Back Row: Puchalski, Walton, Scafati, McCue, Kozak, Butters, Karshis, Petrovek, Nally, Armour, Arvidson.
Front Row: Callahan, Donahue, Neilsen, Welch, Graney, Jessick, Crowell, Folan, Johnson.
“No more nickles for me,” buckled coach Jack Monbouquette of the Norwood High hockey team. “If I get two. I change them for a dime. If I have one, swap it for five pennies. I don’t want to see another nickel.”
The Norwood coach isn’t averse to money. He wants to forget how Norwood got into the state hockey tournament (toss of a coin) and just remember how it made tomorrow’s quarterfinal (5-0 win ever Arlington). Norwood last Wednesday played Framingham in a playoff, the winner to make the tourney. That is where the nickel comes in.
After three overtimes, it was still a 1-1 fame, and a toss of a coin (a nickel) put Norwood into the state competition. What Monbouquette wants to remember is 3-2 win over Woburn Thursday and that 5-0 win over Arlington, GBI league champion, a pre-tourney favorites.
“Beating Arlington proved to us we had a hockey team, that we didn’t need nickels. And a big key play came in the first eight seconds, when our goalie, Don Smith, made a great save. If Arlington scored then, there is no telling what might have happened.”
“Funny thing, our second line wings, George Kozak and Dave McCue, out of the Woburn game with injuries, were back for Arlington. But we lost second line center Paul Johnson with the virus right in the middle of the second period just when we were getting hot.”
Norwood hopes to be at full strength for tomorrow’s quarter-final with West Spring field, another top-rated entry.
(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)
I have vivid memories of that fateful day on February 29, 1960 at the Boston arena. It was a heartbreaker for my team, Framingham High Flyers. You see, I was a co-captain for Framingham and chosen to call the coin toss. The ice was somewhat snowy because they didn’t make new ice after the 3 overtime periods. The ref flipped the nickel and it landed somewhat obscured due to the ice condition. The refs and captains dropped to the ice and looked closely and declared Norwood the victor. I knew I should have called tails but… I’m almost 83 now and I still remember that awesome play-off game and the depressing ride back to Framingham. I guess shoot-outs weren’t an option in those days.
Richie Tomassini 1960
Framingham Flyers Hockey
Tomassini1@verizon.net