Hockey Tops Deerfield, Earns No. 1 Seed in Large School Tourney

In the first-ever meeting between the two schools on the ice, Brunswick outlasted Deerfield by a score of 4-3 on Saturday up Route 91 in Massachusetts. 
 
The teams traded goals in the opening period, as ’Wick netted a big one with just 29 seconds left in the frame on a nice zone entry and passing sequence by James Shannon, Sloan Farmer, and Hank Cleaves, with the senior captain burying it five-hole for the equalizer. 
 
Shannon struck early in the second on a shorthanded, bar-down snipe from the right face-off dot just after the puck was dropped. Special teams worked in the visitors’ favor again a few minutes later, as this time sophomore Sean Gibbons finished things off on the power play. 
 
The Doors added one late in the stanza to close the gap to one at the intermission. 
 
Gibbons was back at it in the third, scoring another SHG on a breakaway after an alley-oop pass from Shannon sent him in alone — 4-2 Bruins with 10 to play. 
 
The game felt relatively in hand until a few ’Wick penalties put them down two-men with 3:27 to go — one on a questionable tripping call on goaltender Brendan Holahan, who had another strong outing; and another on an interference-from-the-bench penalty. 
 
Deerfield broke through just as the first infraction expired, and Brunswick held the home team off in the final two minutes to earn the win. 
 
Brunswick will host Berkshire on Wednesday in the opening round of the NEPSIHA Large School Tournament at 3:30 p.m.