RallyNorth.net

NORTH BILLERICA | It was likely the furthest thing from Ellery Smith's mind.

The Marblehead High sophomore hockey forward probably wasn't thinking he had just scored the game's only goal when he threw the puck towards the net a mere 54 seconds into last night's Division 3 North semifinal against top-seeded Trinity Catholic at Chelmsford Forum.

WATERTOWN | Through three periods plus an overtime session, the Marblehead hockey team threw as much rubber at Boston Latin Academy goaltender Mike Newhall as you might expect to find at Tire World. The Dragons' stalwart matched the Headers step for step in making 41 saves to keep last night's Division 3 North quarterfinal deadlocked 3-3.

SALEM | Marblehead High hockey goaltender Aaron Reny stopped everything short of the kitchen sink last night against arch rival Swampscott in the first round of the Division 3 North tournament.

In overtime, he finally got his reward.

Having already secured their first-ever Northeastern Conference (Small) title earlier in the day thanks to Saugus' 2-1 loss to Winthrop, the Big Blue kept the good times rolling with a 3-0 blanking of arch rival Marblehead that night.

Freshman Chris McLeod picked an opportunistic time to score his first goal of the season, stuffing home Alex Whitmore's pass in a 3-1 Marblehead victory over Salem that earned the Magicians a ticket to the state hockey tournament.

Sophomore Anders Gundersen had a huge day, scoring three goals (all on the power play) and dishing out two assists as visiting Marblehead went to the Connery Rink in Lynn and hammered the Lynn Jets, 7-2.

SALEM | Both the Marblehead High and Bishop Fenwick hockey teams are battling to qualify for the state hockey tournament, and any win either team can secure these days is huge.

It appeared the two teams would have to settle for one point each when they faced off against each other last night at the Rockett Arena. That is, until Marblehead junior scored on a rebound with just over a minute left, powering the Headers to a 2-1 victory.

A year ago, the Swampscott icemen had three games to earn one point in order to break a decade-long postseason drought. The Big Blue fell short of that goal, but the sting hasn't subsided. Though the streak extended to 11 seasons, the slump could come to an end as soon as next Saturday after a 4-0 win over rival Marblehead put Swampscott within a point of the postseason once again.

First half analysis: Six wins in their last nine games have the Headers back in the Division 3 North playoff chase. Balanced scoring and a slew of youngsters who are gaining experience with each game have been keys to their turnaround.

It all came together for the Marblehead High hockey team over the final 20 minutes of last night's contest with Saugus. A team that has struggled to maintain consistency for much of the season, the Headers put together one of their best stretches of hockey this winter, rallying from a two-goal deficit to score three straight and capture a big 3-2 victory at Revere.