeze on Weymouth's Ryan Ferguson (center).
Barry Chin/Globe Staff
Weymouth goalie Billy Lennon makes a save as Natick's Alex Peck looks for the rebound.
Barry Chin/Globe Staff
Cam Kerry can be reached at
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Chelmsford baseball rides Matt Stuart's shutout of Wellesley into first Division 1 semifinals
Related : 'So to me, this win is more about the whole baseball community in Chelmsford,' DiStasi said. 'It goes back to coach O'Keefe. He was the one who started it. 'I'm happy for him and happy for all of us that we actually get a chance to go to the Final Four.' Advertisement Chelmsford's Matt Stuart celebrates after finishing his shutout of Wellesley. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Senior infielder Evan Kobrenski hit an RBI double that drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning. It was the only run Wellesley sophomore Max Boehm granted, recording four strikeouts and allowing five hits in seven innings. Lions senior righty Matthew Stuart threw a three-hit complete game with eight strikeouts. He escaped multiple jams, including stranding two runners in scoring position by forcing consecutive groundouts. Evan Kobrenskin's fifth-inning double plated the game's only run. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Chelmsford will play the winner of the St. John's Prep vs. St. John's (Shrewsbury). 'We've had a good team every year, I think, but we've never been able to get over that hump of the second round,' Stuart said. 'So just to make it to the Final Four this year, with a group of kids I've been playing with since I was 8, it's great.' Advertisement For the first time in program history, Chelmsford is one of the last four teams standing in Division 1. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Wellesley's Chase Murphy is tagged out by Chelmsford's Evan Kobrenskin while attempting to steal second. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Chelmsford's Evan Kobrenskin was pumped after he drove in the eventual winning run in the fifth inning. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Chelmsford High right fielder John Latham had the ball pop out of his glove after colliding with center fielder Will Morgan (not pictured). Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Chelmsford second baseman Evan Kobrenski tags out Wellesley pinch runner Jason Jiang (#9) trying to steal second. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Chelmsford High starter Matt Stuart was pumped after an inning-ending strikeout. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Wellesley's starter Max Boehm allowed one run on five hits in seven innings. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
Boston Globe
21 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Brookline boys' volleyball sends Acton-Boxborough packing, setting up all-Bay State Conference D1 final foursome
Brookline's Kristaps Vaivars (right) lays down a kill against A-B's Parth Pawar. Barry Chin/Globe Staff First-year coach Lexi De La Cruz said it shows the depth of the team that the players were able to take the second set despite 17 errors, and that the 'kids are ready to fight until the last point.' Advertisement Previously Wellesley's coach, De La Cruz never advanced past the round of 32. His Brookline squad has its sights on two more wins and he credits the players and assistant Justin Soohoo, who has been with the program over a decade, with accepting his changes and making his strategies work. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Related : 'I wouldn't be able to do my job this season if the kids didn't trust me,' he said. 'I came with new game plans, new style of play. This makes my job way easier. It makes me want to fight harder for them, work hard at practice, so we can win the state championship.' Brookline's Alec Smagula (center) and Luka Gallucci (right) combined to block a ball hit by A-B's Matan Wurcel (left). Barry Chin/Globe Staff Brookline's victory sets up an all-Bay State Conference semifinals in D1, to be held on Tuesday at Concord-Carlisle High. The last time the Warriors reached this point, they lost a five-set thriller to Newton North. This time, it's Brookline coming in as the higher seed. Advertisement 'It's definitely something in the back of our minds,' Vaivars said. 'That was the furthest we've gone the past couple years. To have that rematch is great, even though the teams are very different.' Brookline will advance to play Newton North in a rematch of last year's semifinal, won by the Tigers. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Brookline and A-B players line up for handshakes after the Warriors win. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Brookline's Liam Raybould (center) leads the celebration after winning a point against A-B. Barry Chin/Globe Staff AJ Traub can be reached at
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Boston Globe
Simon says ‘Smash'. Vardeh dominant for Newton North in Division 1 boys' volleyball quarterfinal win
Paul Nelson puts it over to finish the match 23-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-15 for Defending champion Tigers head back to the semifinals! — AJ (@aj_traub) 'We know we're the better team,' Vardeh said. 'When we play to the best of our ability, nobody can beat us.' Added Fox: [Vardeh] showed he's the best player in the state today. He showed why he's been a starter for us the last four years. He just did what he was supposed to.' Advertisement It's not the first time the Tigers (16-7) have leaned heavily on Vardeh, but Fox made the plan to keep setting him until Lexington (20-3) found a way to stop him. The Minutemen never did, even sending a triple block at one point only for Vardeh to sail the ball over their heads anyway. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'We want to spread around, but after I saw they couldn't stop him, we were like 'foot on the gas,'' Fox said, 'But that's what I expected of him. 'He showed a lot of greatness these past four years, and this game really cemented it for me.' Senior Paul Nelson (50 assists, 4 kills, 2 blocks) has just been a setter this season, but also found juniors Peter Reale (7 kills, 2 blocks) and Amaris Cotto (8 kills). Advertisement 'One of my better setting games for sure,' Nelson said. 'I wouldn't say I was expecting to be at this level, the first game back [after playing libero the past couple matches], but I was pleasantly surprised.' The Tigers will face either No. 1 Brookline or No. 9 Acton-Boxborough at Concord-Carlisle High on Tuesday, as they look to prove that the team can get back to the finals without Athlete of the Year Adam Christianson and All-Scholastic middle Sam Huang, who graduated following last year's championship. 'We were playing really well,' Nelson said. 'I think if you take that to our next games, we will win.' Simon Vardeh (16) and his Newton North teammates celebrated their Final Four trophy. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Newton North's Peter Reale (13) forces the ball past Lexington High Mahin Rajesgh. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Lexington's High Nicholas Sanchez de Rojas (4) delivers a dig against Newton North. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Needham 3, Taunton 1 — In an electric setting, the third-seeded Rockets (21-5) closed out their four-set quarterfinal win with hard-earning 25-22 clincher over No. 27 Taunton (18-6). '[There were] a lot of voices in the gym, a lot of people yelling, our fans and theirs,' Neeham senior Andrew Kurdziel said. 'Feeding off the crowd is something we're great at.' The Rockets were on track for a sweep, with seniors Andrew Kurdziel (11 kills, 2 aces, 3 blocks) and McDonald (8 kills) working overtime at the net to take the first two sets. But Taunton turned up the pressure, supported by its spirited fans, and held onto their lead throughout the third set. 'We knew this game was going be really tough,' Needham senior Will McDonald said. 'It wasn't a surprise that they were gonna have a lot of energy. We just knew we [had to] fight back.' Taunton (18-6) bulldozed its way through the tournament and carried that energy into Friday's match. Senior Travis Johnson and junior Syre Duverna delivered 13 kills apiece to help force a fourth set. But ultimately, there was no stopping Needham's attack. Advertisement 'I don't think Needham saw our best effort today,' Taunton coach Toby Chaperon said. 'I think we kind of ran out of gas.' Needham took the lead early in the fourth set, but struggled to hold on as Taunton's senior libero, Dantae Bauer, combated the Rockets' frenzied attacks with 16 digs. But, their efforts fell short at the hands of junior Matty Cloonan (14 kills, 6 digs). 'We like the way our guys hung in there,' Needham coach Dave Powell said. 'I'm glad that we responded to their intensity with our own.' Alexa Podalsky reported from Needham . AJ Traub can be reached at
