Nine Goal Outburst Leads Mansfield Past Stoughton High Hockey Team

The Stoughton High boys’ hockey team had played every team on its schedule very tough this season, with all games remaining close. The top three teams in the Hockomock League and in Division-2 are Canton, Franklin and Mansfield. The first true test came at Canton and despite a 3-1 loss, the Black Knights outplayed the Bulldogs for most of the game.

On Monday afternoon, another tough road test came at unbeaten Mansfield, but the undefeated Hornets broke open a tie game late in the second period, on their way to five unanswered goals and a 9-4 victory over Stoughton.

“We continue to have problems in our defensive zone and we give our opponents added scoring opportunities and a team as good as Mansfield will take advantage of it,” said Stoughton coach Dan Mark. “We couldn’t move the puck out of our defensive zone, quick enough and we were outshot by a wide margin and it again cost us.”

The defeat overshadowed a great individual effort by Stoughton sophomore Phil Falkof. Falkof scored all four Stoughton goals and is no longer high school hockey’s best kept secret.

“We got off to a fast start, but we knew Stoughton will always come at you and never quit and we also knew that Falkof is good enough to carry a team, and he did and they came back on us,” said Mansfield coach Rick Anastos. “Then we settled down and weren’t going to allow one player to beat us, but it took a great team effort on our part to beat a player and a team as talented as Stoughton.

Mansfield (8-0-1 overall and 5-0-0 league) had a balanced attack with five players earning three points each and three players, seniors Andrew Anastos and Colin Yanovich along with junior Jason Collins, scoring two goals each.

Mansfield also held a wide margin in shots on net, 37-10, with Falkof getting seven of the ten Stoughton shots.

The Hornets dominated the early going with a three-goal outburst in a 4:17 span of the first period. The Black Knights answered with a goal before the end of the first period and two goals in 16 seconds at the beginning of the second period to tie the score, 3-3.

“We were fortunate to get ourselves back into the game and then we gave it right back to them on poor decisions and sloppy defensive-zone play,” said Mark.

Mansfield scored two goals in the last 1:34 of the middle period to take a 5-3 lead entering the final 15 minutes. The Hornets didn’t stop, exploding for the next three goals in a 2:41 span to take a commanding 8-4 lead.

Stoughton finally got back on the scoreboard adding a goal with 6:38 left. Any miracle comeback was soon stopped as Mansfield put up another goal, to account for the final score.

To make a bad day worse for Stoughton, junior Josh Potter was hit in the back of the neck and was down on the ice for over twenty minutes. Potter was conscious and was able to move his arms and legs, but was carried out on a stretcher for precautionary reasons and taken to the hospital.

“It was scary, but he should be alright, thankfully, but it does bring everything in perspective,” said Mark.

Stoughton (2-5-1 overall and 1-2-1 in league play) will be back in action with a home league game at the Asiaf Rink in Brockton against Attleboro at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night.

SCORING:

1st period:

Mansfield-Conor McGowan from Andrew Anastos at 5:45

Mansfield-Steve Folan from Jason Collins at 7:22

Mansfield-Colin Yanovich (Unassisted) at 11:02

Stoughton-Phil Falkof from Dave Campbell at 11:24

 2nd period:

Stoughton-Phil Falkof from Jordan Ricci at 3:39 (PowerPlay)

Stoughton-Phil Falkof (Unassisted) at 3:55

Mansfield- Michael Connolly from Dylan Burns and Colin Yanovich at 13:26

Mansfield-Colin Yanovich from Michael Connolly at 14:29

3rd period:

Mansfield-Andrew Anastos from Michael Connolly and Steve Folan at 3:50

Mansfield-Jason Collins from Greg McCarthy at 5:36

Mansfield-Jason Collins from Shane Walsh at 6:31

Stoughton-Phil Falkof from Josh Potter at 8:22

Mansfield-Andrew Anastos from Steve Folan and Mike Blackman at 11:11