Spartans ready for tourney

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 16:53:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

Talking on the phone about his team and how it truly earned its first playoff berth, Pembroke hockey coach Marc Noel was asked if he was pleased with his team’s play as it enters the most exciting time in program history.

Like any coach knows, those types of questions are perhaps best answered by the team itself. So, Noel turned it over to the source.

“So guys, how do you think we’re playing right now?” Noel said as he turned from the phone receiver to his players, who were watching film of a recent game.

Shouts of “good” and “excellent” floated in from the background as Noel brought his cell phone back to his ear.

“Did you get any of that?” The message was loud and clear, though a phone call wasn’t necessary to convey it. With wins in three of its last four games to close the regular season, Pembroke certainly made sure all those in Division III got the message of the brand of hockey it’s played of late. The Spartans closed the year with a 6-1 win over Con-Val on Saturday, Feb. 24, not long after testing Souhegan in a 7-4 loss on Feb. 21 and defeating Belmont- Gilford, 4-1, the weekend prior.

Thanks to that strong finish and Laconia’s 6-2 loss to Somersworth on Feb. 21, the Spartans clinched their first playoff berth in at least five years, and in essence, it’s first postseason trip ever. The last time Pembroke made the playoffs, the state featured only two divisions and every team involved made it to the second season.

That’s made it all the sweeter for the Spartans this year as they’ve charged into the state tournament as the league’s sixth and final seed. They are scheduled to face third-seeded Souhegan for the second time in 10 days, on Saturday, March 3, for the right to play Kennett four days later in the semifinals.

Though it dropped both regular- season contests to the Sabres by 7-4 and 5-3 margins, Pembroke is still optimistic, especially considering Souhegan’s last game, a 4-1 loss to Portsmouth on Saturday. The setback cost it a first-round bye, while it moved the Clippers past Pembroke into the fifth seed for the playoffs.

More importantly, Noel said, it proved that any of the league’s teams is capable of taking one another down at any time.

“I was just watching the film (from the 7-4 loss to Souhegan) a few moments ago, and we pretty much dominated for the first five minutes of play,” Noel said.

“The breakdown for us is mental mistakes. We have to minimize the mental mistakes during the game, both on offense and defense, and if we can do that, I think we have a very good opportunity to surprise them.”

Hockey playoff picture - Streaking Spartans in postseason mix

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 20:52:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

EXETER – When Marc Noel took over as coach of the Pembroke Academy hockey team before last season, he told athletics director Susan Hutchinson that he’d need a few years to get the Spartans on track “in terms of discipline.” The playoffs, he said, weren’t even part of the conversation.

Today, one can’t speak of Pembroke without mentioning the P-word.

With a come-from-behind 7-4 win over Portsmouth on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Rinks at Exeter, the Spartans claimed their third straight win – and fifth in six games – to put themselves securely in position to claim their first postseason bid since 2002 with eight games to play, including their match at Kennett on Wednesday, Jan. 31.

Against the Clippers, who are also vying for one of Division III’s top spots, Pembroke erased second-period deficits of 3-1 and 4-2 before exploding for four third period scores. V.J. Ranfos, J.R. Jarnigan and defenseman Ryan D’Entrement each scored twice, leading scorer Tyler Rumfelt assisted on four goals and do-it-all freshman Jamison Syphers scored once, the game’s equalizer early on a third-period power play.

With Torin Barker looking confident in net to the tune of six saves in 22-minutes, 36 seconds of scoreless relief, Pembroke provided Noel what he wanted: more goals, more scorers and more reason to believe it’s primed for the year’s second season.

“It’s all about their confidence,” Noel said. “Take little J.R. They look at him and he must weigh all of 80 pounds. But he’s got a heart and a lot of toughness. These guys did a nice job.”

Pembroke’s recent resurgence, though, has more than a few layers. In their last six games, the Spartans have averaged 5.67 goals per game while continuing to get help from a number of people.

Rumfelt is the team’s obvious offensive leader; the senior captain’s 28 points puts him squarely in the top 10 in the league in individual scoring. But Noel wanted other forwards to step up. Saturday, they and the defensemen did.

Also, Pembroke has benefited from, of all things, less practice. With his players’ academics dipping slightly and their health even more, Noel recently cut down the team’s 5:30 a.m. practices at Tri- Town Arena to two or three sessions per week. In turn, the Spartans are more rested when other teams aren’t, their third-period outburst a case in point.

Yet, one of the most subtle changes may prove to be the biggest. Noel recently “fabricated” a third line of Matt Sweeney, Corey Pinsonneault and the freshman Syphers, who’s usually a defenseman, which has helped give its team an unexpected spark on the offensive end. It’s also given everybody an extra few minutes of rest, except of course Syphers, “mature enough to handle everything I’m asking him to do,” Noel said.

Those factors have the Spartans at 6-4 entering their matchup with Kennett, who boasted a five-game win streak coming in.

“It’s really good when the other players step it up and score,” said Rumfelt, who leads the team and, as of Jan. 23, the league, with 20 goals. “Hopefully I can try and get away from the guys covering me. But as long as we’re winning, it doesn’t matter how many goals I score.”

Pembroke News : division III

Spartans ready for tourney

Hockey playoff picture - Streaking Spartans in postseason mix