Jack Medillo’s overtime goal against Belmont Hill gave the Brunswick School ice hockey team a 2-1 victory and the championship trophy in the Nichols-Belmont Hill Holiday Hockey Tournament on Wednesday.
The senior’s game-winning goal at 6:15 in the extra frame capped a five-game win streak in the tourney, as Brunswick improves to 9-2-1 overall on the season. The Bruins are back-to-back tournament champions after winning the event last season.
Brunswick opened the championship game on Belmont Hill’s home ice with a goal in the first period, as freshman Charles Shaffer collected a clearing pass out of the air and and netted a five-hole tally at 11:28.
Holding a 1-0 lead in the second period, the Bruins held the territorial edge on the large Olympic-sized ice surface, and put a number of shots on Belmont Hill’s goalie Connor Hopkins, but could not add an insurance goal in the frame.
Belmont Hill (8-4-1) knotted the contest at one apiece at 8:46 in the third period, when Eric Butte finally solved Brunswick’s senior goalie Brian Ketchabaw.
While each team had quality chances to win the game in regulation, both goalies denied scoring chances, forcing the extra session.
On Medillo’s overtime-winning goal, senior Eric Ganshaw forced a turnover below the goal line and pushed the puck to classmate Matt Sealy. Sealy spun and found Mendillo at the top of the crease for the tournament-winning goal.
Ketchabaw, with 29 saves, won his sixth game this season. He made 77 saves against 78 shots on goal over three games (141 minutes).
In five head-to-head games, Brunswick is perfect over Belmont Hill, including a 2-0 win earlier in the tournament. For New England playoff purposes, the contest will be considered a tie, as the winning goal came after the five-minute mark in overtime.
