By Marc Thaler
Staff Writer

Goffstown News/Marc Thaler John Stark captain Jim Thomas (No. 13) skates past Souhegan’s Max Arcand, clearing the puck out of the Generals’ zone in the early moments of the teams’ Division III hockey semifinal at Concord’s Everett Arena on Wednesday, March 8. Stark’s exciting postseason run concluded with a 7-2 loss to the Sabers.

CONCORD – When John Stark captain Jimmy Thomas netted the equalizer 16 seconds into the second period, the Generals’ hopes of skating into the Division III hockey state championship game were very much alive.

The senior’s goal knotted the state semifinal, 1-1, and gave No. 5 Stark new life against top-ranked Souhegan of Amherst inside Everett Arena on Wednesday, March 8.

However, the underdogs’ wave of momentum was temporary, lasting less than nine minutes. The powerful Sabers scored twice in the stanza’s final six minutes and outscored the locals, 4-1, in the third frame, for the 7-2 win.

“They’re a big, physical team. They’re well coached and they just keep coming at you,” JS head coach Ed Campbell said. “We survived the first period and even got by the second period. But the third ... they did to us what we did to Kennett (in the semifinals).”

Stark trailed, 1-0, after the opening period, a 15-minute stretch completely dominated by the favored first seed. The Sabers consistently controlled the puck – the result of winning the faceoff duel and six Stark penalties – and connected for a Zackary Fentross power-play goal with 4-minutes, 24 seconds remaining in the first.

Still, Thomas’s tally early in the second erased the locals’ rocky start.

“Jimmy’s been a leader all year,” Campbell said. “He has the character you want in a (senior). He’s a great player to coach. He’s a coach’s dream.”

The Generals also twice spent time with an extra man on the ice, but couldn’t cash in to grab the lead.

Weathering Stark’s storm, Souhegan began to pull away when Souhegan’s Ryan Bailey and Mike Caso split the pipes with the puck.

“That deflated us,” Campbell said. “You see it in all levels of hockey. Once they get that lead, it’s tough to come back.”

Stark’s comeback wasn’t only hampered by four third-period Souhegan goals. Aside from Max Arcand’s two tallies, and single scores from Bailey and Caso, penalties played a major role as well.

After committing three second-period penalties, JS hurt itself with three more infractions in the third.

SHS placed plenty of players in the sin bin, too, committing 10 penalties in the contest.

“They played us tough all year,” said Souhegan head coach John Coughlin, whose team beat JS, 7-3 and 3-0, during the regular season. “They’re physical. They get after it. And when (JS goalie Chris) Bridges is on, he’s tough.”

JS junior Corey Janelle jammed home a power-play goal on an Evan Stenberg centering pass for Stark’s lone third-period tally. But the deficit was too big.

Outcome aside, Campbell said he was pleased to see his players receive a tremendous round of applause after the post-game handshake, an ovation worthy of a champion.

“We’ve been to the semis twice in seven years,” said Campbell, whose club finished the season with a 10-10 mark. “John Stark has always been about basketball. I think we had more fans here (supporting us). They had their blue towels going. That’s what it’s about.”