Production Line: Scituate boys hockey's top trio does it again in win over Hanover
PEMBROKE – Any list of the top forward lines in high school boys hockey on the South Shore must include Scituate's on-fire trio of James Sullivan, Luke Ryan and Nate Sannella.
That line combined for 4 goals and 7 points in Wednesday's 5-0 win over Hanover that stretched the Sailors' unbeaten streak to eight games (7-0-1). Sannella scored twice, Sullivan had a goal and 2 assists, and Ryan added a goal and an assist. On the season, they've now combined for 38 goals and 83 points.
Not bad for a group that hasn't even played a full season together yet.
"They're really clicking," Scituate coach Brian Hurcombe said. "They work really well on the cycle. They find each other. And they're all really buying in. They're backchecking. We want buy-in to play 200 feet and that's what they're doing."
"After the first couple of games of the season, we really started to get it going," said Sannella, 5-foot-9 junior right wing who has a 9-12–21 scoring line. "Chemistry was there. The buzz was there. It just started to click. It's a new setup this year and I'm starting to love it."
Sullivan and Ryan sandwiched first-period goals around a rebound from second-line winger Owen Lochiatto as the Sailors (13-3-2) stormed out to a 3-0 lead against the Hawks (9-8). Sannella handled the scoring after that, striking twice just 11 seconds part in the second period.
"I can't say I've done that before," Sannella said. "That was pretty cool. (We were) early in the shift (on the first goal), so I was like, hopefully we can get another chance here, bury another one and put them in the grave." Sannella described his second goal as a "greasy rebound out front," which about sums up his approach.
"Unbelievable showing from him," Sullivan raved. "Just relentless. Never stops. Kept crashing the net."
Sullivan, a 6-foot-4 senior left wing, is Scituate's top gun with 17 goals and 20 assists this season and a career line of 54-75–129. He's been white hot lately with a natural hat trick in the first period against Bridgewater-Raynham in Saturday's 7-3 win. In the game before that, a 2-2 tie against Division 1 powerhouse Marshfield, he scored from his knees in the final minute with the Sailors having pulled their goalie for an extra skater.
"Just an unbelievable goal," Sannella said.
"I had the puck at the point, shot it, but one of the (Marshfield) guys blocked it," Sullivan recalled. "It bounced back to me, I cut into the net, fell over and the puck was on its edge and I just connected. Just perfect. It was a great (result) for us."
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Sullivan skated with classmate Johnny Donahue and since-graduated Teagen Pratt (26 goals) last season as Scituate (20-5-2) lost in OT in the Division 3 state final. After tinkering with a few new lines back in December, Hurcombe finally split Donahue and Sullivan up to create better balance. Donahue now skates with Lochiatto and Jackson Belsan on the No. 2 line, and Hurcombe loves the energy that Will Cahill, Grady Spinale and Jake O'Malley bring to the No. 3 line.
Oh, and the Sullivan/Ryan/Sannella line is doing OK, too.
"The first couple of games (we played together) we just caught the wave," said Ryan, 5-foot-11 junior center who has 12 goals and 13 assists. "We've been sailing ever since."
By the numbers
29: Goals allowed by Scituate through 18 games. That's a 1.61 team goals-against average. Goaltender Thomas McMellen had the shutout in this one, the Sailors' fourth of the season. Ironically, Scituate started the season with a freewheeling 7-6 win over Wachusett, but that's been the exception. "Do whatever it takes," Sullivan said of the approach to defense. "Block everything. Get pucks out (of the defensive zone)."
11: Games with 2 or fewer goals for Hanover. The Hawks offense isn't as prolific as it's been in past years, but Hanover makes up for it by generally playing solid defense. Junior goalie Thomas Perkins has been excellent with a 1.81 GAA and a .921 save percentage coming into this game. "Tommy's been solid," said Hanover coach Jon Abban, who feels his team is "trending in the right direction."
3: Consecutive Patriot League Fisher Division crowns for Scituate. The Sailors can claim a fourth straight by beating Plymouth South on the road next Wednesday. "That's one of those goals that we set early in the season," Hurcombe said. "And we have one game to do it. South is a team that can score goals. We're getting ready for Lynnfield on Saturday, but that (South game) is on our minds, too."
4: Hanover, which won the Division 3 state championship in 2022, has dropped down to Division 4 this winter. The Hawks came into this game at No. 3 in the latest MIAA D4 power rankings, behind Winthrop (12-1-1) and Nantucket (13-1). Hanover squared off against a pair of Division 4 powerhouses right after Christmas, losing to Winthrop, 4-2, and to defending state champ Norwell, 3-2. Norwell is ranked No. 4 right now. Said Abban, "I don't get involved in the MIAA (divisional alignments). They tell us where we're going and that's it. You still have to play some good teams if you want to go the distance."
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Surging Scituate boys hockey rides No. 1 line to win over Hanover
