The Gardner Area High School hockey team experienced many great moments this season and made a splash in the Central Massachusetts hockey world. We also saw key athletes who each had some accomplishments and helped get them to that point.
After the regular season and several tournament appearances, see how the Gardner Area Hockey Team's season ended.
Leominster (girl)
Leominster Girls Hockey is a large co-op program representing 10 different schools. The Blue Devils play in Division 2 and have a large group of juniors and underclassmen who have contributed to the team's success.
They opened the season with a victory over Hopkinton/Dover-Sherborn and went on a five-game winning streak with ups and downs throughout the season.
Leominster pulled off a surprising upset in the tournament, with the 27th place Blue Devils defeating 6th place Longmeadow 4-1 in the second division. 2 rounds 32. Rachel Simkewicz scored eight seconds into the game, paving the way for the upset. The underdog's run ended with a loss to No. 11 Marshfield in the Sweet 16.
Simkewicz, a junior, was Leominster's leading scorer. She finished second at Central Mass with 27 points.
Freshman goalie Karina Eshbaugh played well all season, making over 40 saves against powerhouse Longmeadow in the playoff game. Carly Ifa was also a key contributor, totaling 19 points.
gardner
The Wildcats are coming off a great year after working hard to build a program that once struggled to win just a few games. The team started the season with nine straight wins, defeating tough programs like Lunenburg, St. Bernard's and Leominster.
The Wildcats are the No. 20 seed in Division 4 and defeated No. 13 North Reading in the Round of 32. They then lost 6-3 to No. 4 Sandwich in the Sweet Sixteen.
Senior goaltender Marc Quinn had a great season, recording four shutouts, nine one-goal games, and a 1.64 goals-against average.
Gavin Richard led the attack, contributing 12 goals and 15 assists. Jayden Patel added 25 points.
Fitchburg/Monty Tech
The Red Raiders had a strong season, finishing with an 11-9 record. They had some big wins — 5-2 against Assabet, 4-1 against St. Bernard, 3-0 against Worcester and an 8-5 come-from-behind victory over Westboro.
In this tournament, Fitchburg was the No. 26 seed in Division 26. In 4th place, they lost to 7th place Wilmington 4-1 in the first round.
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Colin Hines led Fitchburg's offense with 18 total points this season. The highlight for Hines was his four goals in a come-from-behind win over Westborough, scoring one goal in every period and then scoring another.
Kyle Gendron and Cody Barkio contributed offensively, scoring 14 and 12 points, respectively.
oakmont
Oakmont had a bit of a tough season compared to its area rivals. The Spartans, who finished 5-14, certainly saw some positive moments, including a 6-5 win over St. Bernard and a close 5-4 win over Worcester. The team failed to qualify for the state postseason tournament.
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Key members of the team included Nate Hylan, who totaled 21 points. Hylan scored six goals in Oakmont's 10-2 win over Leominster. He also started the season well with a hat trick against St. Bernard.
Cooper Carignan also led the team with 16 points this season. His leadership shone throughout the season with the way he stepped up and got into positions of need.
