WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — The freight train that is the Hartford High boys hockey team powered past yet another foe Saturday afternoon at Barwood Arena, producing a 4-1 defeat of Mount Mansfield that sent the program to the Vermont Division II finals for the first time since 2009.
Ozzie DeFelice and Ezra Mock each posted a goal and an assist as the Hurricanes (22-0) scored the game’s first three goals in front of a full house of excited patrons. Top-seeded Hartford faces third-seeded Milton (16-6-1) at 6 p.m. on Friday at the University of Vermont’s Gutterson Field House.
The Hurricanes, who beat the visiting Yellowjackets, 5-3, on Jan. 19, allowed one or fewer goals for the 12th time this winter in dismantling Mount Mansfield (13-8-1).
The hosts posted a 37-14 shot advantage but forced Cougars goaltender Declan Heney to make only 17 saves. Hartford also committed six penalties, which left veteran coach Todd Bebeau concerned.
“We were relentless, but we took way too many penalties today, especially in the offensive zone,” said Bebeau, whose defense surrendered its only goal Saturday while down a man. “Our penalty kill was solid, but that’s one game where we got away with it. If we do it again, it’s the kiss of death.”
No Hartford player has wrestled more with skating on the edge than junior James McReynolds, who was booked for two unnecessary penalties against the Cougars.
“I care for James deeply and I’m going to coach my tail off this week with him,” Bebeau said of one of the state’s better forwards. “But there’s not a kid who works harder on this team.
“He’s a young, emotional human being and he’s my guy. I take him for better or worse and I can’t wait to see him play Friday night.”
McReynolds helped open the scoring when he blew up the left wing and centered to Blaine Gour in the 11th minute. The lanky pivot somehow received the pass despite a defender on each hip, and all three of them slid into Heney, the puck sitting at the right post for DeFelice to tap home.
A minute later, it was DeFelice who breezed in on the left side, freezing the defense with a shot fake before slamming on the brakes and firing a pass to Mock at the far post for another tap-in tally.
Forty-five seconds later, Hartford goaltender Davey Bradley made the first of his six saves.
“We showed up early and those two late goals in the first period really set the tone for the rest of the hockey game,” Bebeau said.
Hartford was on the power play for its next strike, with defenseman Lochlan Park holding the puck on the outer half of the right circle. The sophomore’s body language screamed pass, but he was left alone, so he shot low instead, beating a startled Heney at the near post five minutes into the second period.
Mount Mansfield scored seven minutes before the second intermission, but a comeback was never seriously in the cards and Mock fed Joseph Barwood for yet another tap-in strike with two minutes to play.
“We wanted to be a boring hockey team and make it hard on (Mount Mansfield) in the third period,” Bebeau said. “Chip pucks off the glass and out, get them in deep on the attack and keep it down low in their end. When you have a two-goal lead, you have the luxury of playing that style and you have to do it in playoff hockey.”
Clad in his lucky black and gray plaid trousers, Bebeau paused. His eyes narrowed slightly.
“There’s a feeling of we can play better and that’s not arrogance or disrespect toward who we’re going to play,” he said. “It’s just a sense that we’re going to leave it all on the ice Friday night. This is going to be a fun week.”
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.