2009-2010 Boys Varsity
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.
