WELLESLEY – The Dover-Sherborn/Weston coaching staff poured into its members as the state tournament began. They drilled their lineup every practice, knowing the Raiders could face overtime or a shootout. However, Alex Marlowe and others were unable to decide on five reliable shooters for the season.
Senior defenseman and captain Calvin Roman's name has come up.
“We finally knew he had a lot of skills, but we didn't know if moments like gunfights were his thing,” Marlowe said. He said, “When he was making his list, he decided he needed someone whose moment was never too big for him. I am collecting.”
This decision, in part, saved DS/Weston's season in the Division 4 Final Four against top-seeded Winthrop. Both teams were unable to break a 1-1 tie after two overtimes, forcing a shootout to determine a spot in the state championship. Raiders goalie Andrew Goldstein stopped four of the Vikings' five attempts, and Brayden McKenna matched Winthrop in regulation and in the shootout.
Roman took a third shot, repositioning the puck as he approached. Winthrop's goalie popped out to his right. Winthrop retrieved the puck and sent it into the net for the winning goal.
“He's definitely positive about everything he says. He can get down on himself, and to be honest, when he does, you see things change for the team. We think he flushes things out and I learned early on that I needed to keep myself in the right mindset,'' Marlowe said. “Because once he does it, everyone just follows him.”
“He steers the ship.”
He hasn't scored much this season, putting the puck in the back of the net just three times in 24 games. But what Roman did both on and off the ice was provide answers to the questions the DS/Weston program had. The Raiders knew who would lead by example on the ice, but they didn't know who would be their voice in the locker room.
“(Roman) has been that guy from the beginning, when we need someone to get guys back in the locker room or calm them down on the ice. He's definitely the number one voice in our locker room.” Marlowe said. . “He steers the ship in the right direction.”
Roman took the helm between periods before the shootout and overtime against Winthrop. He reminded the Raiders why they are in this position. They faced tougher challenges in a stacked season in the Tri-Valley League and came out victorious.
Trophy time:Max Neet and Andrew Goldstein send Dover-Sherborn/Weston boys hockey to Division 4 Final Four
“The moment something goes wrong, he keeps everyone positive on the bench and gets everyone going,” Marlowe said. “Even when we're not playing or having some light minutes, his voice is his voice. It's always the first and loudest voice you hear.”
His game is quieter. Roman is a defenseman's defenseman. Paired with fellow senior Sawyer Garzone for most of the season, Roman was regularly at home to help Garzone move forward.
“I'm just rock solid. Even if I make a mistake, it's always nice to have someone by my side,” Garzone said.
Roman likes to set the tone by taking hits, making defensive plays and breakout passes.
“When you get a hit like that, you feel like it gives your team a boost and gets you in the game,” Roman said.
The Dover/Sherborn senior honed his style while playing with his three older brothers at Dover's Channing Pond and backyard rinks. They could form an average penalty kill unit with two defensemen and two forwards in the group. The puck was hard to come by in those games, so Calvin Roman fought for it.
“They set the path for me,” he said. “It was tough growing up. They were always bigger than me. We were all very aggressive and it started from there. I had to work harder from there.”
He has this in his DNA:For Franklin's Ben Patterson, family is hockey and hockey is family.
Roman followed his brother's example in the DS/Weston locker room. His older brother Marcus was a senior in 2021-22 when Calvin was a sophomore.
“I started acting when I was young. I used my voice when I was young,” Calvin said. “It just kept going.”
The voice grew louder and more people listened.
“People naturally flock to him because he has a great personality,” Marlowe said. “Once the game starts, he's locked in. He's shown everyone this year that he's a leader, so I'm very happy for him.”
Please contact Kyle Grabowski at kgrabowski@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter. @kylegrbwsk.
