On Saturday, December 10, 2011, for the second
consecutive year Bedford began the season hosting a hockey jamboree to
benefit New Horizons of Manchester at Sullivan Arena. Manchester
Memorial's Crusaders skated to a lopsided 6-0 win over the Bulldogs in
the jamboree opener. Bedford responded to the loss by sweeping the first
three games of their division II slate. Bedford's winning streak would
come to an end in the first game of the Bauer Holiday Tournament at JFK
Coliseum with Manchester Central High School coming from behind to beat
the Bulldogs 3-2 in overtime. The
holiday tournament began a downward spiral that saw Bedford lose six
contests in a row. The most difficult game in the streak occurred at
Merrimack on January 4, 2012. After having carried the play through much
of the game the Bulldogs would lose in the final seconds of overtime
after seeing their opponents awarded a controversial tying goal with
eighteen seconds remaining in regulation. Eight days later, facing a
program record seventh consecutive loss, Bedford's underclassmen at a
most unexpected time took control of the season. Tied 2-2 with Spaulding
High School with four minutes to play in the third period and having
two players in the penalty box Bedford Sophomore Mike Dee sent Junior
Chris O'Hara in on a breakaway. As time expired on Spaulding's 5-on-3
power play O'Hara scored shorthanded through the pads of Spaulding
goaltender Derek Scott. The goal would not only provide the margin of
victory in Bedford's 3-2 win over Spaulding that night it changed the
direction of their season. The Bulldogs would go on to win ten of their
last eleven regular season games with the final being a 6-5 come from
behind victory over Goffstown. Bedford's closing stretch raised their
division II record to 14-3 and elevated them to the top of the
standings. The
division II quarterfinal playoff game on Saturday, March 3, against
Timberlane High School at Sullivan Arena would be dominated by the
senior line of Mike Ahern, Luke McDonough,and their sophomore line mate
Ben Derosier. McDonough started the scoring for Bedford a minute and a
half into the first period on a rebound after an Ahern rush down the
left wing boards. Timberlane goaltender James McCoy would make a
spectacular glove save on McDonough midway through the second period but
McDonough would add to the Bedford lead at 11:16 of the period, skating
an Ahern pass off the end boards and scoring just inside the far post.
Four minutes into the third period McDonough completed the natural hat
trick carrying a Mike Dee pass into the offensive zone and snapping a
shot in off the post. At 9:39 of the period Timberlane cut the Bulldogs
lead to 3-1 with a power play goal from the point but Ben Desrosiers
from Ahern would answer with a goal on the very next shift. Ahern closed
the scoring with an empty net goal from Dee with just under two minutes
remaining making the final score 5-1 and moving the Bulldogs onto their
third state semifinal in four years. Bedford
began the Wednesday, March 7th semifinal against Oyster River High
School at The Rinks at Exeter knowing that the Green Wave of Dover
awaited the winner in the NHIAA division II state final. Just 2:52 into
the game Mike Dee moved the Bulldogs one step closer to the final
scoring from the top of the right wing circle. Minutes later Junior
Brian Collins would give Bedford a 2-0 lead they would take to the first
intermission sniping an Oyster River turnover into the net. Tyler Murry
built Bedford's lead to 3-0 at 3:03 of the second period going top
shelf off of his own rebound. Oyster River's Clayton Jerry cut the lead
to 3-1 with 4:20 to go in the third but the Bulldogs dominated
territorially the rest of the way. Mike Ahern's empty net goal at 14:47
making the final score 4-1 would be his 114th and final point as a
Bulldog. Saturday,
March 10th marked The Bedford High School hockey teams second
appearance in a state championship game in three years. The 17-3 first
seeded Bulldogs carried the play throughout most of the first period,
outshooting the defending champion Dover High School Green Wave team
13-8, but would see the period end scoreless. At 6:04 of the second
Bedford was finally rewarded for their efforts on a power play when
Junior Kurt Mitchell skating off the left wing board snapped home the
games first goal with Ben Desrosiers earning the assist. Six minutes
later Bedford extended it's lead to 2-0 when Cullen Willey's shot from
the left point was directed by Junior Ben Philbrick under Dover
goaltender Tyler Briand onto the stick of Jason Campbell who slid the
puck into the open net. Trailing 2-0 after two periods, Dover's all out
attack in the third period finally paid dividends, when at 8:10 Matt
Henderson was able to score after retrieving a puck of the end boards
cutting Bedford's lead to 2-1. Dover would continue to tilt the ice
after the Green Wave goal but the final 6:50 would belong to a veteran
Bulldog defense and Sophomore goaltender Stevan Tempesta. Bedford with a
2-1 lead and 2.1 seconds left would win a face-off in their own zone
ending their season on the Verizon Wireless Arena Ice in Manchester as
the NHIAA Division II State Champions. |
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