Stoneham Nearly Shocks Defending Champ Wilmington

The Spartans, the lowest seeded team in the North Division 2 bracket, nearly erased a 3-0 deficit before falling to the Wildcats by a 5-2 margin.

The Stoneham boys hockey team easily outshot defending state champion Wilmington. But unfortunately for the Spartans, they couldn't outscore the Wildcats. While Stoneham, the No. 14 seed in the North Division 2 bracket, fell behind 3-0 in the opening period, the Spartans peppered Wilmington goalie Drew Foley with shots before slicing the deficit to 3-2 early in the third period. Foley was up to the task, saving 36 shots out of the 38 he faced. Stoneham goalie Bobby Giordano made several critical saves of his own during the game, but Wilmington added an empty net goal with 26 seconds left before closing out the game with another tally with 6.5 seconds left to seal a 5-2 win. The loss ended Stoneham's season at 7-10-4 while Wilmington …

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Stoneham Blanked by Wilmington [PHOTOS, VIDEO]

The Stoneham High School boys' hockey team was shutout by Wilmington 1-0 Wednesday in Wilmington.

The Stoneham High School boys' hockey team showed it could stick with perennial playoff contender Wilmington on Wednesday, but the Spartan offense didn't have enough to push the locals to a road win. The Wildcats' star forward Cam Owens netted a goal just 17 seconds into the second period, and the tally proved to be the winner as Wilmington improved to 3-2-2 on the year with a 1-0 victory. Meanwhile, Stoneham slipped to 3-3-1 after suffering their first loss in four games. "Every game we’ve had now is a learning tool for us," said Stoneham coach Paul Sacco. "We’re trying to instill a little confidence in these kids. We’re working on the work ethic and the effort they put forward on the ice. It’s slowly coming to play, but it’s taking a …

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Whiz Kids

Michael Cappuccio is This Week's Whiz Kid

The 18-year-old left winger for the Stoneham High School boys' hockey team tallied 21 points last season.

Stoneham Patch Whiz Kid of the Week Key to Awesomeness: Cappuccio and the Spartans have a 2-2-1 record after five games in a competitive Middlesex League. Cappuccio is off to a fast start for the Spartans with four points (one goal, three assists) through five games. When asked why he was successful on the ice, Cappuccio responded simply because of his love for the game. “Hockey is my true passion and there is nothing I would rather be doing,” Cappuccio said. “When I am on the ice playing or just practicing, I am just focused and nothing else matters.” “I just love the game. Since I was six I wanted to skate all the time.” Cappuccio works hard at practice to improve his overall game, especially his speed on the ice. “The team works on lots…

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This Is the End: Spartans Fall to Saugus in Second Round of Hockey Tournament

Stoneham fell to Saugus, 3-1, in the second round of the MIAA Div. 2 North Sectionals Thursday night at Woburn's Ned O'Brien Rink, ending their season.

WOBURN — As the saying goes: all good things must come to an end. The Stoneham High School boys' hockey team, while perhaps not ringing up the wins as frequently as they would have hoped this season, still managed to advance through the preliminary round at the MIAA Division 2 North Sectionals, becoming the team with the lowest win total in its bracket to do so. Twentieth-seeded Stoneham (5-14-1) beat 13th-ranked Watertown, 5-3, in the opening round of the playoff Tuesday night. The Spartans, playing almost exclusively against Div. 1 teams in the high-powered Middlesex League, qualified for the tournament under the MIAA’s “Sullivan Rule,” allowing teams playing more than 70 percent of their games against higher-division opponents to be …

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: March 3

Scope out the latest "Patch Facts" column for suggestions on how to spend part of the day.

1. Stayin' alive: After stunning 13th-seeded Watertown High School on Tuesday, the 20th-ranked Stoneham High boys' hockey squad squares off with Saugus High at 7 p.m. at Ned O'Brien Rink in Woburn. 2. Hit the road: Looking to skip town for an evening? Musician Jeff Frasier is scheduled to perform at 8:30 p.m. at The Fat Cactus, 215 Broadway, Lynnfield. 3. Get your laugh on: The Edwards Twins are slated to perform at Stoneham Theatre, 395 Main St., Stoneham to do a comedy act filled with impersonations of celebrities, including Andrea Bocelli, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Billy Joel, Cher, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Luciano Pavarotti, Neil Diamond, Ray Charles, Rod Stewart, Roy Orbison, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner and Tom Jones. The show …

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Playoff Stunner: Spartans Upend Watertown in Opening Round of Tournament

The 20th seeded Stoneham High School boys' hockey team received a pair of goals off the sticks of Mike Kelly and Scott Shannon as they upset No. 13 ranked Watertown High, 6-3, Tuesday night in a Division 2 North Sectional preliminary round game at Woburn.

WOBURN — Other than the fact the 20th seeded Stoneham High School boys' hockey team beat them twice during the regular season, every other indicator seemed to favor a Watertown High victory.  The two teams entered Tuesday night’s MIAA Division 2 North Sectional tournament preliminary round showdown at Ned O’Brien Rink heading on two different paths: the 13th seeded Raiders went 5-1 down the stretch, outscoring their opponents by a 31-9 margin during that span, while the Spartans lost four of their last five and were outscored by a nearly identical margin, 30-9. But as the saying goes: that’s why they play the games. Despite managing only four wins during the 2010-2011 campaign and limping into the postseason, Stoneham (5-13-1) skated past …

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: March 1

Check out what's happening in the Stoneham area in the latest "Patch Facts" column.

1. Crunch time: The Stoneham High School boys' hockey team squares off with Watertown High in a 6 p.m. playoff tilt at Joyce Middle School, 55 Locust St., Woburn. 2. Calling all knowledge hounds: Team trivia is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Chili's, 70 Walkers Brook Dr., Reading. Winners will receive cash prizes. 3. Serving up humility: The Community Dinner Program, which consists of more than 50 churchgoers from several churches in town providing meals to people from the community, is set to begin at 5:45 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in Stoneham, 1 Church St. 4. Party time! Got a big party or fundraiser that you want to let the community know about? Post an event listing! 5. Preview to planner: Need to find a way to keep the little …

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Stoneham Boys' Hockey Team Wins, Girls' Team Falls Against Watertown

Check out the action from Wednesday night's boys' hockey game between the Red Raiders and Spartans at Stoneham Arena in our photo gallery.

STONEHAM — After dropping their Dec. 15 home opener to Wakefield, the Stoneham High School boys' hockey team earned their first home victory of the season by beating the Watertown Red Raiders 5-1 Wednesday night at Stoneham Arena. Coincidently, the Spartans (1-1) won by the same score they lost their first contest of the season. The boys' hockey team will look to pick up their second consecutive win when they play Burlington Dec. 29 at 7:45 p.m. at Burlington Ice Palace, 36 Ray Ave. Stoneham Girls' Hockey Blanked by Watertown However, the Stoneham girls' hockey team wasn't as fortunate as their male counterparts, getting shutout by the Red Raiders, 4-0. The Spartans, who beat Winchester 4-1 in their home opener Dec. 18, are 1-1 on the year…

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