BURLINGTON – The final week of regular season was upon us this past Sunday. With virtually every spots in the Gold Cup tournament up for grabs, teams knew this week was their final chance to punch their ticket. The South Shore Sabercats and South Middlesex Coyotes were no different, each looking to make a statement prior to the beginning of the postseason.

Coming into the game, not only were the 10U Coyotes and Sabercats the top two teams in the division, they were also the top two offenses, scoring a combined of 241 goals this season. The Coyotes also had yet to lose a game up to that point.

As a potential Gold Cup Final matchup, the game had a playoff feel to it.

With a regular season crown on the line, each team took their game to a whole other level. Working as a unit, the Coyotes and Sabercats did their best to pass the puck up ice. The majority of their rushes, however we stopped by the opposition’s defense.

All four goaltenders saw action in the game – Connor McGuirk and Ryan Christensen of the Sabercats and the Coyotes Henry Kinchla and Shea Allen – and all four had a duel of their own. For every Sabercats’ saved a goal, their Coyotes’ counterpart returned the favor.

In the final minutes of the first, Kinchla made a phenomenal save in front of the net. As the young netminder was trying to tie up the puck, Sabercats’ All-Star Zachary Boss managed his way through a pile of players on the net’s doorstep to tip in the puck and give South Shore a 1-0 lead going into the second.

The second period, like the first, was a close fought period. For most of the period, the Sabercats held possession of the puck, however, could not get the puck in the back of the net. When the Coyotes did get the puck, their rushes were quick. Both defenses hustled back to stop each attack.

At the 8:09 mark, the Sabercats drew a hooking penalty. The Coyotes smelt blood in the water. Immediately, a Dante Cosco slap shot riffled in to tie the game at 1-1. The score stayed that way heading into the third and final period of regulation.

As the game moved on, the emotion grew with it.

At 13:44 of the third, the Coyotes were on the attack. Passing up front, Michael Taylor took a one-timer, but it was thwarted by Christensen with a desperation dive to make the save. The puck ricocheted off his front side and landed right in front of Ryan McWhinnie, who shot high and right for a goal.

The Coyotes took the lead and later the game as McWhinnie’s goal ended up being the game winner. The final score 2-1 as South Middlesex finished the regular season 12-0-0.

The Sabercats and Coyotes had already punched their tickets into the 12U Gold Cup tournament. Even so, it did not mean they would make it an easy bout as their final playoff positions were yet to be determined.

The Coyotes struck first with a Nate Parreira goal in the opening few minutes, but the Sabercats quickly rallied to make the first period their own. At the 7:30 mark, Carter McNamara passed the puck to Julien Curtis in front of the net. Curtis then flipped the puck into the net for the equalizer. They then had a one-goal lead 1:18 later.

After the first period, the Coyotes defense stepped up. Throughout the remaining of the game, they did not allow a single goal, allowing the offense to play their own tempo.

Luke Pazzia came through with a shorthanded equalizer at 9:18 of the second. It was a 2-2 tie until it was broken on an Owen Crann score at 8:24. Parreira then bookending the game’s scoring with an empty netter with 0:59 seconds remaining in the contest.

After their first period stumbles, the Coyotes ended up scoring three unanswered goals to take the game 4-2.

The 14U Coyotes were on the inside, but needed a win on Sunday to remain in the Gold Cup bracket. On the other side, the Sabercats had the chance to be spoilers.

In pursuit of that needed win, the Coyotes wasted no time getting going, putting themselves up 1-0 just 24-seconds into the contest. The opening minute goal, however, did not take the Sabercats out of the contest as they rallied before the end of the period. A Michael Russo goal at 9:13 balanced the scales and send the game into the second equaled at 1-1.

The 1-1 draw remained until the middle of the second period when the game turned in the Coyotes favor quickly with goals coming just 13-seconds apart at 7:06 and 7:19. They netted another later in the frame to take a 4-1 advantage into the third period.

Russo came back with another for the Sabercats early in the third to cut into their deficit, but it was a briefly lived rally. South Middlesex responded 1:08 later at 3:09 of the third to re-establish their three-goal advantage and round out their 5-2 victory.

Entering Sunday, the Varsity Coyotes still had a chance of earning a bye and starting the playoffs in the Gold Cup semifinals. They also needed the help of a Central Mass Cobras win, but they had to win their own game first. They did their part and did so in a big way.

As the opening whistle blew, the Coyotes were on a mission. Each period played, South Middlesex placed three goals per into the net. While the offense was in full effect, the defense did the same by protecting their own net as goaltender Nick Pazzia turned away all bids that came his way. It was the Coyotes third straight shutout.

At the end of the game, Coyotes kept the win at home with the score of 9-0; completing the sweep of the day. Cam Greenwood leading the offensive attack with a goal and three assists in the game.