This pair of Stang boys hockey players are the state's top two scorers this season

Ed Collins
·5 min read

NEW BEDFORD — Justin Gouveia proved why he's the leading boys hockey scorer in the state this season.

A senior left wing, Gouveia had a hat trick to help lead Bishop Stang to a 3-3 overtime tie against Nantucket at Hetland Memorial Skating Rink on Saturday.

All three of Gouveia's goals came after the Spartans fell behind 3-0 with 5:10 left to play in the first period.

Bishop Stang's Justin Gouveia (23) is mobbed by his teammates after scoring his third goal of the the game late in the third period.
Bishop Stang's Justin Gouveia (23) is mobbed by his teammates after scoring his third goal of the the game late in the third period.

"We got off to a rough start and we knew we had to work through it and put some pucks in the net," said Gouveia, who has 17 goals and 12 assists this season. "We play with a lot of confidence on offense and we never lost faith. We knew we could come back if we kept working hard."

Gouveia plays on the Spartans' first line with sophomore right wing Quinn Pine, who had two assists to boost his No. 2 in the state scoring totals to 13 goals and 14 assists, and senior center Jack Jedrey, who had an assist to move into a tie for sixth in the state scoring race with seven goals and 16 assists.

Nantucket goaltender Griffen Starr can only look as Bishop Stang's Justin Gouveia is about to knock home his second goal of the game for the Spartans. Gouveia would score all three Bishop Stang goals.
Nantucket goaltender Griffen Starr can only look as Bishop Stang's Justin Gouveia is about to knock home his second goal of the game for the Spartans. Gouveia would score all three Bishop Stang goals.

"Once we settled down, we started moving the puck really well," said Gouveia, a center fielder who's headed to UMass Boston to play baseball. "We knew we were still in it and we kept going. Nantucket is the best team we've played this season and we had to up our game against them after falling behind early."

The Whalers came out red hot against Bishop Stang junior goalie Brayden Bennett (0.97 goals-against average, .957 saves percentage and three shutouts), who had an off day and was replaced by senior Matt Dore (0.83 goals-against average, .955 saves percentage and three shutouts) after the Whalers' third goal.

Justin Gouveia of Bishop Stang follows through after firing a shot on net while Nantucket's attempts to block the shot.
Justin Gouveia of Bishop Stang follows through after firing a shot on net while Nantucket's attempts to block the shot.

"Going in like that puts pressure on you, but it tests what kind of a goalie you are," said Dore, who also plays baseball for the Spartans. "The mindset was to shut them down and give us a chance to come back. I knew I couldn't give up another goal. Our defense really picked it up in front of the net and that allowed me to see shots. I never had a doubt that we could come back if we kept working hard. We never stopped fighting and it paid off."

The tie extended the Spartans' unbeaten streak to 19 games (17-0-2) going back to last season and head coach Ken Gouveia felt the game was a good test that his team can build on.

Quinn Pine of Bishop Stang motors past Nantucket's Hunter Strojny as Pine chases the puck into the Nantucket end of the ice.
Quinn Pine of Bishop Stang motors past Nantucket's Hunter Strojny as Pine chases the puck into the Nantucket end of the ice.

"We hadn't played since last Saturday (a 7-0 win over Bourne). We had two good practices on Thursday and Friday, but we went a week without a game to keep our momentum going," Gouveia said. "Nantucket took advantage of some errors by our young defense early in the game. They got to Bennett early, but Dore came in and completely shut them down. He made some big saves to keep us in it and he gave us a chance to claw our way back into the game. We'll learn from this game and move on. You need to play good teams to get better."

Jeremy Jenkinson of Nantucket is robbed by Bishop Stang goaltender Matt Dore. Jenkinson had broken in alone and was stopped by Dore.
Jeremy Jenkinson of Nantucket is robbed by Bishop Stang goaltender Matt Dore. Jenkinson had broken in alone and was stopped by Dore.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Whalers stormed to a 3-0 lead in the first period on goals by senior forward Cosmo Tedeschi, sophomore forward Ryan Davis and senior forward Camden Knapp. They outshot the Spartans 14-5 in the opening 15 minutes and scored on three of their first seven shots.

Bishop Stang's Jack Jedrey is met by three Nantucket players as Jedrey attempted to get a rebound in the Nantucket goal crease.
Bishop Stang's Jack Jedrey is met by three Nantucket players as Jedrey attempted to get a rebound in the Nantucket goal crease.

Bishop Stang pulled to within 3-1 on Gouveia's first goal with 3:18 left in the second period and Gouveia netted two more goals in the third period, including the equalizer with 48 seconds left after the Spartans pulled Dore with 1:18 remaining for a 6-on-5 advantage.

WHAT IT MEANS: The Spartans are 8-0-1 overall and 3-0-0 in the Catholic Central League. They return to action on Wednesday for a Braga Cup matchup at league rival Bishop Feehan and head back to Hetland on Saturday to take on Foxboro in the championship game of the Dartmouth Christmas Tournament, which was postponed last month because of bad weather conditions. ... The Whalers are now 4-4-1 overall. They are 4-1-0 in the Cape & Islands Lighthouse Division and return to action for a league game at Barnstable on Wednesday.

Quinn Pine of Bishop Stang sets up shop in front of Nantucket goaltender Griffin Starr late in the third period of Saturday afternoon's game at Hetland Arena.
Quinn Pine of Bishop Stang sets up shop in front of Nantucket goaltender Griffin Starr late in the third period of Saturday afternoon's game at Hetland Arena.

NANTUCKET STATS: The Whalers outshot the Spartans 30-23. ... Sophomore goalie Griffin Starr, who finished with 20 saves, has a 5.00 goals-against average and a .821 saves percentage. ... The Whalers were whistled for their only penalty of the game with 1:04 left to play in the first period. The penalty carried over for the first 56 seconds of the second period, but the Whalers were able to kill it.

BISHOP STANG STATS: The Spartans were outshot 14-5 in the first period and 11-3 in the second. They outshot the Whalers 10-4 in the third and 5-1 in the overtime. ... The Spartans were called for two penalties totaling seven minutes.

Bishop Stang forward Ryan Barros carries the puck around Nantucket defenseman Mike Culkins during the third period od Saturday afternoon's game.
Bishop Stang forward Ryan Barros carries the puck around Nantucket defenseman Mike Culkins during the third period od Saturday afternoon's game.

NANTUCKET COACH SCOTT CORBETT: "We got off to a great start. The team we were in the first period is the team we envision being. I just wish we had buried a few more of our scoring chances, because Stang is tough and well coached. They never stop coming at you."

NOTES: Senior defenseman Seamus Marshall assisted on Gouveia's game-tying goal and played some of his best hockey in the overtime. He will join Gouveia on the UMass Boston baseball team as a pitcher in the spring. ... Long-time Bishop Stang assistant coach Paul Brassells performed a strong version of the national anthem before the game, standing on the ice near the scorer's box without a microphone. Brassell has been with coach Gouveia going back to his days as the head coach at New Bedford High School and Framingham State. ... Sophomore forward Colby O'Keefe and junior forward Jack Billings absorbed big hits in the second period for the Whalers. ... Nantucket left at 10:30 a.m. for a boat ride to Hyannis and a bus ride to New Bedford. Corbett said the journey "wasn't that bad. It was a pretty smooth trip."

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Bishop Stang boys hockey rallies to tie Nantucket