GREENFIELD — The Greenfield hockey team surrendered to a frantic comeback attempt at the hands of Westfield on Thursday in Berry Division play. The Bombers erased a two-goal deficit in the final minutes to beat the Green Wave, 4-3, at Collins-Moylan Rink.
A power-play goal by Jack Laurie seemingly gave Greenfield (8-6-1, 6-4-1 Berry) a comfortable 3-1 lead with three minutes, 13 seconds left in the third period. The goal from Laurie came after the Bombers incessantly pressured the Greenfield offensive zone for almost the entire third period. A penalty by Westfield’s Joseph Maffia gave the Green Wave the much-needed power play opportunity.
After the goal, the pressure continued for the Bombers (8-6, 7-3). Chase Liptak scored with around two minutes to play for Westfield. Liptak collected a rebound near the net to beat Greenfield goalkeeper Cooper Smith.
Treygan Lemanski tied the game with 46 seconds left for the Bombers. On the ensuing faceoff, Lemanski collected the puck and slithered through the defense and scored the game-winner for the Bombers.
Greenfield could not get a good opportunity in the finals seconds, and the Bombers celebrated the comeback win.
“At the end of the day it’s a great high school hockey game,” Greenfield coach Adam Bouchard said. “Two of the top teams in Western Mass. going at it. We won in their barn. They won in our barn. We had a two-goal lead with two minutes and 32 seconds to go and you give up three. Great finish by Westfield. Taking nothing away from them. They finished the game harder than we did.”
Luca Siano scored in the first period on an unassisted goal. The goal came at the two minutes into the game. Siano glided up the ice through the defense and sniped it top-shelf to give Greenfield a 1-0 lead.
Maffia tied the game for the Bombers in the first period on a power play goal. Cody Bard and Brody Hollister assisted on the goal for Westfield. The goal tied the game, 1-1, with 6:18 left in the first period.
Chase Zraunig scored in the second period for the Green Wave. Zraunig made good on a breakaway attempt, giving Greenfield a 2-1 lead one minute, 50 seconds into the second period.
Smith played brilliantly in net for the Green Wave. During the third period onslaught from Westfield, there was a stretch where Smith turned away Westfield on multiple quality scoring chances while horizontal on the ice.
The defense faltered in the late stages of the game for Greenfield.
“We made some real poor defensive mistakes,” Bouchard said. “Three of them to be exact. You can’t give that team those opportunities.”
The Green Wave wanted to slow the game down while protecting a lead against the Bombers. Shawn Baumann and Laurie had assists for the Green Wave.
“We wanted to gobble up the neutral zones,” Bouchard said. “We wanted to slow the pace down. Which we did. We were able to. Until that last 2:32, then we weren’t. We just couldn’t hold on.”
Greenfield returns to the ice for an independent match up against Groton-Dunstable Regional on the road on Saturday. The game is at the Groton School Ice Rink, with puck drop set for 6:30 p.m.
