BOYS VARsiTY

2012-2013 Bedford Hockey Varsity NHIAA Division II

Date          Time    Event     Opponent    Location  GF GA  Notes   

Dec  8, 2012  11:45A  Jamboree  Memorial    St Anselm  0  5  L

Dec 12, 2012  6:00PM  NHIAA#1   Sommerswrth Rochester  6  3  W  1-0-0

Dec 15, 2012  2:00PM  NHIAA#2   Pel/Wdham   St Anselm  0  4  L  1-1-0

Dec 19, 2012  8:00PM  NHIAA#3   Winnacunnet Exeter     7  0  W  2-1-0

Dec 22, 2012  6:00PM  NHIAA#4   Goffstown   St Anselm  1  2  L  2-2-0

Dec 26, 2012  8:00PM  Tourn     Central     JFK        3  5  L  0-1-0

Dec 28, 2012  6:00PM  Tourn     Hanover     JFK        4  1  W  1-1-0

Dec 29, 2012  5:00PM  Tourn     Memorial    JFK        2  3  L  1-2-0

Jan  2, 2013  7:00PM  NHIAA#5   @Kingswood  PopWhalen  6  3  W  3-2-0

Jan  5, 2013  3:00PM  NHIAA#6   Lebanon     St Anselm  8  0  W  4-2-0

Jan  9, 2013  6:00PM  NHIAA#7   @OysterRvr  UNH        1  1  T  4-2-1

Jan 12, 2013  7:30PM  NHIAA#8   Bow         St Anselm  3  1  W  5-2-1

Jan 19, 2013  7:30PM  NHIAA#9   @Alvirne    Skate 3    6  2  W  6-2-1

Jan 25, 2013  8:10PM  NHIAA#10  @Pembroke   Tri-Town   9  0  W  7-2-1

Jan 28, 2013  7:30PM  NHIAA#11  Timberlane  St Anselm  9  1  W  8-2-1

Feb  6, 2013  7:30PM  NHIAA#12  Dover       St Anselm  3  5  L  8-3-1

Feb 12, 2013  7:30PM  NHIAA#13  Spaulding   St Anselm  3  4  L  8-4-1

Feb 14, 2013  5:05PM  NHIAA#14  Bow         Everett    1  1  T  8-4-2

Feb 18, 2013  7:30PM  NHIAA#15  Keene       St Anselm  5  2  W  9-4-2

Feb 20, 2013  7:30PM  NHIAA#16  Goffstown   St Anselm  5  1  W 10-4-2

Feb 21, 2013  4:00PM  NHIAA#17  Merrimack   West Side  2  1  W 11-4-2

Feb 23, 2013  12:00P  NHIAA#18  Merrimack   St Anselm  3  1  W 12-4-2

Mar  2, 2013  11:30A  Qtr       Kingswood   St Anselm  3  2  W 13-4-2

Mar  6, 2013  5:30PM  Semi      Spaulding   Exeter     5  4  W 14-4-2

Mar  9, 2013  2:30PM  Finals    Merrimack   Verizon    5  2  W 15-4-2

                                                              Champs!

Regular Season

Bedford opened it's fifth varsity hockey season, on Saturday December 1, 2012, participating in three abbreviated games at Dover High School's hockey jamboree before hosting their own jamboree the following weekend at Sullivan Arena. The Bulldogs recorded their first victory of the season December 12th, in it's division II road opener, defeating a combined Somersworth and Coe-Brown team 6-3 at Rochester Ice Arena.  Three days later, on December 15th, the Bulldogs returned to Sullivan Arena to raise their first state championship banner in their home opener. The Bulldogs would score the game winner less than a minute into the contest en route to a 4-0 victory over Windham/Pelham High School. Bedford recorded a third victory at Winnacunnet High School before suffering it's first division II defeat of the season on December 22nd to rival Goffstown High School.

A snow storm interrupted Bauer Holiday Tournament at JFK Coliseum saw the Bulldogs sandwich a 4-1 victory over Hanover High School in the first meeting of the two programs, between a 5-3 loss to Manchester Central, and a 3-2 loss to eventual division I state champion Manchester Memorial. Over the next seven games Bedford accumulated six more wins and a tie including it's first ever victory over Bow High school on January 12, 2013. Consecutive home losses to Dover High School on February 6th and Spaulding High School on Ferbruary 12th, followed by a 1-1 tie at Bow, moved the Bulldogs division II record to 9-3-2. Bedford  began the final week of the regular season with wins over Keene High School and Goffstown at Sullivan Arena. Playing their third game in four days, Ben Philbrick's third period goal would lift Bedford to a 2-1 win at previously unbeaten Merrimack High School on February 21st. The Bulldogs then ended their regular season two days later by completing the sweep of a home and home series with Merrimack advancing Bedford's all time senior night record to a perfect 4-0.

