For Immediate Release

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Hull/Middleborough Boys Hockey Skates to 4-3 Win Over Cohasset

HULL — High School Principal Michael Devine is pleased to announce that the No. 8 seeded Hull/Middleborough Boys Ice Hockey team defeated rival No. 9 seed Cohasset in a thrilling first-round match up in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) South Division-3 tournament at Gallo Arena in Bourne last night.

Hull/Middleborough will advance to the tournament Quarter Finals to play the winner of the No. 1 seed Southeastern/West Bridgewater/Bristol-Plymouth and No. 15 seed Dartmouth at Asiaf Arena in Brockton on March 4 at 4:15 p.m.

During the game on March 1, Cohasset scored late in the second period to tie the game at 3-3, triggering a tense third period. The game was tied after regulation time, forcing a six-minute 4-on-4 overtime. When that ended without a goal, a six-minute 3-on-3 overtime ensued, but it too went scoreless.

Hull/Middleborough outlasted Cohasset in the shootout, bringing the crowd of Hull High School and Middleborough High School students alike to their feet. Middleborough’s Matt Doyle scored the winning goal in the shootout, hitting the top right corner on a wrist shot.

“I don’t think I’ve seen a group of high school students more excited and stressed at the same time,” Principal Devine recalled.

When the game was over, Coach Michael O’Donnell praised the play of his student-athletes who battled to their first win over Cohasset in three tries this season.

“All the credit goes to the students,” Coach O’Donnell said. “Being able to work as a unit each night is not easy, but they go out and do their job each and every game.”

The determination of Hull/Middleborough was highlighted by a performance of more than 50 saves and a 5-for-5 mark in the shootout by goaltender Jonathan O’Donnell.

“It was just unbelievable beating our rival, Cohasset,” O’Donnell said. “We played them twice this season and lost to them once and tied them once. They really are a great team so it was even better to get the win last night.”

In a unique cooperative team program, the Hull/Middleborough team has been comprised of student-athletes from both high schools for the past four seasons. When players from two different schools form a team, cohesion can be difficult given their vastly different schedules. Coach O’Donnell attributes much of the team’s success this year to the winter break, during which the entire team came together for five practices and meshed as a group.

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