SOUTH HADLEY – The ball trickled across the South Hadley goal line in pouring rain, terminating the Tigers’ comeback.

East Longmeadow’s Declan Baxter scooped it away from South Hadley goalie Bennett Allen in overtime just outside the crease shortly after he made a game-extending save. In one motion, the Spartans freshman attacker flipped it high over his shoulder and into the net for a 15-14 victory.

South Hadley’s bench screamed for goalie interference, but the officials ruled Allen’s foot had just lifted outside the crease, making him eligible to be checked.

Allen saved 10 shots, including six in the second half as South Hadley mounted a comeback.

“He made a bunch of clutch saves with one guy on him,” South Hadley’s Owen Dawson said. “He kept us in the game.”

South Hadley (1-8, 0-6 Valley Wheel) trailed 14-11 with 7 minutes, 32 seconds left in the fourth quarter after Jake Robideau whipped in a sidearm goal for the Spartans following a penalty kill. Allen and the South Hadley defense kept East Longmeadow off the board for the remainder of regulation, and the Tigers’ best offensive players went to work.

“When we get momentum, we’re a really good team. When those goals started going in, when we’re going, no one can really stop us, it’s hard to,” senior Charlie Anischik said.

Anischik pumped in his second goal of the game with 4:46 remaining to cut the deficit to two, then Dawson unleashed two long-range, left-handed bombs to even the game for the first time since the beginning of the second half. He scored once with 3:38 left then tied it with 1:16 on the clock firing against sideways, driving rain.

“I’m very left-handed. I go straight to my left every time. Once I get my full head of steam, I just want it,” Dawson said.

That was the second three-goal deficit the Tigers erased during the game. East Longmeadow built a 5-2 lead at the beginning of the second quarter, but the Tigers chipped it away behind Anischik (two goals, two assists), Chase Mathers (goal, two assists) and Jack Sullivan (two goals).

Sullivan knotted the game 7-7 with 2:24 to halftime from Anischik, then Avery Haber (three goals, assist) ripped in a shot with 12.5 seconds left to halftime that gave the Tigers their only lead of the game.

It lasted 7.2 seconds. The Spartans won the next faceoff, then Andrew Nolan sent in a long shot with 5.3 seconds on the clock to send the game to halftime 8-8. East Longmeadow scored four goals in a row to build an 11-8 lead before Ethan Roy (two goals) halted the run with a goal at 6:18 of the third quarter. Haber brought the Tigers within two 12-10 on a feed from Dawson after he absorbed a huge hit with 2:16 on the third quarter clock. Dawson (three goals, two assists) also rang the post at the third quarter buzzer.

“It’’s been a tough season. We have a tough schedule. These winnable games mean a lot to us,” Dawson said. “Our coach always talks about never giving up and giving full effort at all times. We bought in, and (Tuesday) we tried but didn’t get the outcome we wanted.”

The Tigers, ranked No. 17 in the statewide Division 4 power rankings, have faced the No. 6 team in Division 2 Longmeadow, No. 8 in Division 2 Minnechaug (twice), the No. 3 team in Division 3 Pope Francis and the defending Division 4 state champion Wahconah, ranked 10th this season. The rest of the schedule doesn’t let up much.

“None of these teams we play in states are going to be as good as the Minnechaugs, the Longmeadows,” Anischik said. “It’s good to see it early and make up for it when it counts in states and the playoffs.”

In order to reach those tournaments and make a dent in them, the Tigers will need to display the resolve they showed against the Spartans.

“There's a lot of positives to take out of this game. Everybody stayed together this game,” Anischik said. “A lot of the last few games we've been struggling with just buying in and effort, but I think this game we really fought, and I think that's a big positive to take out of this game going forward.”

Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.]]>