Donahue, band of defensemen kept high-scoring Dedham off the board
By Cary Shuman
Something had to give in the state championship game.
Dedham had racked up 19 goals in four playoff victories and posted a 7-spot in a big regular season win over perennial contender Norwood.
Coach Dale Dunbar’s Vikings, backed by the “Wall of Winthrop” namely, All-Conference goalie Michael Donahue, had prided itself on its defense and its unyielding end-to-end pressure on opponents.
Game, set, and match to Dale Dunbar, the Winthrop coaching staff, and the players’ flawless execution of the One-Man Trap system.
Dedham coach Dan Panciocco said he anticipated a tough test for his fast, high-scoring, senior-led contingent.
“I knew coming in that Winthrop was a really good team,” said Panciocco. “We knew it would be hard to score on them. They play a tight defense. Winthrop’s defensive system is really tough. They don’t give up much. They pack it in real, real tight and that was a concern for us, how we were going to generate enough offense, because we’re used to playing wide-open teams in the Tri-Valley League that go up and down. They earned the win today. Winthrop deserved it. They outplayed us.”
Michael Donahue finished with 22 saves, the best of the bunch his stop on a point-blanker in the slot from Dedham’s leading scorer, Tim Holton, who was clearly frustrated by the Winthrop goaltender’s superb save.
Dale Dunbar said Donahue in net and the five defensemen, senior Aidan Survilas (he of the “hometown hero” goal in a thrilling, come-from-behind 3-2 win over Norwell in the Round of 16) sophomores Paul Ferrara, Nikita Rossi, and Ricky Mackenzie, and junior Tomas Babine were immense in slowing down and stopping the Marauders.
“That was Babine’s first game back after being out with a shoulder injury,” said Dunbar. “He played great. He logged some pretty big minutes and made some pretty big plays for us.”
The shutout was the result of a team effort, according to Dunbar.
“Everybody played their role to a ‘T,’’’ said the coach. “Our forechecking, our defensive coverage, our penalty kill – everything clicked.”
Donahue and Company held three-high scoring foes, Littleton, Stoneham, and Dedham to a single goal in the last three tournament victories. Opponents were unable to solve The Trap.
“It’s a very difficult system to beat,” said Dunbar. “We’ve been doing it for years when we really need to lock teams down and not let them get going. You really need to practice a long time to understand how to beat it. We take away the middle of the ice and make sure the puck stays out on the wall. And when we get a turnover, we turn it into instant offense.”
The knowledge Dale Dunbar has accumulated from playing the game at the highest levels could fill an encyclopedia. His coaching record over the past 19 years is 258-99-52. His teams have won nine Northeastern Conference championships and appeared in four North finals and one state semifinal.
“We’ve had great goalies, great defenses, but we’ve always had guys that committed to the system,” said Dunbar. “I think that’s what I’m most proud of with our players. We played nine forwards [versus Dedham]. They played six. If we can play nine and trust them and make sure they do their role and trap, that gives us a tremendous advantage because we’re resting our top line an extra shift.”
Winthrop fans have always felt that the Vikings had a coaching edge every time they stepped on the ice. Winthrop players receive an education on the finer points of hockey, and through their dedication, commitment to the system, and respect and admiration for their coaches, great things can happen – as they did Sunday at the TD Garden.