WEST ROXBURY – The Games of the Week crew headed back to the Jim Roche Arena on June 4 for some great matchups as the Boston Brahmas hosted the Blackstone Valley Barons.

The day displayed each team’s different style of play. By the day’s close, each franchise took two games out of the four, each including a one-goal game and a game that was not so close.

The 10U Barons have been playing out of this world through three games, allowing only two goals and scoring a scorching 32. On the other side of the ice, the Brahmas picked up their first win of the season the week prior and were looking to carry that momentum.  Both came into the arena with confidence.

Unfortunately for the Brahmas, the Barons took an early three-goal lead thanks to a goal by Matt Dickson and two from Cam Wilbur. Boston fought hard to cut the margin as Sam MacDougall scored their lone goal of the first.

In the second, Blackstone Valley went on a heavy attack. Momentum almost changed sides after goalie Dylan Brown made a phenomenal save, however a dive for the rebound by Nico Chiradonna sealed yet another goal for the Barons.

It was all Barons from start to finish. The Barons’ offense was too quick to catch up to as Campanella, Wilbur and Dickson each had a pair of goals in the game. The final score marked Barons 9, Brahmas 2.

The 12U Brahmas and Barons have been on different paths since the beginning of the season. The Barons had won all three of their games (each on the road), whereas the Brahmas have been in a slump. With their first home game of the year, Boston hoped to change the tide.

Boston stampeded through the first. An early goal put momentum on Boston’s side, while on the defensive end goalie Noel Adams shutout the Barons, allowing no goals in the first.  With 1:52 to go in the frame, the Barons took a penalty, leading to a power play goal for the Brahmas. At the end of period one, the score read 2-0 Brahmas.

Boston had confidence going into the second, but it was short lived.

As the Barons goaltending made desperation saves to keep them in the game, it was time for the offense to spur a comeback.  A Drew Carr wrist shot was redirected outfront and found its way to the back of the net to make the score 2-1 Boston. Soon after, Joseph Sullivan took control of the puck from the corner in the attacking zone, blew by three defenders and scored the Barons’ second goal of the period. Down two after one, and now tied 2-2 after two, the Barons had made it into a game again.

In the third, penalties were a factor. Both teams racked up the penalty minutes, combing for a total of 10 penalties throughout the period. It was noticeable that both teams were beginning to get fatigued.

With 8:22 left in regulation time and Boston on a short-handed attack, another point blank save was made. Shortly after, Sullivan showed great vision as he scooped up the puck in the neutral zone. He cut from left to right across the middle, got the goalie moving and shot across his body for the Barons’ third goal of the game and a 3-2 lead. With 4:22 to go, the Brahmas went on another penalty kill. Carr received a fantastic backdoor pass scoring another goal for the Barons, making it 4-2.

It was all Barons from there on out as the 12U Blackstone Valley Barons defeated the Boston Brahmas 4-3.

The 14U Brahmas and Barons teams stepped into the rink on Sunday each coming off their first loss of the season. With each team posting a record of 2-1, the stage was set for a showdown of who could take the lead in the standings.

At the start of the game, both teams were going at it. It was back and forth action until a little over nine minutes to go in the first period. Boston’s Eli Frank picked up a loose puck on the half wall to start an attack for the Brahmas. Frank made one cut move to the middle and then ripped a shot at net to score the first goal of the game, making it 1-0 Boston. With six minutes to go, Myles Kidd sets up Nick Spadorcia with a highlight spin-o-rama pass to score the second goal of the period. The Brahmas were not done yet, as they tallied a third goal in the period advancing their lead to 3-0 at the end of one.

The flood gates were then opened up for the Boston offense as more shots turned into more goals for the team. With Boston racking up two more goals in the second period, the Barons were in desperate search for a goal. Two minutes to go, Boston took a hooking penalty. At this point, the Barons looked to make something out of nothing. Rather than a 5-on-4 attack, Barons coach Karl Infanger pulled the goalie for a 6-on-4 attack. High risk delivered high reward, as the call allowed Thomas Bugbee to score the Barons’ lone second period goal. After two, the score drew as 5-1.

The momentum was all Brahmas. The offense stepped up tying their season-high in goals scored, the final score marked Boston 7, Barons 2.

Seen as tough defensive teams with high scoring motors, the Varsity Brahmas versus Barons seed set to go down to the wire.

And it did not disappoint.

The Brahmas drew first blood, scoring immediately off of a high sticking penalty late in the first. Shane Devlin capitalized on the power play with a quick shot from the point off the face-off. About two minutes later, Sam Rutter caught a breakout pass from Peter Sanchioni and he was off to the races. Flying down the right wing was Rutter as he pulled the puck across his body to get by the defender, then swiftly cut to the net with a shot low far side to tie the game.

Moving to the second, frustration began to settle in on both sides, which explained the seven total second period penalties. With 7:23 remaining in the period after Will Fay banged home a puck that was sitting on the edge of the crease after a huge scramble out front. The Brahmas had regained their lead. Then with 38-seconds left, the Brahmas tacked on another goal as Mike Catalano stole the puck at the offensive blue line. He pulled a spectacular move around the defense, which allowed him to finish five-hole. At the end of the period the scoreboard read 3-1, with the Brahmas in the lead.

At this point it appeared that the Brahmas were the more dominant team. Going into the third, the Barons had to start on a high note. They did just that as Casey Rosen started the comeback with a penalty shot goal less than a minute in. This cut Boston’s lead to one.

Responding quickly however, the Brahmas’ Joe Sapdorcia quickly grabbed a rebound out of the front of the net scoring Boston’s fourth goal of the game.

With a two-goal lead and two minutes to play, it seemed the game was over, however it was far from. Barons’ coach Peter Sanchioni pulled the goalie and it paid off.

A shot from the point was deflected through traffic out front by Nick Mahoney and into the net making the score 4-3 with 1:44 to play. Then, with less than a minute to go, the Barons went on the attack again. With the puck in the corner, Mike McSweeney took a desperate shot. With a bizarre bounce, the puck found its way into the net, tying the game at 4-4.

In the shootout, Sapdorica stepped up again in a clutch situation, scoring the lone goal of the shootout in the fourth round, sealing the win for Boston with the final score of 5-4.