Dudzik plays the game of his life, Prout wins hockey title

BY MIKE SZOSTAK
Journal Sports Writer

PROVIDENCE - Hunter Dudzik will always remember his last game as a high school hockey player. The Prout senior and assistant captain scored four goals and assisted on another and led the Crusaders to an 8-3 victory over Mt. Hope in the third and deciding game of the Cox Sports Frozen Finals Division III Championship.

"This was the biggest game of my life. I never played a game like this, and I've played in this rink so many times," the tournament's most valuable player said amid the helmets, gloves and sticks strewn about the ice at Providence College's Schneider Arena.

Taylor Polhemus, the Prout captain, scored two goals and Christopher Colardo and David Horsfield one each. Goaltender David Maar made 19 saves.

Christoper Dugan, Edward Botelho and Kyle Gasior scored for Mt. Hope, and the Huskies goalie Patrick Gaudreau made 26 stops.

Prout won the series opener, 5-3, last Saturday, and Mt. Hope tied it with a 6-5 overtime victory Tuesday night. Prout coach John Gaffney knew his team was ready for the showdown game when the bus left South County. Dudzik, Polhemus and Horsfield set the tone.

"Their confidence spread throughout the locker room," Gaffney said.

The Huskies opened the scoring on Dugan's goal at 4:43 of the first period. Dudzik's power play goal at 11:02 tied the score, and Colardo put the Crusaders in front at 14:09 with assists from Dudzik and Robert La Chance. Prout outshot Mt. Hope, 14-6 in the period.

The Crusaders took charge for good with three consecutive goals in the second period for a 5-1 lead. Dudzik scored at 4:44, nine seconds into a power play. He made it 4-1 at 7:00 as Gaudreau and defenseman Jordan Viera ended up in the net. Polhemus scored his first goal at 8:58.

Dudzik said he talked to his teammates about losing Tuesday night and not wanting a repeat.
"I think they were a little bit upset last night," Gaffney said.

"This game we just came out flying and didn't stop," Dudzik said. Indeed, each goal energized the Crusaders; by the third period the Huskies looked tired.

"They started slowing down a little bit. They couldn't stop us," Dudzik said.

But the Huskies did not give up. Botelho scored 46 seconds into the third period, hinting of a comeback, but another down-to-the-wire finish was not to be. Seventeen seconds later, a 1:03, Polhemus scored his second goal for a 6-2 Prout lead.

Gasior, who had three goals and an assist in Game Two, scored off a faceoff at 3:48, making it 6-3 and keeping the Huskies' fading hopes flickering. Dudzik ended any drama with a short-handed goal at 11:30 and Horsfield put an exclamation point on the triumph with his goal at 13:01.

"We wanted to get as many as we can on the board. We didn't want it to be close," Dudzik said. "I thought it would be the most aggressive game we had."

But he didn't think he would score four goals. He had one in the first game and two in the second.

"I knew this would probably be one of the last games I played, and I wanted to give it my all," he said.

"He had pretty good stats early, but he didn't have a breakout game like tonight. He shoots the puck a lot. He skates real hard. He's a physical force. He's a presence on the ice. He always comes to play," Gaffney said,

So Prout, 4-7-1 at one point this season, finished by winning 10 of its last 11 games and the Division III championship.

"I'm incredibly proud of the individuals in this locker room," Gaffney said. "They did what we asked. They bought into it, and they deserve this."

First period: MH, Christopher Dugan (Edward Botelho, Steven Vaccaro) 4:43; P, Hunter Dudzik (Tyler Maar) 11:02; P, Christopher Colardo (Robert LaChance, Dudzik) 14:09. Penalties - 2-4, MH 1-2.
Second Period: P, Dudzik (David Horsfield) 4:44; P, Dudzik (Michael O'Connor), 7:00; P, Taylor Polhemus (Carlton Mitchell), 8:58; Penalties - P 3-6, MH 2-4.
Third period: MH, Botelho (Kyle Gasior) 0:46; P, Polhemus (Mitchell, Horsfield), 1:03; MH, Gasior (Botelho), 3:48; P, Dudzik (Polhemus, Matthew Bertelli), 11:30; P, Horsfield (Mitchell), 13:01; Penalties P--2-4, MH 1-2.
Saves - David Maar, P, 19; Patrick Gaudreau, MH, 26.

mszostak@projo.com / (401) 277-7340

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