Boys fall 3-1 to Shawsheen ...

The Varsity Boys opened their season on the road against a Shawsheen squad recently ranked #3 in the state in Hockey Night in Boston’s Division 3 rankings. Hockey Night highlighted the Rams as one of the most dangerous offensive teams in D3, paired with a strong defensive group in front of a returning goaltender—giving Shawsheen impressive balance across the ice. It was certainly no easy way to start the season.

While there are no moral victories in hockey, a 3–1 road loss to a perennial power like Shawsheen—especially while missing one of the captains and the team’s top defenseman, Caleb Fehm—is nothing to be ashamed of. Factor in four new defensemen playing in either their first or second varsity game, and it was an encouraging showing overall, as those players continue to adjust to the faster varsity pace.

The first period largely favored Shawsheen, which consistently executed clean breakouts

while Lexington struggled in its own end to move the puck cleanly to its forwards.

Connor O'Leary brought the energy all night

Shawsheen struck early, tapping in a loose puck near the goal line after an initial save by Lexington netminder Timmy Rinaldi. That goal proved to be the only scoring of the period, as the Minutemen settled in and Rinaldi closed the door the rest of the frame, including a highlight-reel save on a breakaway.

In the second period, Lexington found its legs and established a stronger forecheck, resulting in a much more balanced stretch of play. A turnover by a Shawsheen defenseman near the side of his net landed on the stick of Aiden Neale, who tucked the puck past the goalie to tie the game at 1–1.

The tie, however, was short-lived. A Lexington penalty put Shawsheen on the power play, and the Rams capitalized with a goal scored with just three seconds remaining on the man advantage. A few minutes later, a bad pass by a Lexington defenseman went directly to a Shawsheen forward, springing him on a breakaway that resulted in another goal. The Minutemen generated several quality chances later in the period but were unable to cut into the Shawsheen lead.

The third period revealed a lot about this Lexington team. Trailing 3–1 on the road, they could have folded and let the game get out of hand, but instead they battled for the full period, creating multiple point-blank opportunities that were either turned aside or slid just wide of the net. That grit and never-say-die attitude will serve the Minutemen well as the season moves forward.

Strong, gritty energy and effort all night from Connor O’Leary, Aaron Yu, Ryan Li, Dylan Lane, Brady Kingsbury, and Hunter Xu. Kudos as well to Timmy Rinaldi, who kept Shawsheen at bay—particularly in the first period when Lexington came out a bit flat.

Freshman Joey Dolci also turned in a strong performance, playing a physical, composed game in his varsity debut.

They say in hockey that good teams make you pay for your mistakes, and that was the case in this one. Shawsheen capitalized on a few self-inflicted errors by Lexington, and that ultimately told the story of the game. You can’t beat yourself, and on this night Lexington made things harder than they needed to be.

There will be no rest for the Minutemen, as they next take on what many pundits are calling one of the best Burlington teams in recent memory Saturday at 2:30 PM at John Ryan Arena in Watertown.