Boys’ hockey fell to Weymouth 7-4 Saturday, Jan. 22, at home, but showed improvement as the game progressed.

“We definitely showed a lot more grit and hard work today,” said senior Griffin Bond, a captain with seniors William Eldredge, Brennan Redmond and Ian Russo. “We’re coming off a couple of tough losses, but today was just a day that we just stayed in there and kept battling.”

In the first period, both teams fought back and forth and were able to find early shot opportunities. However, less than five minutes into the game, an unlucky penalty committed by senior Ben Ratin allowed Weymouth to pull away 1-0. Weymouth went on to score two more goals in the period. Despite outshooting their opponents 12-10 in the period, North trailed 3-0. 

“I think it is all about patience. We’ve got to be able to hold the puck a little longer, and just recognize that we have enough time,” said Bond.

In the second period, the Tigers began to find their rhythm. Right out of the gate, sophomore Hayden Willen scored an unassisted goal to cut the deficit down to two. However, Weymouth refused to back down, scoring another goal to extend their lead.

Fortunately, senior Peter Dukakis responded with a stellar goal minutes later. Even with another quick Weymouth goal, senior Vinnie Mastroianni capitalized on a goal late in the period to keep the deficit at two. At the end of the period, the Tigers trailed 5-3.

According to Russo, the team’s unwavering determination allowed them to keep it close. “I guess it was the drive to kind of get back into the game, and try to make a comeback.”

North carried their momentum into the beginning of the third period. Willen scored his second goal of the match off of a perfect pass from sophomore Aiden Umina, which put North one goal down with time to spare and marked a season high four goals for the team. Despite North’s strong defense, Weymouth snuck in two goals in the remainder of the game and ran down the clock. 

Russo said that the team played with heart even though they fell short. “It was there all the way, we just kept on going, and it ended up not in our favor,” said Russo.

Doucette added that he appreciated the team’s ability to find the back of the net. “I think the point is well made that to win games, you have to score goals, and having a season high in goals is a good thing,” said Doucette. “I think that shows that we have a resilient group.”

North, 0-9-1, will play Braintree this evening, away.