The third seeded Bulldogs, with a division record of 13-3-2, opened defense of their state title on Saturday March 2nd hosting the Kingswood High School Knights at Sullivan Arena. The 6th seeded Knights scored first at 2:15 of the first period when CJ Sirrell put home a rebound of a Chris Pollini shot. Kingswood held the 1-0 lead through the first intermission and much of the second period until Kurt Mitchell was able to pull Bedford even at 13:50, with Tyler Murry earning the assist. Less than a minute later, at 14:49, Chris O'Hara with an assist from Mitchell gave Bedford it's first lead, banking a shot in off Kingswood goaltender Shawn Goggin from behind the goal line. The two goals in the final minutes of the second period gave Bedford a 2-1 lead it would hold until the final minute of the third period. With 52.7 seconds left and the Knights goaltender removed for an extra skater, Kingswood’s Owen Richard scored from the point past Bedford's screened goaltender Stevan Tempesta, tying the game at 2-2. Bedford's answer to the Knights stunning goal came just seconds later and originated with defenseman Mike Dee's rush from deep in his own end through the neutral zone. After Bulldog Junior Pat Gagliardi had chipped the puck from just inside the blue line down the left wing boards to Kurt Mitchell he relayed a pass to Chris O'Hara skating down the center of the offensive zone. O'Hara converted the scoring opportunity with just :25 seconds left in regulation lifting Bedford to a dramatic 3-2 victory and vaulting them into the state semifinals for the fourth time in five years.

NHIAA Division II Semi-Finals

Saturday March 6th state semifinal versus the second seeded Spaulding Red Raiders, at the Rinks of Exeter, would go from bad when Zander Allen scored for Spaulding at 2:31 of the first period to worse when Zach Poisson doubled the Red Raider lead just over a minute later at 3:48. Bedford, on their heels for much of the first period, recorded the games crucial third goal at 2:03 of the second when Brian Collins scored off of his own rebound with Ben Philbrick picking up the assist. The equalizer for Bedford came on the power play at 7:02 when Mike Dee's slap shot from the right point found it's way through traffic with Chris O'Hara and Kurt Mitchell collecting assists. Spaulding responded less than a minute later when Brent Phillips scored on a backhand at 7:41 from Poisson and Brendan Colson. Brian Collins answered again for Bedford at 13:47 beating Spaulding goaltender Derek Scott through the pads and sending the game into the second intermission tied at 3-3. The Bulldogs finally took their first lead at 1:16 of the third period when Ben Philbrick was able to convert Cullen Willey's slap pass from the left point with Jeff Campbell adding an assist. Kurt Mitchell doubled the Bulldog lead to 5-3 at 3:41 snapping a shot home top shelf from the left wing circle with line mate Chris O'Hara given the assist. Spaulding made it 5-4 on the power play when Alex Turgeon knocked in Brian Chick's rebound with 38.7 seconds to play. Bedford's penalty killers and goaltender Stevan Tempesta though would survive one last 6-on-4 Spaulding power play in the emotion filled final seconds advancing them to the state final for the second consecutive year.

NHIAA Division II Finals

The Saturday March 9th division II state final, with the first seeded Merrimack High School Tomahawks, marked the third appearance for Bedford at the Verizon Wireless Arena in four years. Bedford, for the third consecutive game, fell behind early when Merrimack's Conner Powell recorded the first periods only goal off of a Josh Roy set up at 2:22. Merrimack goaltender Brett Glendye would keep the margin at one, making a spectacular diving glove save on Bedford Senior Joey Morin's backhand, in the first minute of the second period. The Bulldogs demonstrated their resiliency seconds later though at 1:13 when Kurt Mitchell split two Merrimack defensemen and went in alone to score in his fourth consecutive playoff game dating back to the 2012 state final. Less than a minute later at 2:07 Chris Viola gave Bedford a 2-1 lead, taking a Jeff Campbell saucer pass and picking the top corner of the net blocker side. At 11:10 the Bulldogs extended the margin when Neil Soucy tipped home a Mike Dee one timer from the left wing circle. With Bedford ahead 3-1 at the end of two periods the turning point in the third period came with Bedford in the penalty box for too many men on the ice. As Merrimack was coming out of it's own end Senior Captain Chris O'Hara seized a Tomahawk turnover and drove to the net jamming home a fourth unanswered goal at 2:40 for the defending state champions. Merrimack's Conner Powell cut the lead to 4-2 with his second goal of the game from Ryan Downie at 3:34 but the timely goaltending of Junior Stevan Tempesta would hold Merrimack scoreless through two additional power play opportunities. Bedford's depth asserted itself one last time removing any doubt to the outcome of the game with Chris O'Hara's rink length short handed empty net goal at 13:35 giving the Bulldogs an insurmountable 5-2 lead. Although, the route had been different than the previous year requiring comebacks in all three playoff games the Bulldogs season would come full circle. With 5.7 seconds left the seasons final face-off occurred from the very same dot at the Verizon Wireless Arena as the previous years final face-off and when the final seconds had ticked away the Bedford Bulldogs were again NHIAA Division II State Champions.