Sports

RIVALRY RENEWED: Wildcats Hockey Travels to Tewksbury Friday

Last year's game was decided thanks to a late Wilmington goal. Who will win this year's contest?

It's a date that many players and fans circle on the calendar right from the beginning of the season. And on Friday night, the time has arrived.

Wilmington and Tewksbury will square off in a boys hockey showdown between two teams who will head into the postseason with expectations of making a deep playoff run.

Here are five things to know heading into Friday's rivalry game.

1. Who, What, When and Where: Tewksbury Memorial High School hosts Wilmington at 7:30 p.m. in a boys hockey showdown. The game will take place at Breakaway Ice Center in Tewksbury, located at 20 Carter Street.

2. Scouting the Redmen: Tewksbury has put together a strong regular season, as has been the case each year in recent memory. The Redmen are 15-2-2 overall and 9-2-1 in Merrimack Valley/Dual County play. The Tewksbury offense has been strong this year, scoring 76 tallies in 19 games. But the stat that jumps off the page comes from the Redmen defense, which has let in just 22 goals.

3. Scouting the Wildcats: Wilmington isn't sneaking up on anyone. The Wildcats won the last two Division 2 state championships and are now looking to earn another crown, now in Division 1. Overall, Wilmington is 11-3-7 on the year, sitting in the middle of the pack in a stacked Middlesex League with an 8-2-6 mark. Wilmington has pushed home 62 goals on the year, allowing 39. The Wildcats have one of the best goalies in the area with senior Drew Foley.

4. Recent Rivalry History: Simply put, Wilmington has owned the rivalry in recent years. After several blowout wins, last year Tewksbury put itself in position to come away with a win. But now graduated Wildcat Dylan DiNatale fired home the game-winning tally for Wilmington with 1:38 to play, and Tewksbury headed into the playoffs on a losing note.

5. What's Your Prediction?: Patch will have coverage of Friday night's game with photos and social media updates, so be sure to check back for more. In the mean time, let us know your prediction for the game in the comments section below.


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