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Duxbury beats Needham for Div. 1 title

Print | Comments () Posted by Jason Mastrodonato June 13, 2012 10:15 PM

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Duxbury won the Division 1 championship on Wednesday night at Harvard Stadium, defeating Needham, 10-8, to extend its in-state winning streak to 37 games and give Chris Sweet his ninth trophy in 11 years.

But at least Needham made it interesting.

The Rockets (16-5) were right there with the Dragons in the first half, but couldn’t make enough stops to put together a run. Each time Needham scored a goal, Duxbury responded within three minutes. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Rockets were able to score back-to-back goals, rallying for four straight to cut the lead to two.

After Nico Panepinto scored his fourth of the game with less than eight minutes remaining, cutting the lead to 10-6, the Dragons picked up three penalties and were stuck playing with three defenseman. Needham scored twice in the next two minutes, but couldn’t keep the momentum once Duxbury was again at full strength.

Needham goalie Lucas Davis made some huge stops, but seven of 10 Duxbury goals were assisted. The Dragons are trained to make that extra pass, find the open man and bury the easy ones.

Sweet’s son, Sam, scored three times as a perfect send-off in his final game playing under his dad.

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Several reporters and editors contribute updates, news and analysis to the High School Sports Blog.

Bob Holmes: A Reading resident (Go Rockets!) and Boston College graduate, Holmes is the Boston Globe High School Sports Editor. We remind you now that his weekly picks are often made in jest so everyone just calm down when he picks against Everett for 11 straight weeks. Contact him at rholmes@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeHolmes.
Craig Larson: A native of West Springfield (Leo Durocher anyone? Tim Daggett?) and Curry College graduate (a proud Colonel!), Larson is the sports editor for the Globe's regional sections: South, West and North, as well as a frequent contributor on the college beat. Abington to Xaverian: it all starts with the schools. Have a compelling story idea? Contact him at clarson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeLars.
Zuri Berry: Berry attended the same high school as sports legends O.J. Simpson and Joe DiMaggio. (Guess which one is his hero.) He's a South Boston resident (formerly of Eastie) and the editor of the High School Sports blog as well as the go-to-guy for everything high school sports on Boston.com. Contact him at zberry@boston.com and follow him on Twitter @ZuriBerry for all of the latest updates.

Then there are our winter correspondents: