Concord Triumphs Over Exeter: A Grand Return to Stone Memorial Glory with 3-1 Victory!

MANCHESTER – The Concord High boys’ hockey squad experienced a challenging season last year, but made advancements by winning the Brian C. Stone Memorial Tournament title after defeating Exeter, 3-1, in a commanding performance in Saturday’s final at the JFK Coliseum in Manchester.

The Crimson Tide eliminated all challengers over the weekend, and although the matches don’t affect the NHIAA rankings, it served as a crucial showcase of the Tide’s potent offense and strong defense.

Concord has yet to suffer a defeat this season (the Tide are 2-0 in NHIAA Division I play and 5-0 overall), and notably, the championship match marked the first instance in which the Tide scored fewer than four goals in a game. Concord’s overall performance has been outstanding, thus it was no shock that three Tide athletes were selected for the All-Tournament team.

Senior defenseman Cam Chandonnet and junior center Chad LaRiviere were awarded their plaques, alongside freshman goalie Carter Heise, who was honored as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after conceding only two goals in three games. Bow’s senior forward Owen Webber also secured a spot on the All-Tournament team and contributed significantly to the Falcons’ fourth-place finish with his skill up front.

“I believe that winning the tournament overall is more vital. The team achievement holds more significance than the individual. Nevertheless, I feel my performance and what I contributed out there helped us succeed, which ultimately earned me an accolade,” Heise remarked with a broad smile after the game.

The team, under the guidance of experienced head coach Dunc Walsh, easily defeated Manchester, 7-1, in Thursday’s opening round, followed by a 4-0 victory against Goffstown in the semifinal on Friday to reach the championship. The Blue Hawks had eliminated the Tide boys from last year’s playoff tournament in a surprising overtime defeat, but Concord ensured that wouldn’t occur again.

“We needed to ensure everyone was synchronized tonight. I thought a couple of lines weren’t performing as well as they did last night, and that can happen. However, we have good depth, which is beneficial. I mean, the fourth line came out for the first shift tonight, and they netted our third goal. That’s the kind of stuff you like to witness,” Walsh commented.

The game remained scoreless until halfway through the second period, although Concord maintained its aggressive play and produced solid shots. Ultimately, in the second period, Chandonnet broke the stalemate with a powerful shot from the blue line during a 5-on-3 power play, with assistance from freshmen forwards Lukas Rondiak and Nolan Walsh.

The Tide then secured the match with two additional goals early in the third period. Exeter’s goalie, Logan Dixon, who had an outstanding performance all night, misplayed a puck with his stick, allowing senior center Trevor Craigue to swoop in for the second goal. Sophomore left winger Tyler Mayo capped it off with a clever tip three minutes later.

Nonetheless, it was not a flawless game for the Tide. Junior Michael Barry received a five-minute major penalty for hitting Exeter’s Dixon, as Dixon was vacating the ice for a 6-on-5 play during a delayed minor penalty, and Barry went for the puck near the neutral zone’s edge, colliding with Dixon.

Heise showcased his abilities in the net, making eight saves in the third period after Concord incurred two penalties late in that frame, allowing the Blue Hawks two minutes of 5-on-3 and then three minutes of 5-on-4 power plays to conclude the game. Exeter found the net in the closing minute, but by that time, the match was nearly concluded.

It was a very joyful holiday season for the Tide and they will aim to continue their momentum on Saturday as NHIAA hockey resumes with a rematch against Exeter.

Alexander Rapp can be contacted at [email protected]