Written by Chris Stoller
community contributor
In the Foxboro Middle School League, Medfield Hockey continued its winning tradition with the 6th, 7th and 8th grade teams winning regular season titles in their respective divisions and advancing to the championship game. Two days ago, the 6th grade team won and the 8th grade team narrowly lost by one point, but the 7th grade team faced Walpole in the final and came from behind to beat Taunton, aiming to defend their championship title. In the matchup in 2023.
In a season where top-seeded Medfield had plenty of early scoring chances, as evidenced by its division-leading +36 goal difference, an underdog Walpole team took control from the start, scoring in the first five minutes of the opening period. He dominated most of the play. Alexander Byrd displayed his usual strong goaltending skills, pulling in shots, rebounds and fending off a barrage of cross-crease passes. The arena was filled with tension, and the audience anxiously awaited the first goal.
With 12 minutes left in the opening period, Tyler Zanella took advantage of a turnover in the defensive zone to begin Medfield's breakthrough. Cooper Bowman capitalized on his own rebound to score the first goal of the game, drawing cheers from Medfield fans. Less than a minute later, Bowman assisted on Owen Fessenden's goal. The powerful shot was initially deflected by Walpole's goalie, but Bowman scored again from the rebound, extending Medfield's lead to 2-0.
Showcasing Medfield's signature scoring ability, less than two minutes later defender Caroline Pollack forced a turnover that led to Nolan O'Keefe's goal and gave Medfield a 3-0 lead.
Walpole then rallied his team, showing solid goaltending and offensive pressure, closing the gap with a goal off two turnovers in the neutral zone. The enthusiasm of Walpole fans echoed throughout the arena as their team battled to overcome a two-goal deficit.
With six minutes left in the second period, O'Keefe assisted Leah Carlson, who made a deft backhand shot to extend Medfield's lead to 4-1. However, Walpole responded instantly with an unexpected long-range shot past Bird, making the score 4-2 for him and energizing Walpole's supporters.
However, Walpole's momentum stalled as Bird made a series of great saves to deny Walpole another goal. Medfield secured the victory with goals from Beckett Storer and Sam Paris, ultimately winning 7-2 and taking home its second straight championship trophy amid jubilation in the locker room after the game. .
