CHS hockey teams punch return ticket to state final

Members of the CHS girls hockey team are all smiles as they arrive home Monday night after beating Natick in the state semis. (Mike Tureski photo)

A dream Canton High hockey double-header that is two years overdue will finally become a reality this Sunday as both Bulldog squads head to the TD Boston Garden to battle for the Division 2 state championship.

The CHS girls team, which was probably at least a tad underestimated entering the postseason as a No. 9 seed, punched their ticket on Monday night with a hard-fought, 2-1 victory over fifth-seeded Natick at Gallo Arena in Bourne. The Canton boys then followed on Tuesday with a dominant showing at the Tsongas Arena against the highly touted Gloucester Fishermen, who were favorites on paper as the No. 2 seed.

Together, the two Canton squads are 8-0 this postseason and now get to play back to back in front of what is sure to be a raucous hometown crowd.

As CHS girls head coach Dennis Aldrich noted, “It’s going to be Canton day on Causeway Street.”

“We’re all very, very excited,” Aldrich said following their semifinal win on Monday. “And it’s just mind-boggling — it’s freakish — what both teams have been able to accomplish.”

Indeed, the sustained level of success of both Canton teams has been nothing short of historic, as they’ve now combined for seven state finals appearances over the past five postseasons. Two of those appearances, unfortunately, never came to pass as the arrival of COVID-19 forced the cancelation of the 2020 state championship.

Both Canton teams had qualified that year — and were itching to face opponents that had gotten the better of them in the recent past (Lincoln-Sudbury for the boys and longtime playoff nemesis Wellesley for the girls).

And now, whether one views it as karma or poetic justice, or perhaps just a combination of skill and luck, the Bulldogs are back — and in prime position to snag not one, but two state championship banners on the biggest of possible stages.

“It’s just unbelievable, this run,” said CHS boys coach Brian Shuman. “The Canton boys and girls have mirrored each other almost identically over the past several seasons, and it’s very rare to see that kind of success across both programs in the same town. I’d probably say Duxbury is the only other program that’s really been comparable as far as what the boys and girls teams have done collectively.”

Shuman’s squad will be aiming for its third consecutive D2 state title after running the table in 2019 (25-0-1) and being declared co-champs in the COVID-halted 2020 campaign. Their latest finals opponent — Tewksbury — is the same one they faced two years ago, although this year’s version is significantly more formidable and come into the game as the No. 1 overall seed with only two losses to date.

The Bulldogs, who enter as the No. 3 seed, also have just two losses to date but have been arguably even more impressive over the past three months, during which time they have reeled off 22 straight victories, including four straight so far this postseason.

Their latest victory against Gloucester — a 6-3 shellacking that was not even as close as the score suggests — was yet another total-team effort, according to Shuman.

“We had key contributions from so many guys that it would be impossible to give appropriate credit to them all,” he said. “Our players are so excited to be in the state final. This is a dream come true.”

The Bulldogs opened the semifinal game with four first period goals and led by as much as 6-0 before holding off the Fishermen down the stretch. Canton’s top two defensemen, Sean Connolly and Brennen Pecararo, each had two goals in the victory while Eddie Gillis and team scoring leader AJ Thomas netted one apiece.

On the girls’ side, Canton managed to exact revenge against a Natick team that had beaten them way back in the season opener, although Aldrich stressed that both were “completely different teams” than the ones who faced off in December.

Standout goaltender Carolyn Durand, who was injured and did not play in the first meeting, was sensational in the rematch as she turned away all but one Natick shot.

After weathering a tough first period but still coming out of it with a 1-0 lead, the Canton girls found a new gear in the second, outshooting the Red Hawks 14-3 during the frame. Natick’s top scorer did manage to beat Durand and tie the score a few minutes into the period, but the Bulldogs responded midway through as Maya Battista intercepted a clearing pass and managed to get a shot on net that was promptly knocked home off the rebound by Anna Lehan.

Senior Audrey Koen also had a big game for the Bulldogs in the win with a goal and an assist, and senior Allie McCabe played like her usual MVP self, blocking several shots and shutting down the talented Natick forwards.

Aldrich said he stopped being surprised by this group several games ago, but he still marveled at how locked in they were. “After Natick scored, they only had two shots the rest of the period,” he said. “Our kids were like, ‘No, this ain’t happening.’”

Despite their No. 9 seeding, Aldrich said the Canton girls proved long ago that they are a team to be reckoned with and probably erased any lingering doubts with their 3-0 victory over top-seeded Duxbury in the Round of 16 (Canton’s second win against the Dragons this season).

Now they need to finish the job against a similarly seeded opponent — No. 10 Algonquin/Hudson, who boasts two 25-goal scorers and a very good goaltender.

While the Canton girls will be making their fourth trip to the Garden in the past five postseasons (counting 2020, when the game was not played), Aldrich pointed out that the experience will be brand-new for every member of the current roster. Yet much like the boys team, the Canton girls are plenty battle-tested.

“These seniors have lost only one tournament game in their whole career, and our juniors have never lost one,” said Aldrich. “I’m just so happy for them that they get to experience this moment, and I have all the confidence in the world that they will be able to deliver on Sunday.”

For more information about the state final and to purchase tickets, go to miaa.net/tournament-central.

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