By Chris Villani

Sports Writer

The Northbridge/Nipmuc hockey team finished up the first half of the season with seven wins and in a strong position to qualify for the state tournament. 

“We are in a good position from a power rankings standout,” head coach Ryan Neville said following the first 11 games of the campaign. “A lot of things are within our control over the second half of the season. I’m pleased with how the season has turned out.”

Neville was quick to credit his team’s resilience. Northbridge has bounced back after losses and done well to follow up one victory with another in multiple spots this winter. On the ice, Neville praised his team’s balance.

“We get scoring up and down, not only from multiple players, but from multiple lines, so that has helped,” he said. “We also have really good defensive zone coverage from the forward group.”

Nipmuc seniors Derek Consigli and Patrick Schrafft have anchored a blue line that is skilled, albeit thin. 

“We are mostly rolling with four defenseman, so those guys are logging a ton of minutes and doing really, really well,” Neville said. “The guys we have are experienced, they know what to expect. They can get the puck out of the zone quickly, which helps us in transition.”

Junior Brett Flanders scored the most points for the Rams through the first 11 games with six goals and 13 assists on the team’s top line.

“He does a good job facilitating the puck,” Neville said. “He moves it around, gets it out of our end, and gets it on the stick of his linemates.”

Nipmuc junior Joe Sullivan is tops on the team on goals and second in points. Neville described him as a “shifty skater.”

“He can stick handle with the best of them and he can put the puck away when he gets the chance,” the coach said.

Some young Nipmuc athletes have also boosted Northbridge this winter. Freshman Garrett Consigli is on the third line and has scored multiple times this year. Neville said Consigli has been able to play well on both the power play and the penalty kill. 

Northbridge’s ultimate goal is getting to the tournament, but Neville said he also wants to make sure his team is playing its best hockey at the most important time of the season. The biggest bane for Northbridge has been penalties, so playing more disciplined hockey will be important for the rest of the campaign. 

The schedule down the stretch should also help Northbridge be tested come tourney time.

“We have nine games to finish the season against really tough opponents, that should prepare us for what we will face in the tournament,” Neville said. “We are looking forward to putting in the work and making every moment count over the next several weeks.