Shrewsbury gets its boost from Beals

Standing in front of the locker room at TD Banknorth Garden with a championship medal around his neck and shaving cream smeared on his face, Curtis Beals could barely comprehend what he had just accomplished.

With Shrewsbury trailing Shawsheen, 1-0, with about six minutes left in the second period, the Colonials sophomore notched a goal, then followed it up nine seconds later by assisting on another score, sparking a comeback that led to a 3-2 win in the Division 3 state title game yesterday.

"It was unbelievable. I didn't know what to do," Beals said of his postgoal celebration. "I just screamed as loud as I could."

As reporters mobbed Beals, the soft-spoken forward was interrupted by teammates carrying a celebratory glob of shaving cream that may as well have been a pie.

"He's a JV first-time player," Shrewsbury coach John Binkoski said of Beals. "The young man who centers that line, Clark Dumart, hurt his [collarbone] halfway through the season and tried to come back in the playoffs . . . he reinjured his shoulder and then Curtis Beals stepped into his spot."

Despite committing four penalties in the first period, Shawsheen (17-5-4) carried a one-goal lead into the second, thanks to goalie Evan Walsh (20 saves). The Rams' goal came from senior Ryan Arensbach, who scored on a power play at 13:25.

"This is the first time in the entire playoffs that we had trailed in a game," Binkoski said. "And, to be honest with you, coming into the game we had no idea how we would react if we were trailing at any point of the game."

But the second period was the Colonials' strongest. Beals scored at 9:06, assisted by Kyle Puzar and David Finlay, and junior Kevin Dufault gave Shrewsbury the lead at 9:15, with some help from Beals and Puzar.

Shrewsbury (18-4-3) went up, 3-1, 3:38 into the third period on Castan Sommers's shorthanded goal.

The Rams retaliated with a goal by Arensbach at 11:58, but were unable to again beat Shrewsbury junior Pat Coates (11 saves).

"I think we started to play a little bit timid," said Shawsheen coach Chuck Baker. "I tried to tell them to not worry about [penalties and] play the way that Shawsheen plays."

Although Binkoski couldn't have predicted Beals's playoff success, he did make one prediction about his team.

"I stood up on the first [tournament] bus ride going down from Shrewsbury High to New England Sports Center in a yellow school bus and this wave just came over me," Binkoski said. "I have no idea what it was, and I stood up and I said, 'This is our first bus ride of five.' "

But the most memorable bus ride was the last one, the one home with the championship trophy.