Concord’s first line powered the Tide to victory throughout the weekend as the team defended its title in the Brian C. Stone Memorial Christmas Hockey Tournament.
The team scored 18 goals in three games against Division I competition and easily won the championship match, 6-3, over the formerly undefeated Trinity High School at JFK Coliseum.
Senior center Chad LaRiviere scored four and assisted another for sophomore winger Nolan Walsh during a key moment on Sunday night against the Trinity Pioneers.
“It’s easy to get a hat-trick when you have two of the best players in the state on your wing, Tyler (Morin), Nolan, great guys to play with,” LaRiviere said after the win.
Concord senior center Chad LaRiviere (23) advances the puck up the ice against Trinity. Credit: RICH MIYARA / NH Sports Photography
The two, alongside senior captain Tyler Morin, have accounted for 38 points already this season and haven’t missed a step from last season. Concord’s 15-game unbeaten streak remained alive in official NHIAA and holiday tournament competition, now going back to February.
Those fifteen consecutive wins, including the Division I and Memorial Tournament championships, were enough to push head coach Dunc Walsh to 602 career wins this weekend.
Coach Walsh, who is in his 36th year at the helm of the Concord boys’ team, thanked the high school, the booster club and his many assistant coaches who helped him reach the milestone. He also joked that if you coach long enough, you should hit certain milestones like his.
“I’ve been lucky,” he said. “It’s been a whole group of people that are the reason for our success. But I love doing it, I love coaching and it’s been fun.”
The squad had multiple players with impressive performances throughout the tournament to get the wins. Nolan Walsh scored four goals and had six assists to win the MVP award.
“We’ve been putting together great games and putting up a ton of points. We look to keep doing that,” the sophomore said about the Tide’s win streak to start the season. “We just got to stay true to our systems and play good defense.”
Concord sophomore Nolan Walsh (9) skates between Trinity defenders to make a pass. Credit: RICH MIYARA / NH Sports Photography
Morin had an impeccable goal to open the scoring against Trinity. He picked the puck up in the neutral zone, deked out a Pioneer defenseman to position himself on the right side of the goal and faked a shot to the left before sneaking the puck around, behind Trinity’s goalie.
Walsh, Morin, LaRiviere and senior defenseman Brayden Beauregard were all named to the All-Tournament team in an overall imposing show of force by the Crimson Tide.
Concord senior Tyler Morin (15) is swarmed by teammates Tyler Mayo (24), Nolan Walsh (9), Brayden Beauregard (7) and Reece Mounsey (5) after scoring a first period goal. Credit: RICH MIYARA / NH Sports Photography
Some other emerging talents made impressive debuts in the Holiday Tournament, as freshman winger Griffin Blaine provided two assists in the semifinal and first-line freshman defenseman Reece Mounsey scored his first varsity goal in the quarterfinal.
Concord will need to continue improving across its second and third lines to put together another championship team. In the second period, Concord gave up two goals in quick succession, which narrowed its lead to 3-2.
Lapses in clearing the puck from the low slot almost cost Concord the lead, but otherwise, it held up defensively. Concord was effective during the penalty kill, as well, and successfully defended a major penalty to win it all.
The Tide will start NHIAA-play again on Saturday, Jan. 3, against Keene at home in Everett Arena.