Check out which Gardner hockey teams will be heading to playoffs this postseason
Gardner-area hockey is wrapping up the regular season this week and some are getting ready for a postseason run. Gardner, Fitchburg and Leominster (girls) have all seen a lot of success this year and will look to build upon that in playoffs. Oakmont had a bigger building year, but shows great glimpses of potential for upcoming seasons.
Check out where Gardner-area teams stand at the end of the season and where they will be heading in the coming weeks.
Gardner
After a period of struggle that resulted in only four wins over six seasons, the Wildcats (No. 17, Div. 4) are making a name for themselves in Mass. hockey. The team stands at a record of 14-3 overall and is second in the Coughlin conference, just behind powerhouse Lunenburg (against which Gardner split two games).
Gavin Richard leads Gardner offensively and lands in the top 5 of Division 4 with 11 goals and 13 assists for a total 24 points. Jayden Patel has 12 goals and has 23 points total.
Goalie Mark Quinn is having a standout season as well, boasting just a 1.6 goals against average.
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Oakmont
Oakmont (No. 41, Div. 4) has not seen as much success this season, sitting at second to last in the Coughlin conference with a 4-13 record. The Spartans struggled with some close losses that they were unable to turn into victories. Lunenburg (5-4), Ludlow (4-2) and Chicopee (5-4) all defeated Oakmont in close margins.
Leading on the ice is Cooper Carignan. Carignan has stepped up, filling into spots when needed and still excelling no matter where he was put. He has 14 points – six goals and eight assists.
Nate Hylan has contributed as well, with four goals and eight assists.
Fitchburg/Monty Tech
The Fitchburg/Monty Tech co-op (No. 26, Div. 4) is currently 8-9, with a couple games still on the docket. Although under .500, if they stay at 26 or better, they will still qualify for the postseason state tournament.
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Fitchburg has had a strong season, winning the majority of their games by at more than two goals. At the forefront of these efforts is Cody Berkio and Colin Hines. Berkio leads with seven goals, and Hines has four, along with seven assists.
Easton Minardi puts up a two-goal against average as the goalie, just behind Quinn of Gardner.
Leominster (girls)
The Leominster girls co-op (No. 24, Div. 2) leads the Central/West B Division with a record of 10-5, clinching a playoff spot already with still a handful of games to go.
Rachel Simkewicz is a standout for the team, currently in second in scoring in Central Mass. Simkewicz has eight goals and 14 assists for a total of 22 points. Teammate Carley Ehwa matches her eight goals and adds seven assists to her point total.
In goal, Carina Eshbaugh has a 2.05 goals against average.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Where do Gardner-area hockey teams stand as regular season winds down?
