It was a road trip I’ve been meaning to make the last few
seasons, and eventually today I made it.
Up to New Hampshire to see the New Hampshire Wolves take on the
Worcester Fenians in an acute hurling rivalry that is growing here in the
Northeast Division. Google maps told me
1 hour and 35 minutes, so I gave myself 2.
Traffic in and out of Boston being what it is, a stop for gas and Dunkin
Donuts, along with roadworks and rubberneckers for an fender bender on the
other side of 93, meant that I arrived at Amoskeag Field in Bow New Hampshire
with about 10 minutes left in the first half.
The field is tucked away right off Interstate 93, a direct run North of
Boston.
There was a nice crowd of supporters for each side. The game was fairly evenly contested, each
team had their fair share of wides but at the end of the first 30 minutes the
visitors from Massachusetts fired 3 points over the bar. Tom Lind, who was a force at center forward
for Worcester, Liam Kelly at corner forward and wing back Tim Jackson. P.J. Heffernan, who was locked in a tussle
with Wolves corner back, Alec Foley, had netted earlier. At the half time break it was a 1-5 to 0-3
lead for Worcester.
The second half saw the visitors strike with another goal,
this one from Zach Jacobs. It was a blow
for the Wolves who would have hoped for the early scores after the restart,
especially after Sean Naughton had pointed well from distance to get things
going again. Lind, who was causing a lot
of problems for the Wolves, followed with a point and Worcester held a decided
advantage with scores proving hard to come by.
There was a glimmer of hope for the Granite State side after
3 unanswered scores pulled them within a goal and plenty of time left. Naughton netted expertly after Will Mullen
had pointed, and the Wolves midfielder added another point. The Wolves created some great chances, with
some missing the mark and others saved well by Dan Smith between the posts. With the game now finely balanced it was
Worcester who finished with the decisive scores. Wolves keeper, Steve Dejalais had been called
upon to save a couple of dangerous chances, but eventually one went in from
Lind. It was from Heffernan with the
final point and a final score of the game with Worcester drawing first blood in
2019 with a 3-7 to 1-7 win.
The game was well refereed by Paul Cannon, a former United
States Marine from Craughwell Co. Galway, who now resides in Boston.
After the game the teams retired to the Wolves Sponsor,
Lithermans Limited, a nearby nano-brewery, who even created a specialized brew with
the Wolves crest on the can.
Teams
Worcester: Dan Smith, Dan Williams, Luke LaGosce, Jamison Croteau,
Sean O’Shaughnessy, Tim Jackson, Jon Dorr, Dave Crowley, Zach Jacobs, Tom Lind,
Seamus O’Shaughnessy, Liam Kelly, PJ Heffernan.
Jack Weissman.
Wolves: Steve Desjarlais, Alec Foley, Juston Stasz, Torrie
Lemmon, Ryan Nickerson, Mike Spacone, Jay Abramowicz, Sam Durfee, Mark
Misiourski, Sean Naughton, Tanner Starmer, Scott Lentz, Dan Hanna. Dean Williams, Will Mullen, Cory Anderson,
Jamie Timlin, Dave Cook, Phil Falco, Chris Fiori.
By Rory O'Donnell
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