The Hopedale Blue Raiders came up short against Marlborough on Tuesday, falling 6-2 in a game that was largely decided through two dominant periods by the Panthers. Marlborough jumped on Hopedale early and built a 4-0 cushion through the first two periods, consistently creating scoring chances and converting on opportunities.
Hopedale’s offense finally got on the board in the third period when Jeff Corbin and Griffin Paquette found the back of the net, but their late goals proved too little, too late in a contest the Blue Raiders could not pull back. The loss capped a season that saw highs and lows; Hopedale finishes with an 8-12 record and will miss the playoffs.
Several players produced notable performances across the season, Michael McGrath, Ricky Nashawaty and Joshua Balzarini were among the team’s strong contributors, and the Blue Raiders competed in many tight games despite the final record. Listed as the No. 36 squad in the D3 playoff bracket as of Tuesday night, Hopedale will likely slip after the loss and falls short of the above-.500 threshold needed for an automatic play-in chance. Even so, the program can build on individual growth and experience heading into the offseason.
