Boys hockey advances to playoffs

The Fishermen have been steamrolling through their schedule, scoring 45 goals in their last eight appearances.

But Gloucester can be quite erratic at times, earning penalties in quick succession. This has caused the team to lose close games, which can prove to be costly in the playoffs.

When asked how confident the team is going into the playoffs, Captain John John Mondello stated “We are very confident. Most of us have played together our whole lives, so we know how each other play. We also have superb depth, with four offensive lines-most teams only have two or three.”

They have won seven of their last eleven games, and their latest win against Revere/Malden brings postseason berth for the Fisherman. Although scoring has been far from being an issue, there are some areas where Gloucester can improve.

“We definitely have some areas to improve in though,” said Mondello. “We need to show up mentally prepared and take every game serious. We also need to have better control of our emotions and get less penalties.”

Penalties have plagued the Fisherman from the beginning, and could prove to be detrimental to Gloucester’s success. This was put on full display in their recent affair with Lynn. After previously being defeated 10-3, the Jets took advantage of Gloucester’s inability to stay out of the box and took home a win with a final score of 4-3.

If Gloucester can refrain from attaining penalties, they have a good chance of making a playoff run. Their offense is explosive, and the team feeds off each other’s energy. If one of these players score, then they all want to.

Their relentless scoring starts from the back, with their defensemen making big stops in the defensive zone. Followed by majestic movement of the biscuit, resulting in 33 assists so far coming off the stick of a defenseman.

This team is a deadly force when they are selfless on the ice. When players get caught up in altercations it brings the team down and will continue to do so unless they become more focused in making good plays and circumventing the penalty box.

The goal, assist, and total points leaders are as follows: (Stats are accurate prior to game vs. Somerville on 2/4):

Goals- 1. John John Mondello (10) 2. Chris Noyes (9) 3. Ethan Brennan (8) 3. EJ Field (8)

Assists- 1. Sam Poliskey (10) 2. Timmy White (8) 3. Jack Sperry (7) 3. Harry Marshall (7) 3. EJ Field)

Points- 1. John John Mondello (16) 2. EJ Field (15) 3. Ethan Brennan (14)