PEABODY — The Bishop Fenwick boys hockey team dominated in all phases of the game Saturday night, cruising to a 8-0 Catholic Central League win over Matignon at McVann-O’Keefe Rink.
Jake Murphy led the way for the Crusaders with three points (two goals, one assist). Ethan Belt, Ian Worthely, Tom Estella, Nick Sasso, Diego Alvarez-Segee and John Bernbaum each added one goal. Nick Muzi dished two assists.
“We finally put the puck in the net,” Fenwick coach Jim Quinlan said. “Our first line and our second line started to play. We needed that. Once we do score we get a lot of confidence and we start scoring more. We started playing better.”
Quinlan said he was also happy with his some of his younger players who stepped up in the win, including freshman goaltender Dillon Bloom, who came in for Jake Moniz in the third period to finish the shutout win.
“My fourth line got out there, Nick Sasso scored a goal for the first time,” Quinlan said. “I’m happy I got them out there to play. Finally I got them out there to play more. Those kids are going to be here next year. Gavin Belt played a great game. It’s his first game he had played really. He’s our eighth defenseman and we were down defensemen tonight. He stepped right up. Dillon Bloom is our goalie coming up and he’s going to be a good goalie.”
The Crusaders brought the energy right out of the gate. After a power play four minutes into the first period, Trey Deloury ripped a shot that was saved but Ethan Belt finished on the rebound to give the Crusaders a one-goal lead.
Several minutes later Fenwick crashed the net for another goal. This time Worthely finished on a rebound to extend the lead to 2-0. Less than one minute later, Estella kept the offense going and finished another rebound to put the the Crusaders ahead 3-0 after the first period.
Fenwick didn’t let up in the second period. Gavin Belt dished a nice assist to Murphy who lit the lamp to extend the Crusaders’ lead to 4-0. Later in the second Murphy and Sasso added two more goals less than a minute apart from each other to put Fenwick ahead 6-0. Murphy added his third point in the final minute of the period, dishing an assist to Alvarez-Segee to extend the lead to 7-0.
Bernbaum added a goal in the third period and Bloom came in to finish the win for the Crusaders.
The win improves Fenwick to 6-9-1 on the season. The Crusaders are still seven points from qualifying for the state tournament, needing points in each of their four games of the regular season. Quinlan will look to his senior leadership to help rally the Crusaders during the pivotal stretch.
“Ethan Belt, Derek DelVecchio, Jake Moniz and Trey Deloury, those are my seniors that’s all I have,” Quinlan said. “They’re making sure we are ready to play. Even before practice they’re getting everybody ready. They get dressed like it’s a game and they’re all focused. They want to get into this tournament. We need a little confidence. If we get into the tournament we can play with anybody.”
Fenwick visits St. Peter Marian Monday (5:25).
“We’re not out of the state tournament right now so we’re taking it one game at a time,” Quinlan said. “These kids work hard at practice. They give it all they got. They play for the team and they play for me. We have practice tomorrow and a big game Monday out in Worcester. Records don’t show how good (St. Peter Marian) is, they’ve played some good teams. We have to come out and play how we’ve played the last few games.”