The ConVal-Conant boys’ ice hockey team was happy just to make the NHIAA Division III playoffs as the seventh and final seed, but they weren’t satisfied. On Saturday, the Griffins traveled to No. 2 Belmont-Gilford and pulled off a 7-4 upset win to punch their ticket to the semifinals for the first time since 2005.
“When we play with that one common goal, we play awesome,” said head coach Chris Turner after the game.
Evan Turner scored first for ConVal-Conant and finished with a hat trick and one assist; Quinn Mose and Aidan King scored two apiece. THe Griffins got contributions up and down the roster, coach Turner said.
“Cole [Turner] was fantastic, Preston [Kirby] was brutal, Logan [Favart] was pressure all day, Mason [Devost] was the toughest short guy on the ice, Braden [Crisp] was a beast, Elias [Niemela] was as steady and strong as ever and James [Coburn] and Leo [Lacroix] were in the right places every time,” coach Turner said.
ConVal-Conant (7-9-1) had lost to Belmont-Gilford (14-4) in the regular season 8-1.
The Griffins move on to play No. 6 Kennett (8-10-1) in Wednesday’s semifinal game at Plymouth State College at 7:30 p.m. Kennett upset No. 3 Hollis-Brookline-Derryfield 4-3 in their quarterfinal matchup.
ConVal-Conant won their lone matchup with Kennett in the regular-season finale to clinch a playoff spot; they played their best hockey of the year to date in that game, but coach Turner said they were even better in Saturday’s playoff win.
ConVal-Conant has never advanced to the semifinals as a cooperative team; ConVal last made the Final Four in 2005 in the second of their back-to-back championship runs.