Season Over For Wildcats? Not So Fast

When it is all said and done, the season will still be a disappointment for the Weston boys' hockey program. But don’t tell the Wildcats this one doesn’t count.

Tonight, Weston has a chance to knock off their cross down rivals, Wayland, in the final game of the season for the Wildcats (7-10-2).  With no playoffs in sight, head coach Jeff Moore is trying to keep things positive and steal one last victory before the curtains are pulled on the 2010-11 season.

“It’s very difficult to end the season knowing you are out of the playoffs and you are playing your rival who is in the playoffs and having a very successful season,” said Moore, in his second year as head coach and sixth with the program.  “This is the first year we haven't made the state tournament, but the motivation is that this is a rivalry game and we want to win this last game for our seniors.”

After defeating Tyngsboro for the second time this season in a 7-1 win, the playoff hopes were still alive until a rescheduled game with Dover-Sherborn produced a lackluster, 5-2 loss, at the hands of the Raiders (6-8-3).

But the true mark this season was a string of defeats in which the Wildcats were shutout in four games straight.  After a 5-0 win at Watertown, Weston was outscored 10-0 to Wayland, Lincoln-Sudbury, Boston Latin, and finally in a heart-breaking 1-0 loss to Lowell in a game the easily could have won.

Said Moore: “It wasn't because we didn't have opportunities, it was more because we didn't finish those opportunities.  We tried to stay positive knowing we were getting our opportunities but the need to finish just wasn’t there.”

The four straight losses forced the Wildcats to need a win or a tie in the final five contests, but after holding off Newton South – they needed six points with five games left to play to qualify for the state tournament for the fifth season in a row.

But losses to Bedford and Dracut forced the Wildcats into a win-or-go-home scenario and Dover-Sherborn ended the second season hopes.

Even worse?  The Wildcats were up 2-0 over the Raiders after the first period on goals from Matt Timperio and John Goguen before the five unanswered goals from Dover-Sherborn sent Moore and his staff thinking about the season that got away.

“We were optimistic going into to the game not because we tied them last time (4-4 tie at Dover-Sherborn) but because we were coming off a win and an offensive outburst,” said Moore

Tonight – the slate is clean and Weston can send the seniors home with a graduation present if they can topple Wayland (11-5-1) who ironically is going to the state tournament no matter the outcome of this one.

Any questions, comments, concerns about this season's coverage of Weston hockey?  Contact me - brianfabry@gmail.com.