WEST SPRINGFIELD – South Hadley hockey fans were cheering for more than just the Tigers on Tuesday afternoon – they were also supporting the Olympia Ice Center’s Zamboni driver. 

Fans cheered when the Zamboni came out to clear the ice after both the first and second periods, giving the short-handed Tigers a much-needed break. Just 10 players dressed for No. 3 South Hadley in the Western Mass. Class C semifinal contest, and those skaters needed all the rest they could get.

They threw everything they had at No. 2 Taconic, outshooting the Thunder by a wide 44-25 margin, but the shortened bench and the absence of No. 1 goalie Devin Carleton was too much for the Tigers. Taconic advanced to the Class C final with an 8-1 win over the Tigers. The loss officially ended South Hadley’s season as the Tigers (6-10) did not qualify for the state tournament.

Taconic (10-5) will play top-seeded Greenfield (16-3) in the Class C title game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. back at the Olympia. It’s a rematch of the 2020 sectional title game.

“(Endurance) has been an issue all year,” South Hadley head coach Kevin Stefanik said. “Just having the legs, having the extra three or four guys to finish out games when we're tight in games.”

The game was much closer through two periods. Heading into the second intermission, South Hadley trailed just 2-1, and had generated some pressure on three power play chances in the middle period, including a five-on-three opportunity. Ultimately, it came down to endurance, and no matter how badly the Tigers wanted to keep up with Taconic, fatigue set in during the final frame. 

“With 10 people, you can only skate so long. It sucks, but it’s how it is. You can never be disappointed with the outcome,” South Hadley captain Nate Loughman said.  

An injury to Carleton also forced South Hadley to look down its roster to find anyone willing to step into goalie pads for the first time. Backup netminder Brayden Grochowalski commanded the crease for a few games, including a 6-5 overtime loss to Taconic just a week earlier. But Grochowalski was also out of the lineup on Tuesday, and freshman Braydon LaDuke stepped up to fill the void. 

“He put his hand up and said ‘I’ll play.’ I had a feeling he would have volunteered himself to play, because he’s pretty athletic,” Stefanik said of LaDuke. “He was going to be my pick because he’s a willing kid, and you can’t ask for anything else.” 

It was the Tigers that struck first, flying out to a 1-0 lead with a goal from Connor McDonnell. Taconic goaltender Antonio Scalise didn’t give up many rebounds, but late in the first period McDonnell got his own and skated back around to the top of the face-off circle, letting loose a wrister that beat Scalise to make it 1-0 Tigers with 50 seconds left in the opening period. 

It didn’t take Taconic long to respond in the second. Though South Hadley had done a good job blocking shots and breaking up passes, Taconic started firing shots at LaDuke in the second and scored twice over a 20-second span to take a 2-1 lead. The Tigers had three power play chances to get the tying goal, including a two-minute five-on-three power play, but Scalise stood tall and South Hadley couldn’t find the back of the net. They went into the second intermission still down one goal. 

There was still plenty to play for in the final frame, but things got out of hand quickly. All five of South Hadley’s penalties on the afternoon came in the third frame, and Taconic scored fast and furiously, notching three goals in just under a minute while capitalizing on power plays. 

“That’s probably our biggest thing that brings us down is penalty minutes (with) such a short team,” Loughman said. 

Brayden Bishop scored four goals for Taconic in the third period, and Rylan Padelford secured another hat trick with a goal in the final frame as well. Holden Kotelnicki also tallied for Taconic. 

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