Goalies star, but Faria's goal lifts Marshfield boys hockey past Franklin into Elite 8

KINGSTON – In the second period of Saturday’s Division 1 Sweet 16 boys hockey game against Franklin, Marshfield High junior Steve Faria had an open shot on net in the slot but opted to pass.

Marshfield coach Dan Connolly encouraged the left wing to trust his shot. So in the third period, when Faria had space once again in the slot, he didn’t hesitate before firing a wrist shot into the back of the net with 4:46 remaining. That turned out to be the game’s lone goal as Franklin goaltender Colby Wagner and Marshfield’s Brady Quackenbush went save-for-save for three periods.

"I definitely had an open shot in the slot and I decided to pass it instead,” said Faria remembering the earlier chance. "(Connolly) told me I should have taken the shot instead and I totally agreed. So the rest of the game I was trying to take as many shots as I could when I had the opportunity.”

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Quackenbush finished with 26 saves while Wagner, a junior, stopped 25.

“When the other goalie played as (well as Wagner) did today, it kind of encourages me to play even better,” said Quackenbush. “It makes me realize I have to really be on my ‘A’ game because if I let a single goal in that could be it."

The No. 4 Rams (20-2-2) turned in a strong defensive effort to shut out the No. 12 Panthers, who were coming off an 11-2 win in the Round of 32 over Andover to advance to the Elite 8.

Key plays

The game’s lone tally came just seconds after what appeared to be a missed opportunity. Marshfield junior Teddy Devoe rang a shot off the crossbar from the face-off circle. Faria collected the rebound against the boards and moved the puck to junior Ryland McGlame in the corner. As McGlame skated towards the net with the puck, Devoe drew the attention of two Franklin defenders leaving Faria open in the slot. He didn’t waste the opportunity and fired a one-timer over Wagner’s glove.

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“Steve’s always one of our hardest-working guys,” said Quackenbush. “Whenever he’s out on the ice he’s always giving 110 percent. You could tell he really wanted it out there today. He was really grinding every shift and when he got the opportunity to put it in the back of the net he capitalized.”

Quackenbush made plenty of notable saves, but the biggest came about 90 seconds after Faria’s goal. He blocked a scoring chance from in tight on a shot from Franklin’s Daniel Daley.

In the first period, Franklin’s Dylan McEvoy and Ryan Sicchio broke free on a 2-on-1, but Quackenbush denied the initial bid and quickly redirected on a rebound while sliding from one post to the other.

“Brady was crazy in between the pipes today,” said Faria. “He was making amazing saves, without him we definitely wouldn’t have won this game.”

Three stars

First star: Brady Quackenbush - Saturday’s shutout was the ninth of the season for the Rams.

Second star: Colby Wagner - Wagner nearly matched Quackenbush save-for-save.

Third star: Steve Faria - His lone goal was the winner. The third line, which also features sophomore Jack Doherty and junior Will Arnone, was a common source of energy all day.

They said it

Faria’s goal sent The Bog into a frenzy.

“It was absolutely electric,” said Faria. “It was probably one of my favorite hockey memories I’ve ever had for sure. It was so much fun.”

Neither team’s first line found the back of the net. Jake Hemingway, Tommy Carroll and Cam McGettrick played well defensively on the first line going head-to-head against Franklin’s Anthony Lampasona, Ben Paterson and Daley.

“Our first line didn’t score but they did a good job of shutting down their first line,” said Connolly. “I think every kid on their first line has over 40 points, so they did their job.”

Franklin ends the year with a 17-6 record and went undefeated in Hockomock League Kelley-Rex Division play.

“I though the kids competed real, real hard,” said Connolly. “Our kids just didn’t stop competing. Franklin, we knew what they brought to the table. They’re skilled, they’re tough fast, they’re fast and they were as good as advertised. Brady held the fort.”

Somebody had to end their season on Saturday.

“It stinks in the tournament when somebody’s got to win and somebody’s going to lose. I thought both teams competed as hard as they could have competed,” said Connolly. “If we lost, at least the kids could walk out with their heads held high because they worked very hard. We were fortunate to get that one goal.”

The Rams rely on a deep roster. Ten different played have 10 or more points. Sammy Holte and Matt Garland provided a spark on the fourth line.

"You can tell how much depth we have,” said Quackenbush. “With the tournament, we’re only allowed to dress 22 guys and the past two guys we’ve rotated in on the fourth line because we have the guys that have the ability to play so we want to give those guys because we know they have the ability.”

What’s next?

The Rams turn their attention to No. 4 Pope Francis, which hails from Springfield and is a preeminent contender. The Cardinals defeated No. 13 Wellesley, 3-2, in overtime on Saturday. The state quarterfinal will be at a date, time and location to be determined.

"They’re one of the best teams in the state every year,” said Connolly. “We’re happy to be there but there’s work to be done.”

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Marshfield High boys hockey defeats Franklin in Division 1 Sweet 16