The
Bedford High School varsity hockey team would start the 2009-2010
season much as it had the previous year with a victory over the Pembroke
Academy Spartans on December 16, 2009, at Tri-Town Ice Arena. The
victory was the first of seven straight wins by the Bulldogs to open
their season outscoring their opponents 61-5 during the stretch. On
January 23, 2010, Bedford suffered it's first defeat of the season to
Kennett High School at Ham Arena in a match up of unbeaten teams. A 3-2
home loss to the Somersworth Hilltoppers three days later would be the
Bulldogs last regular season loss of the year. Bedford ended the regular
season with nine consecutive wins compiling a record of 16-2 and second
seed in the NHIAA division III playoffs. Bedford's
first playoff home game was played on Saturday, March 6th against the
Hollis Cavaliers at Tri-Town Arena. Bedford carried the play through
most of the first period but it wouldn't be rewarded until the 11:44
mark when Mike Ahern would feed Sophomore Tyler Wise for a slap shot.
Trevor Sonovick redirected the Wise shot past Hollis goaltender Jake
Hahnl giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. Bedford extended the lead at 14:35
of the period when Mike Ahern scored off of a rebound from a Luke
McDonough end to end rush. The second period saw Hollis narrow the
margin to 2-1 when Tommy Kyrias would finish a Patrick Clark set up at
4:02. The Cavaliers best chance to take control of the game also
occurred in the second, but goaltender Ben Firman with the help of the
defense pairing of Tyler Wise and Freshman Cullen Willey, would kill two
5-on-3 Hollis power plays. Senior Sam Pelletier provided Bedford with
breathing room with just under three minutes to go in the second,
stealing a Cavalier's clearing pass inside the blue line and going in
untouched to score. Two minutes later at 14:51 Senior Kevin Shaughnessy
recorded the games final goal with Pelletier assisting. A scoreless
third period would lift Bedford to a 4-1 quarterfinal victory. Wednesday,
March 7th, marked Bedford's second state semifinal appearance at
Everett Arena in as many years. Facing sixth seeded Belmont-Gilford a
back and forth first period would swing Bedford's way when Doug Steere
from Tyler Wise would score through traffic at 9:14. Belmont's Cam
Clairmont answered for Belmont off of a face-off at 14:55 of the first
period flipping a backhand past Bedford goaltender Ben Firman into the
back corner of the goal to tie the game at 1-1. It would take the
Bedford Bulldogs the majority of the second period to regain the
momentum, finally taking the lead at 13:08 of the period when Doug
Steere collected a Mike Ahern rebound and slid the puck into the net
behind Belmont goalie Alex Conway. Ahern stretched the lead to 3-1 just
1:21 into the third period when he beat Conway to his stick side with
Matt Mara picking up the assist. Belmont playing with a shortened bench
had a handful of opportunities to get back within one including a shot
off the cross bar but goaltender Ben Firman and Bedford's aggressive
fore check shut Belmont out the rest of the way. Junior Pat Spenard
finished the games scoring on a power play goal from the right point
with the assists going to Mike Ahern and Luke McDonough at 5:34. The
final three Bedford goals in a span of 7:26 that bridged the final two
periods would make the final score 4-1 and send the Bedford High School
hockey program to its first state championship game. On
Saturday, March 10th only the 19-1 Eagles of Kennett High school
remained between the 18-2 Bedford High School hockey team and its first
state championship. In fifteen short months the Bulldogs went from
playing in their first varsity hockey game to the state final at the
Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester. From the beginning of the state final Bedford controlled play forcing Kennett's Senior
goalie Ricky Gaudreau to make a number of solid saves just to keep the
Eagles in the game. Special teams would change the momentum though when
Kennett scored just sixteen seconds into their second man-advantage of
the period. The goal at 10:59 by Griffin Meador from inside the right
wing face-off circle would stake Kennett to a 1-0 lead. Less than a
minute later at 11:58 Meador scored again finding a loose puck in front
of the Bedford net giving Kennett a 2-0 lead at the end of one period. A
scoreless second period saw Bedford kill several Eagle power play
chances while being unable to take advantage of their single
man-advantage opportunity. Bedford, in need of goals, finally got on the
board at 6:39 of the third period when Doug Steere circling off the
left wing board scored just under the cross bar cutting the deficit to
2-1. From that point forward the ice was tilted in the Bulldogs favor.
Bedford's season, it's eleven game winning streak, and it's first state
final would end though with a frantic scramble in front of the Kennett
net and the green light illuminated behind the net of the State Champion
Kennett Eagles goaltender. |
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