Whenever St. Sebastian's and Tabor meet for the annual Travis Roy Cup, it's usually a close and hard-fought hockey game. So it was no surprise when Tabor toughed out a 5-2 victory in front of an enthusiastic home crowd yesterday.
This was the 12th game in the series that raises money for the Travis Roy Foundation, which supports research for spinal cord injuries and assists individuals affected by those injuries. It has raised more than $64,000 to date.
Roy, a former Tabor hockey player, was paralyzed from an accident on the ice while playing for Boston University.
"I told the [Tabor] kids after the game to enjoy it and have fun, because you never know what's going to happen around the corner," said Roy, who watched his alma mater pull within 6-5-1 in the Cup's all-time series.
"This game is always competitive between two great schools that want to win, and two schools that take pride in the game. It's run by good-valued people and it's doing a great job in bringing awareness to what we're trying to reach.
"That being said, every year when I have to roll in here to the ice on a wheelchair, it's a reminder why we're here. I know everyone wants to see me walk into this building someday and I appreciate all the people that have come out to support this. But we still have work to do."
The coaches echoed Roy's words. "Just the awareness it brings is great," said Tabor coach Gerry Dineen. "I told the kids this is our Beanpot. It's always competitive year after year."
St. Sebastian's coach Steve Dagdigian said every game his team plays should be competitive and important, but this one does bring out a little something extra. "It's something beyond just a game," he said. "It's a way to raise awareness about Travis's story and it helps the players realize there is more out there."
The Seawolves clung to a 2-1 lead built on stingy defense and the play of goalie Robert Kang. With St. Sebastian's threatening on a power play midway through the second period, Kang (33 saves) made two plays that may have saved the game. On a hard shot, he made an acrobatic save, diving to his left to preserve a one-goal lead. Seconds later, he sprawled out and barely protected the net, deflecting the rebound of another shot, thwarting the Arrows' power play altogether.
Tabor's Michael Jangro scored three minutes into the game on the power play. Tabor's Eric Czapak tallied later in the first. The Arrows countered with a power-play goal in the second.
The Seawolves were able to put the game away with a flurry of goals in the final period, starting with tallies by Joseph Coffin and Ross Garson, and capped by a slick play between Mark Colp and Jangro. Colp sent a quick pass to Jangro, who was waiting in front of the net, and he slammed in a goal to give his team a four-goal lead.
Jangro took home the John A. Cail Most Valuable Player Award.
Bay State: Adam Casserly scored twice as Norwood beat Walpole, 5-2. Commonwealth: Shawsheen clinched the conference championship with a 3-1 win over Northeast/Malden. Ryan Arensbach broke a 1-1 tie in the third period with two goals.
Northeast: Anders Gunderson scored three goals and assisted on two others in Marblehead's 7-2 win over Lynn English . . . Swampscott shut out Salem, 4-0, behind a two-goal performance from senior Brendon Hambleton.
Patriot: Scituate topped Pembroke, 5-0, with Mike Koulopoulos, Danny Galvin, and Kevin Lyons each turning in one goal and one assist.
Nonleague: John Hyslip's two goals helped Andover beat Acton-Boxboro, 5-1.
Girls' hockey
Bay State: Kelsey Bronski scored two goals and Elizabeth Morse scored another to help Needham beat Framingham, 5-2.
Nonleague: Erin Levesque scored three times as Duxbury beat Boston Latin Academy, 5-4.
