March 28, 2024

Dighton-Rehoboth/Seekonk Hockey Team Lighting Up the Scoreboard

Hockey: DR/Seekonk 6, Apponequet 1

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FALL RIVER - The Dighton-Rehoboth/Seekonk hockey team is streaking toward the playoffs.

The latest step up the ladder was Saturday night, and DRS responded with six goals and stellar defense in a 6-1 victory over Apponequet/Old Colony.

“As the game went on, we got stronger,” DRS coach Tom Fecteau said at Driscoll Rink in Fall River after Saturday’s victory. “We controlled the game much better. It was a great job all around.”

Dighton-Rehoboth/Seekonk has been on fire after starting the season 0-2. Since the slow start, DRS is 6-1 and averaging 5.28 goals per game while allowing only 1.7 goals against. Saturday’s win puts DRS at 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the South Coast Conference at the halfway point of the season. Its only SCC loss was a one-goal defeat at the hands of Somerset Berkley last week.

After missing the playoffs last year, DRS needs only to win three of its remaining nine games to punch a ticket to the MIAA postseason tournament.

“This is the meat of the season. We knew starting today, it’s time for the push,” Fecteau said. “We want to take a step forward every game, and we took another step forward tonight.”

REPORTERTODAY.COM MVP: Seekonk freshman Liam Fecteau notched a hat trick Saturday night with three goals, two of which came short-handed. His first tally came on the power play late in the second period on a scrum in front of the net with assists from Devin Dailey and Noah Bastis. His second came while DRS was shorthanded 5-on-3 at 11:49 in the third period, and the final tally came about four minutes later on a short-handed breakaway. “It seemed like the puck was on his stick pretty good,” coach Fecteau said. “Anything that got near him, he was able to contain. Two short-handed goals in a hat trick, can’t ask for much more than that.”

PLENTY OF GOALS: Bastis put DRS on the board at the 11:08 mark in the first period when he snuck a puck around the pads of Apponequet goalie Carson McGrath for his sixth goal of the season. Evan Pereira followed with a goal at 9:01 in the second on an assist from Wyatt Nastar. Fecteau scored the next three goals before Dailey capped the scoring with an unassisted goal with 32 seconds left in the game. “We produced six goals tonight, so I’m very happy with the offense,” coach Fecteau said. “We’re a young team but we have a good amount of depth overall. We’re hoping everyone contributes.”

SOLID IN NET: Senior Paul Jarvis had another solid game in net for DRS. The only goal he allowed was on a power play early in the first period. The Lakers had several chances, including a few early in the third period, but Jarvis made save after save. “Whenever we needed him in a pinch, he came up with a save, including a couple of big ones,” coach Fecteau said. “There were a couple quality chances they had in tight in the third and he was right there for all of them.”

STEPPING UP: DRS is playing without two of its top-six forwards with the losses of senior captain Malachi Letourneau and sophomore Ryan McCarthy, who are both out for the season with injuries. “It comes down to who is ready to step up,” coach Fecteau said. “I tell them all the time, come to work every day and work hard and earn your spot. Malachi went down, McCarthy stepped in, scored four goals in five games, then he went down. Now, it’s next person up.”

QUICK HITS: If you love penalties, this was a game for you. The teams combined for 21 penalties (11 for DRS, 10 for Apponequet). DRS was called for four in the first period while the Lakers were served with five penalties in the second. “We got to stay out of the penalty box,” coach Fecteau said. “We’re a much better team playing five-on-five. We don’t want to gas our key guys playing on special teams for so long. That could have a negative impact come the third period.” … Pereira’s goal, the Dighton-Rehoboth sophomore’s first varsity score, came when he deflected a slapshot by Nastar. The game officials gave Nastar credit for the goal on the official MIAA scoresheet. … Apponequet dropped to 4-5 on the season and saw its two-game win streak snapped. “We did not bring the effort today,” coach Ed Botelho said after the game. … Ethan Harrup scored the Lakes’ only goal on an assist from Michael Niemi in the first period to stake Apponequet to a 1-0 lead. … Old Colony Regional Vocational-Tech has a co-op program with Apponequet this year after the Lakers spent several seasons as a co-op with Bishop Connolly, which is no partnering with Coyle and Cassidy. … Fecteau’s last score, the short-handed breakaway goal at 7:58 in the third, would have resulted in a penalty shot if it was saved as the official had a hand up for an interference penalty. … An Apponeuet player was ejected from the game in the third period. … Saturday’s game started eight straight contests against SCC opponents for DRS, which will be back in action Wednesday against GNB Voc-Tech at New England Sports Village in Attleboro at 5 p.m. Somerset Berkley currently holds the top spot in the SCC with an 8-1 (5-0 SCC) record heading into Saturday night’s game against Wareham. … Fecteau and Dailey are tied for the team lead in goals with eight apiece with Bastis right behind them with seven.

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