WORCESTER – It were two different courses the opposing franchises took when they opened their seasons the week prior.

The Central Mass Cobras opened to a thunderous start, posting four straight wins on Opening Day, not giving up a goal in the process.

For the Natick Chill it was four straight heartbreakers at the hands of the Blackstone Valley Barons to open their 2017 slate season, which included a 4-3 overtime loss by the recently impenetrable Varsity Chill.

There had been a reversal of fortune hoped for by the Chill when they met the Cobras May 13 at the Buffone Arena in Worcester, but Central Mass continued their assault on the early season New England Future Stars standings, posting a 3-1 record on the day.

The 10U Cobras did not give up a goal in their first game of the season, but were the first team to do so in their second contest. Natick nabbing the game’s first lead with a score at 8:38 of the opening frame.

Natick was the first on the board, but Central Mass still controlled much of the play in the game’s first period and made the Chill’s lead a shortlived one. Ollie Haynes drawing the game back to even, 1-1, just 23-seconds after the opening score.

It was 1-1 through one, but the potent Cobras offense exploded in the second period, recording six goals across the game’s middle 15 minutes. Declan Grenache leading the charge for Central Mass, credited with three of his team’s six, second period goals.

Natick stemmed the bleeding by opening the third period with their second score of the contest, but the Cobras were not done. They posted another pair to round out the 9-2 victory.

Grenache tacked on a third period assist to his second period hat trick to finish the day with a game-high four points. Ben Jenoski (2G), Haynes (1G, 1A), Matt Bjorkman (1G, 1A) and Gavin Lynch (2A) were all also credited with multiple points in the contest for Central Mass.

As they had the week prior, the 12U Cobras came out storming against the Chill, breaking onto the scoreboard just 1:37 after the game’s opening face-off.

The lead grew to 2-0 in favor on the Cobras on a Jacob Kulas score at 9:01, but the Chill answered right back as Daniel Menyalkin set Natick’s deficit back to one, credited with a score just 20-seconds later.

Natick and Central Mass dueled it out for the remainder of the first, the 2-1 score holding into the second period. The Cobras were back on the board early to make it 3-1 just a minute into the second, but the Chill held nicely with their opponent for much of the frame despite their growing deficit. Things broke in favor of the Cobras late in the frame, however, scores credited to Noah Sampson and Mikie Solominsky making it 5-1 headed into the third period.

The 12U Cobras started the contest strong and finished in similar fashion, putting up three more to close out the 8-1 victory in the final period. Four Cobras were credited with multiple points in the contest, Solominsky (2G, 1A) leading the way with three, followed by Dylan LeBlanc (1G, 1A), Braeden McKenzie (1G, 1A) and Benjamin Stout (2A).

Menyalkin’s score was an unassisted one for the Chill.

Throughout their set with the Cobras, the Chill teams were prone to strong starts, only to struggle throughout their respective game’s middle period. The day’s 14U contest began following such a script, a Quinn Pinkham goal putting Natick up first at 4:40. Central Mass did answer back off the ensuing draw for a 1-1 tie that held through one.

The Cobras were back on the board twice more in the second period – a Aidan Baynes score at 0:24 and one credited to Eric Landry at 7:13 – but unlike the games prior that day, Central Mass was unable to pull away in the middle frame. Their advantage held at 3-1 through two, a manageable one for the Chill heading into the game’s final period of regulation.

Natick was within striking distance, but their short bench faced an uphill climb against a well-staffed Cobras squad. They were fresh legs that eventually took over, Central Mass doubling up their score in the second half of the third to close out their 6-1 victory.

All six Cobras’ goals credited to a different goal scorer.

In their two year run as back-to-back Varsity Gold Cup Champions in 2015 and 2016, loses were a rarity for the Natick Chill, posting a 26-2 record in that span.

Their quest to three-peat stumbled out of the blocks, losing a three-goal advantage before falling to the Blackstone Valley Barons 4-3 in a shootout in their season opener. The Chill got back on track their next time out, however, this time around holding onto their advantage for a 3-0 win over the Cobras.

Natick wasted no time getting the scoring starting against the Cobras, Charlie Mulholland putting one away just 1:18 into the contest. Central Mass, however, intent to continue their strong impression on this season’s Varsity Division, matched their foe’s play throughout.

The Cobras yielded little to the Chill, but Natick did the same in return, holding the Cobras off the scoreboard in the first and again in the second, all the while doubling their scoring total in the middle period.

Tensions mounted in the third. The Cobras stayed within striking distance, trailing just 2-0, the game never fully over until an empty-netter by Jacob Slotnick with just 10-seconds remaining sealed their fate and finalized the 3-0 final score.

Ryan Nolan started the game in net for the Chill with Mason Bailey coming on in the second to combine with his battery mate for the shutout.