Evan Oliver (15) and his defensive teammate stood tall in the final minutes of Newington co-op’s state tournament win on Monday night at Newington Arena.
NEWINGTON, March 6, 2023 – It doesn’t have to be pretty. It just needs to be a win.
Words from the late North Carolina State men’s basketball coach Jim Valvano are frequently heard during tournament time. He once said that post-season basketball isn’t about style or excellence. “Survive and advance,” he said.
The defending Division III state champion Newington co-op boys hockey team can appreciate Valvano’s vision.
Tied at 2-2 midway through the third period despite outshooting their opponents from the Bethel/Brookfield/Danbury co-op by a 33-9 margin, the Nor’easters needed a tip-in goal from Josh Grimm with 9:54 remaining in the game to get past No. 14 Icecats in a first round Division III contest Monday night at Newington Arena.
The win lifts No. 3 Newington co-op into Thursday’s quarterfinal game at Trinity College. The Nor’easters will face No. 6 Enfield/East Granby/Stafford.
Newington, which is comprised of skaters from Newington, Berlin, Canton, Cromwell and Manchester, took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals from Grimm and Harrison Ranger.
The Nor’easters skated hard to try and extend the lead but Icecats goalie Dino Capilupi had several outstanding saves to keep his team in the game. Capilupi finished with 36 saves. His teammate Jovanni Smeriglio was showing why he is one of the premier forwards in the state scoring a pair of unassisted goals in the second period to singlehandedly to tie the game at 2-2.
Smeriglio’s first goal came early in the second period when he intercepted an attampted clearing pass off the stick of a Nor’easter defender then rifled a shot over the shoulder of Newington goalie Jeremy Wagner. Two minutes later, Smeriglio struck again taking loose puck at center ice and cutting in on a breakaway. Though Wagner held firm initially, Smeriglio was able to slip the puck past the outstretched goalie to tie the score at 2-2.
Newington stormed back at the beginning of the third period but Capilupi continued to shine denying the Nor’easters.
An opportunity, though, presented itself when the Newington found themselves on a power play with just over nine minutes left in regulation.
Ranger recovered a loose puck in the corner of the Icecats zone and skated up the boards and then across the top of the left face-off circle. He released a wrist shot which Grimm, stationed at the top of the crease, deflected past the blocker of Capilupi and into the net for the 3-2 lead.
Smeriglio and his Icecat teammates weren’t quite finished as they elevated their efforts and pressured the Newington defense.
Twice, Smeriglio came in alone on Newington defenders. But both times he was thwarted in his effort to get a clean shot on goal, once by Newington defender Nate Thomas and then by Thomas’ teammate Mason Buckley. However, with 1:59 left in regulation time, a Newington penalty set up an opportunity for the Icecats to knot the score.
With their goalie pulled off the ice, they enjoyed a 6 to 4 advantage. Strong defensive play by the Nor’easters’ Mike Deegan, Evan Howard and Evan Oliver stymied the visitors until Smeriglio found himself in front of goalie Wagner.
Wagner stopped the Smeriglio’s shot, which lodged under his left pad. The Nor’easters caught a break when Smeriglio’s rebound attempt slid under the pad but was waved off by the officials who had whistled the play dead.
The Icecats weren’t through with an apparent goal with four seconds left in regulation. Again, the officials ruled Wagner had made the initial save and the puck had been pushed across the goal line, negating any goal. A final faceoff win by Deegan sealed the victory for the Nor’easters.
Survive and advance.
Newington co-op 3, Bethel/Brookfield/Danbury 2
At Newington
Bethel/Brookfield/Danbury (18-4) 0 2 0 — 2
Newington co-op (21-2) 2 0 1 — 3
Goals: Josh Grimm (N) 2, Harrison Ranger (N); Jovanni Smeriglio (B) 2; Assists: Mason Buckley (N) 2, Evan Oliver (N), Ranger (N), Jack Petronio (N); Saves: Jeremy Wagner (N) 11, Dino Capolupi (B) 36; Shots: Newington 39-13
Paul Helenski contributed to this report
