Fishermen gallop past the Mustangs and advance to Final Four
Gloucester fans throw hats on the ice to celebrate captain Jack Costanzo’s Hat Trick.
March 14, 2022
This past Friday, the Fishermen Hockey team won 6-4 against the Norwood Mustangs. Four goals by Gloucester’s Senior captain Jack Costanzo propelled the team to the final four.
“Boys worked their butts off one last time in the tank,” Costanzo said. “Thank you fans.”
Head Coach Derek Geary spoke about the atmosphere it the tank after the game.
“The student support and city support has been off the charts and we couldn’t be more appreciative,” Geary said. “It’s helping us win games so we hope we can take the show on the road with more and more great support! Thank you to all the students.”
Minutes into the first period, Gloucester sophomore Emerson Marshall scored the game’s first goal in a give and go with sophomore Brett Cunningham. Senior Ryan Frates had what could be the defensive play of the night for GHS. He dove in front of a Norwood shot, putting his body on the line to save a goal. Gloucester’s offense held strong for much of the first but could not connect.
With 5 minutes left in the first period, GHS earned a power play. Although Norwood was a man down, Kevin Broderick still managed to score a goal on a breakaway. Gloucester continued to not find anything on offense. At the end of the first period, the Fishermen lost control of the puck which led to Mustang Conor Lydon’s goal. GHS saw themselves down 1-2 at the end of the first.
At the start of the second, Fisherman Costanzo, assisted by senior Aidan Donald, scored his first goal of the night on the right-wing, fitting the puck into a tight space. Minutes later, Marshall took a hard hit to the head which left the crowd speechless. The Referees did not call anything on the play. Minutes later GHS’ Derek Ellms scored to give the Fishermen the lead. While short-handed, Gloucester scored again. Costanzo scored on a breakaway in which he put the puck between his legs to get past a Mustang defender. Gloucester finished the second period up 4-2.
While on a power play, Norwood’s assistant captain Kyle Leger put the Mustangs back in the game. He scored from the blue line on the right-wing. Leger continued to put his team on his back and scored again. He brought the Mustangs down from a 4-2 deficit to tie the game. The next goal of the game came from Gloucester. There seemed to have been a whistle from the fans which stopped all the players from skating except Costanzo. He saw himself on a breakaway and scored to give himself a hat trick. Costanzo brought the Fishermen’s lead to two after Norwood took their Goalie out in the final minute of the game. Gloucester finished the game up 6-4.
“Norwood was a tough, physical team and I’m proud of the way we handled that challenge. When you lose one of your best players [Emerson], different kids have the opportunity for more ice time and a chance to step up and play important roles,” Geary said. “I thought Derek Ellms, Colby Warren, Drew White and Aidan Donald all saw increased playing time and were particularly strong in the third period. Brett Cunningham continues to play at an All Conference level and Jack Delaney has been gritty, playing through injuries. However, the star of the show [as anyone with eyes could see] was Jack Costanzo, who put on a performance that will be remembered for a long time and he’s not done yet. And neither are we. It was a tremendous team effort and we’re ready for further challenges.”
No. 2 Gloucester advances to the final four of the Division 2 Boys’ State Hockey Tournament. The Fishermen will face No. 3 Canton at Tsongas Arena (UMass Lowell).
