Attleboro High Hockey Rocked by North Attleboro Red Rocketeers

The Attleboro High ice hockey team went up against a huge, raucous crowd and an improved North Attleboro Rocketeers team, who was  throwing their bodies into everything that moved.

Unfortuately for the Bombardiers, it ended up with a 4-1 loss, Saturday at the Foxboro Sports Center.

Attleboro junior Zach Larkin matched Marshall Blackmon's opener with a crafty shot off the back of North Attleboro goaltender William Porter's legs, but from there it was all Rocketeers. North scored three straight goals, including two in the final two minutes of the second quarter, to ice the win.

Attleboro coach Mike Cripps said after the game that no matter how much they prepared for it, the atmosphere got to his team in the first period.

"We started playing for the noise of the fans and it definitely got us off our game a little bit," he said. "Even though we talk about it all week, it's tough to block it out."

Attleboro's defenders struggled to match up with the skilled Rocketeer forwards and failed to clear several chances in the crease that led directly to the North goals.

Freshman Sean Young gave North a 2-1 lead when a carom bounced around right in front of Attleboro sophomore goalie Andrew Campion. Jordan Picini added a third with just 14.1 seconds remaining in the second period on a similar tap in. Tim Joyce wrapped things up in the third period on another tap in on a puck that slid right through the middle.

Cripps was disappointed with the way his team's defense performed but also complimentary of how much better this Rocketeers squad is than those in the past.

"North is very strong in front of the net and we just didn't cover the guys well or get the puck out," said Cripps. "They're much quicker, pass the puck very well and they're very strong around the net."

Mitch Whittingham was injured for Attleboro during the first period and was taken to the locker room with his arm in a sling. The initial prognosis, according to Cripps, was a hyper-extended elbow.

One bright spot for the Bombardiers was the continued excellent play of  Campion, who made a number of highlight reel saves to keep the team in the game.

Attleboro (1-3-1, 0-3) will return to the ice on Wednesday when they travel to Foxboro again to face-off with the King Philip Warriors.