2011 - 2012

Varsity Final Record
16 - 6 - 0

Prior Game
March 2, 2012
Danvers 0
North Andover 1

Next Game
December 2012

2011 - 2012
JV Final Record
8 - 4 - 3

Danvers icemen turn page, dominate Peabody to remain tied atop NEC

The mission for the Danvers High hockey team was fairly simple: win its final two league games and get at least a share of the Northeastern Conference North title.
 
Yesterday at McVann-O'Keefe Rink, the Falcons aced the first leg of that journey in a thorough 5-0 win over host Peabody.
 
Captain J.D. Hodgkins scored two goals, senior goalie Steve Wilkinson made 17 saves to earn his second shutout and Danvers got goals from all three forward lines to improve to 13-4-0 overall.
 
More importantly, the first-place Falcons moved to 11-3 in NEC play and sit tied with Winthrop at 22 points each with one game to play. The Vikings host red-hot Beverly, winners of eight straight, Saturday, while Danvers visits arch-rival Gloucester (eliminated from tourney play last night by Winthrop) needing two points to clinch no worse than a share of the league crown.
 
After losing two straight last week, the Falcons came out with all kinds of energy against the Tanners (6-10-1) and generally controlled play in all three zones.
 
"The kids bounced back. They had a couple of days off, a great practice (Tuesday) and they knew the importance of this game," said Danvers head coach Kevin Brown.
 
Peabody, which needs seven out of a possible eight points over its last four games to make the postseason, trailed just 2-0 after two periods despite being outshot 30-9. The hosts had a power play chance with 11:36 left, but instead of getting back in the game they watched Danvers penalty killer Jack Doyle race down and score shorthanded to make it 3-0, assisted by Robbie Buchanan.
 
"We just couldn't score," said Peabody head coach Mark Leonard. "Going into the third we reminded the kids that the two-goal lead is the most dangerous in hockey, and all we needed was one goal. But we couldn't get it, and that's been our problem all year."
 
Jay Calcagno finished a nice feed from behind the cage from Paul D'Orlando just 68 seconds after Doyle's goal to make it 4-0. It was a welcome reward for Danvers' third line, which also includes sophomore Kevin Hodgkins and played with energy and grit all night.
 
"They've had a good month of hockey. We were really happy with their play; they give us energy and have some offense," said Brown.
 
Danvers' defense held Peabody to just nine shots through two periods and 17 on the game. The Tanners have just five goals in their last five games and couldn't manufacture a sustained attack, though Wilkinson was called on to make a few solid stops in the Falcon cage.
 
Peabody freshman Bobby Caproni couldn't push one through Wilkinson's legs late, Eric Costa had two solid chances in the slot denied, and chief among the Danvers goalie's saves was a kick-stop on Matt McIsaac's second period partial breakaway.
 
"That was a great save with the right pad," said Brown. "Steve did his job, especially early when we were battling back and forth there. He has that attitude where he's level and calm all the way through."
 
Peabody goalie Joe Powers stopped 34 of 36 shots.
 
With just 35 seconds left in the first, Joe Strangie found Hodgkins in the crease to make it 1-0 and in the second, Hodgkins buried another end line feed from Strangie for a 2-0 edge.
 
Hodgkins hiked his season goal total to 10, joining Strangie as Danvers' second double-digit goal scorer.
 
"Credit J.D. for driving to the net with two hands on his stick, and Joe made good plays along those boards to get it to him," said Brown.
 
Powers, a junior, gave way to freshman Steve Ferrante for the final 7:14. Peabody's youngest goalie stopped four shots and only beaten by Matt Flynn's backhand with 1:15 left.
 
"Joey (Powers) had a great game and he saw a lot of shots," said Leonard. "I thought we worked hard, I was pleased with how we played but we couldn't score."