Somerset Berkley goalie rides the emotion of family support in Division 3 playoff game
FALL RIVER — Brandon Silva said Wednesday's Division 3 Round of 32 matchup against defending state champion Nashoba meant more to him than just a playoff hockey game.
The Somerset Berkley senior netminder had a special member of the family in attendance at Driscoll Skating Arena — his dad Scott — who missed his entire sophomore season and last season's playoff loss against Auburn in the first round.
Scott was hospitalized and nearly died. He has now since recovered.
"[This] means a lot," said an emotional Silva after the 12th seeded Raiders sent the 21st seeded Wolves home packing with a 4-2 win. "My dad did not get to watch me play but he was here today. So this means a lot."
The Raiders (16-2-2) will take on either fifth seed Essex North Shore or 37th seed Bishop Stang.
The win was not only Silva's 53rd career win but also propel SBR (16-2-2) to the Sweet 16 for the first time since the 2012 season when they made it to the quarterfinals of the D3 South sectionals. Silva finished the night with 25 saves.
"Last season, it was different division and a tough team to play," Silva said. "We kind of underestimated them a little bit. They came into our place and beat us fair and square. That one left something in my heart. I said today I wasn't going one-and-done as a senior."
Longtime Raiders head coach Kevin Snyder was all smiles after the contest.
"We came out to play today, we really did," Snyder said. "My boys left it all on the ice and I'm proud of them. We've been telling them all year that they have a good opportunity. They took it and ran away with it today."
Senior Liam Derocher and junior Mason Sullivan set the tone early for SBR. Derocher netted the game's first goal just a little before three minutes in.
"Their defense went low and I was in the high spot right on my tape," Derocher said. "You can't get better than that."
Five minutes later, Sullivan took a pass from Cam McKenna and went the entire length of the ice to bury a wrist shot past sophomore goalie Adam Homer, increasing the Raiders lead to 2-0.
"I was just trying to get it on net," Sullivan said. "I saw that the defense was coming forward so I made a move around him. I saw the top hand right corner open."
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Nashoba (12-9-1) finally got on the board with eight minutes gone by in the second period but Sullivan unassisted power play goal put SBR back on top 3-1. The Wolves inched closer with a goal before the end of the period.
"I think we just had to reset our mindset and put it in the past," Derocher said.
Sullivan added, "I was always told be like a goldfish, forget about it."
Kein Stafford's goal late in the third period gave the Raiders a 4-2 lead. Now it was Silva time as the SBR netminder made big save after big save to thwart off a comeback bid by Nasoba.
"I told them there is three minutes left in this game and it will be the best three minutes of your life," Silva said. "I knew we had a two goal lead and I wasn't given up that third goal. I was very confident and stayed composed the whole time. I just played my game."
Coaches corner
"We played hard," Snyder said. "[Nashoba] is a good team. But we were the better team tonight."
Stats
Jack Rothwell, Adyn Marcos, Gabriel Gonsalves and McKenna was excellent on the defensive side as well as forechecking and backchecking ... Nate Melo finished with two assists while Sullivan, McKenna and Stafford also added an assist ... Dillon Kelleher had a goal and an assist for the Wolves ... Mason Holmes also added a goal.
Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette sports editor Steven Sanchez can be reached at ssanchez@heraldnews.com. You can follow him on Twitter @Chezsports
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Somerset Berkley hockey heads to Sweet 16 for first time since 2012
