By Mike Stoller
So far it’s been a graceful two steps forward and none back for the Somerville High hockey team. The Highlanders improved their Greater Boston League record to 2-0, defeating archrival host Cambridge Rindge and Latin, 5-2, last week. Somerville also upped its overall record to 4-2-2.
The bottom line: “We have 10 points and need 10 more to qualify for the [state] tournament,” Highlanders’ head coach Chuck Allen said.
Surely, Allen was glad to see his squad win the much hyped rivalry game, but he wasn’t so thrilled with how the whole game went.
“We have to get more consistent, put teams away, and not let them hang around,” the coach said.
Somerville surged to a quick 2-0 lead early in the first period. But, by the end of two periods, the Highlanders didn’t do much else but let the Falcons cut the deficit in half.
“We had a decent first period, and I think our team kind of thought we’d walk away with the win,” Allen said, noting his group’s letdown in the second stanza. “But we had a good third period.”
Seniors Dan Camara and Troy Martini starred for Somerville. Camara had a goal and three assists, while Martini tallied twice.
Forty seconds into the game, Camara went high glove side on a perfectly placed slap shot to give the Highlanders a 1-0 lead. It was Camara’s fourth strike of the season. He also has a team-leading 10 assists.
Somerville struck again four minutes later, when Martini scored on a feed from Camara to make it 2-0. C.J. Albanese also got an assist, his fourth of the campaign to go along with six goals. Martini, meanwhile, has five goals and a helper on the season.
Cambridge standout Jeff Keller scored unassisted early in the second stanza to make it 2-1.
That’s how it stayed until the third period, when the Highlanders lit it up for three more strikes to put the game away. The Falcons could only salvage a late goal, after they trailed, 5-1.
“We took it to them in the third period,” Allen said.
Junior Colin Hogan scored his first goal of the campaign on a pass from Camara to give Somerville a 3-1 advantage.
Then, Martini followed with his second goal as Camara picked up his third helper.
The Highlanders sealed the win when sophomore Ryan Mercier struck for his first tally of the season on a play set up by Hogan and Devon Alves.
Somerville also got some solid goaltending from Sergey Markorov, who made 13 saves, including a beauty in the third period on a rebound shot from about seven feet out.
“It was a beautiful save,” Allen said of Markorov’s effort. “They were coming in on a rebound and went top shelf, point blank, and Sergei grabbed it with the glove.”
Markorov has a stunning 2.24 goals against average, playing in every game for Highlanders this winter.
Somerville will host Revere in a non-league tilt tonight.