West Lebanon
The Raiders fell, 6-5, after twice leading by three goals, but coach Gary Smith was nonetheless upbeat. Lebanon played without three injured regulars and has another suspended, while the Falcons reached last season’s NHIAA Division II title game.
“I never like to lose, but we played a lot of kids without much experience and who were out of their comfort zone,” said Smith, whose squad skated two lines and dropped to 1-2. “They had a lot more depth than us and you could see it in our legs. We wore down as the game went on.”
There was shock in the building after Bow took 17 of the first period’s 20 shots but headed into the opening intermission trailing, 3-0. Chickering twice scored off Gariepy assists and the sophomore and senior switched roles on another tally. Gariepy entered the day with 97 career points and earned his 100th point by assisting on Chickering’s second tally, with three minutes remaining in the period.
Bow (2-1) scored the middle stanza’s first goal four minutes into the frame but Chickering answered four minutes later and on a power play, assists going to Gariepy and Carter Adams. From there, however, the tide totally turned.
The Falcons scored three times during a 3-minute, 50-second stretch before the second intermission. The last tally created a 4-4 tie and came three seconds before the horn. Bow scored twice in less than two minutes midway through the third period, Lebanon’s Jon Cloud closing out the score sheet with nine seconds remaining and on a Peter Elder assist.
Lebanon had two offensive chances it could not cash: a Chickering breakaway late in the first period and Hunter Boutin’s backhand whack at an open net during the third. Smith said either could have made a difference, but that once Bow gets rolling, it’s a hard group to stop.
“Even if we’d gotten four or five goals earlier, I was never going to feel safe because I know what they can bring,” Smith said. “But I love the attitude of this year’s team. I’ve had groups that weren’t mentally tough enough but this one isn’t going to let a result like this bother them.”
Smith said he expects to get back injured players Ian Garland (shoulder) and Nate Damren (hip) and the suspended Jack Sandmann next week. Ethan Daly, nursing a knee injury, is shooting for a late January return.
Gariepy is the first Raiders boys player to reach 100 points since Ryan Houston in 2007.
White River Junction
“From the get-go, we were persistent, patient and responsible,” coach Todd Bebeau said.
Richie Morrill made 20 saves for Hartford, which hosts Woodstock on Tuesday during the Bouthillier Holiday Tournament’s opening day. Lebanon and Brattleboro play in the day’s other clash.
Thetford
Rivendell (2-1) was led by Riley Thompson, who had nine points. Thetford coach Eric Ward said his team keyed on Thompson and Mikayla DeBois, who finished with two points.
The Panthers (2-1) next play Tuesday at undefeated Windsor, which won the teams’ meeting earlier this season by three points.
Windsor 65
Leland & Gray 57
Windsor
Windsor, which led, 41-33, at intermission, got a strong rebounding performance from Anika Abrahamsen and hosts Thetford on Tuesday.
Hanover
“I told our kids this was the perfect trap game,” said coach Dan O’Rourke, whose squad was coming off an emotional loss to arch-rival Lebanon. “Sure enough, we came out flat, but a young team like this has to find a way to win when things aren’t going well.”
Julia Golder had 11 points, Bella Bardales nine and Diana Schwarz seven for Hanover, which begins a three-game run at the Salem (N.H.) holiday tournament on Tuesday by facing Pinkerton.