CAMBRIDGE — No program can have it all.
Marblehead High won't be adding the TD Garden to Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium as venues its athletic teams have visited this school year as the Headers hockey team fell to Scituate, 5-2, in the Division 3 state semifinals at Harvard University's Bright Center last night.
The Division 3 South champion Sailors (23-3-0) rattled off four unanswered goals over the final two periods to end the Division 3 North champion Headers' would-be march to the state title.
Marblehead (20-3-3) had a 17-game unbeaten streak snapped and fell behind early after never trailing in the Division 3 North tournament.
"We found ourselves in a position we hadn't been in heading into the third," said Marblehead coach Bob Jackson. "We came out and had a half dozen shots on the first three or four shifts of that period. The kids gave their all."
Trailing 3-1, the Headers brought the heat to Sailor goalie Jamie Murray and he was up to the task. Then, five minutes into the frame, Scituate's Brian Pratt jammed the puck by Header goalie Tony Cuzner (23 saves) on his third rebound try to make it 4-1.
"When they scored that fourth goal, it was kind of a dagger," said Jackson. "It seemed like they wanted it a little bit more. We lost a couple of 1-on-1 battles where we were in position and still gave them opportunities to get shots. That's something we hadn't done all year."
Pratt's goal was frighteningly similar to one potted by Sailor Devon Flynn midway through the second. Flynn also hammered home an odd rebound at the front of the cage, and his goal broke a 1-1 tie.
"Their attack had two guys low and then a big guy planted at the front of the net," explained junior captain Jake Kulevich. "They'd cycle until they could throw it in front and then everybody would crash the net."
The backbreaking rebound goals sandwiched a power play tally that came with only 59 seconds remaining in the second. Scituate's Johnny Callanan picked the top corner of the twine from the right circle to give his Sailors a deadly 3-1 edge heading into the locker room.
"We had a few mental breakdowns in the second that led to their goals," said Jackson.
Center Tyler Gelineau's blast rang off the crossbar early in the third and seemed to set the tone for Scituate's ace netminder, Murray. He made several more high percentage stops before his Sailors rewarded him with the 4-1 edge.
"Their goalie was good. You have to give him credit," said Marblehead senior captain Anders Gundersen. "It seemed like we had rebound chances and we kept firing them into his stomach."
The Sailors jumped ahead 1-0 in the first when Matt Mitchell buried a feed from Brian Collins as he cut to the front of the net. Scituate, which has been to at least the Division 3 South final in six straight years, had jump in its step from the opening faceoff.
"They had it tonight," said Kulevich. "They definitely used that experience."
The Headers struck back soon after. On the man advantage, Gundersen rifled a shot from the point and the rebound found Kulevich, who batted it into the twine to knot it up 1-1.
Early in the second, the Headers had a chance to go ahead when speedy junior Ryan Dempsey streaked down the right wing and lifted the puck toward goal. Murray answered, though, with the windmill-style glove save.
"Somehow, their defense was able to take away Ryan's speed. They forced him to carry it into the zone and didn't give him a lot of options," said Gundersen.
Later, the Headers had their second power play chance of the evening stoned by the Sailor penalty killers and Murray. The go-ahead goal came soon after Marblehead failed to cash in on the power play, and momentum never truly returned.
"We made some poor choices in terms of what we did with the puck and that's unusual for us," said Jackson, who opted to pull Cuzner for an extra attacker with 3:02 left in regulation.
The Headers got the next six shots on net, all corralled by Murray, before Mitchell scored an empty netter with 44 seconds left.
Kulevich then added his second of the night with eight seconds to play when he slapped home the rebound of an Adam Nassaf shot. The assist was the first point of Nassaf's senior season, while freshman Cam Rowe also earned a helper.
Division 3 State Semifinal
Scituate 5, Marblehead 2
at Bright Center, Cambridge
Marblehead: 101— 2
Scitaute: 122— 5
First period: S, Matt Mitchell (Brian Collins) 8:41; M, Jake Kulevich (Anders Gundersen, Chris McLeod), ppg, 10:46.
Second Period: S, Devon Flynn (Brendan O'Neil, Harold Gerbis) 12:25; S, Johnny Callanan (Collins, Mitchell), ppg, 14:01.
Third Period: S, Brian Pratt (Jack O'Donoghue) 5:00; S, Mitchell (Pratt), eng, 14:12; M, Kulevich (Adam Nassas, Cam Rowe) 14:52.
Saves: M, Tony Cuzner 23, Mike Harper 0; S, Jamie Murray 36.
Records: M, (20-3-3); S, (23-3-0).
