BOSTON – Andrew Goldstein tried to keep his eyes off the ice.
It's not easy to put on your skates at the Boston Bruins' home crease and stare at Spoke B at center ice.
The Dover-Sherbon/Weston senior captain led the Raiders to the ice at TD Garden in Saturday's Division 4 state final, the program's first outing since forming as a co-op in 2018. There it is independently. Weston played for a Northern Division title in 2007, while DS played for a Southern Division title in 1986.
The Raiders allowed the first goal with 5:05 left in the first period. The bright lights reflecting off the white, resurfaced ice reached them, especially during the match against Hannover, which they have traveled to six times since 2014. Eventually their eyes adjusted and DS/Weston poured in five unanswered goals over 30 minutes and 30 seconds in the final two games. The team won 5-1, securing the team's first state championship.
“It's crazy that neither school has ever won a state championship. It's amazing,” DS/Weston coach Alex Marlowe said. “It's all about them. They accepted everything. They were ready to work.”
Despite having such a huge lead, Goldstein remained focused until the final horn. It wasn't easy, with six Bruins Stanley Cup flags hanging above his head and 18 Celtics flags in his field of vision.
“For the most part, I tried to stay focused. At one point, I took a quick look around just to make sense of everything,” Goldstein said. “Once the game was over, I made sure to take it all in one last time, because it’s a memory I’ll cherish forever.”
Brick wall:Andrew Goldstein was DS/Weston Hockey's final line of defense in D4 state final run.
DS/Weston coach Alex Marlowe told his team to be on stage before and after the game, regardless of the outcome. He received advice from Norwell coach Jim Casagrande and Hopkinton coach Scott Hayes. Both players led the team to the Garden a season ago.
“Look at the fans. Look at all the people that showed up,” Marlowe said.
Marlowe followed his own advice. After the game, he went to find his wife, Jordan, and her children, which meant he took care of her two toddlers and a 7-month-old for four months of the season. It was also to thank her.
All the fans witnessed a historic performance. He is the only team that can win the state championship first. This group holds an especially special place for Marlowe because they were freshmen the year Marlowe took over the program in 2020.
“We have a special bond.”:The Dover-Sherborn/Weston men's hockey team is no longer a stranger.
“It means everything. We didn't want to play with any other group. We fought through highs and lows, good years and bad years, good games and bad games, all four years,” Goldstein said. Told. “Today we found it. We put everything together and came out on top.”
DS/Weston has lost in the Sweet 16 each of the past two seasons. The Raiders were 9-13 a year ago. They finished the year with nine straight wins.
“It's very special. It's definitely a four-year process. I remember coming on this team as a freshman,” senior defender Sawyer Garzone said. “It went pretty well, but nothing like this.”
By definition, there is nothing else like it. No other his DS/Weston team can win the state championship. They will never be the first.
Please contact Kyle Grabowski at kgrabowski@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter. @kylegrbwsk.
