WEST ROXBURY – In the New England Future Stars Bantam Division, it is the Central Mass Cobras (9-0-0) and everyone else this season. The battle for the second spot when the playoffs begin in just a few weeks, however, is tightly contested.
The Boston Brahmas (7-2-0) currently have that spot and, looking to cement their hold on it, put a commanding, 7-0 victory on the South Shore Sabercats (2-7-0) on Sunday at the Jim Roche Arena in West Roxbury.
It was the Brahmas game from the start, Bryan Metayer putting the home side on the board just 2:34 after the game’s opening face-off. The Boston forward then doubled his team’s advantage just past mid-period, jumping past a pair of Sabercat defenders and unleashing a wrist short high stick side for a 2-0 advantage.
The Brahmas were dictating, but Metayer’s two were all they could put in the net the game’s first 15 minutes. The second 15, however, were a bit difference as South Shore’s manageable two-goal deficit escalated quickly as the Boston offense went on a tare.
A five-goal second period was highlighted by a run of three goals in just 1:02 near mid-game. Albert Bermingham, Jake Russo and Jack O’Brien put together a string goals at 7:27, 7:50 and 8:29, respectively, that was sandwiched between scores in the opening and closing minutes of the frame. An unassited score by Nick Kelly started an assault 19-seconds in, which was finalized by some pretty stick work from defenseman Zack Cohen en route to a spin and wrist shot that found its way home to make it 7-0 at 14:12.
Scoring let up in the third – the period played scoreless – but the pressure did not. The Brahmas remained relentless until the end, continuing to pepper South Shore netminder Gavin Youngclaus, controlling the contest from start to finish, the seven goals their second largest margin of victory this season.
Metayer (2G), Bermingham (1G, 1A), O’Brien (1G, 1A), Russo (1G, 1A), Sean Powers (2A) and Anthony Marchant (2A) all finished with multiple points in the contest. Caleb Packard and Dante Keller split the shutout in net for the Brahmas.
