Medford High boys hockey team opens D1 Tourney Tuesday

Never underestimate a team that’s got nothing to lose.

The Medford High School boys hockey team is looking to push things forward as they enter postseason play.

The No. 34 ranked Mustangs (11-10) face-off against No. 31 Wellesley (9-11), in preliminary round action of the Division 1 State Tournament, Tuesday Feb. 24 at 4 p.m.

For second-year head coach Ned O’Keefe, just getting into the tourney is half the battle.

“It feels good,” said O’Keefe, who reached the state tournament for the second consecutive year since taking the head coaching reigns. “I tell all the guys, obviously you want to win games, but the goal is to qualify. Last year we had 10 wins. This year we have 11, so it’s a step in the right direction.”

The winner earns the right to face second-seed Xaverian Brothers (15-4-1), in the round of 32, Thursday, Feb. 26 at the Canton Ice House.

The Division 1 bracket is full of some of the usual suspects, from private school powers like top-ranked Catholic Memorial (17-2-1) and third seed St. John's Prep (15-3-2), to public school heavyweights Arlington (17-5), Reading (16-3-2) and Hingham (14-6-2), rounding out a solid top six.

Medford started the season strong, but wins came at a premium down the stretch. It wasn’t until a tourney clinching 4-3 win over Lexington, Feb. 4, in their fifth to last game, that they were able to breathe a sigh of relief.

“That win was big,” said coach O’Keefe, who served as JV coach for 13 years in Medford before becoming head coach last season. “We’ve had a couple mishaps and a couple injuries that hurt us. but overall there were only a couple games we gave away.”

The coach pointed to a pair of heartbreaking home losses to Abington (5-4 OT) on Jan. 19 and Newton North (3-2) on Jan. 21, which would have leveled most teams. But the Mustangs never lost faith.

“We’ve been competitive,” said coach O’Keefe. “It’s just been an issue with depth. The kids have been in it. We played Gloucester, Marblehead, some really big teams. The schedule has been outstanding. I really feel that we’ve been hanging with who we’ve been playing.”

Although they’re viewed as proverbial underdogs with the 34th and final seed, the Mustang coach feels anything is possible.

“It’s going to be very competitive,” said coach O’Keefe. “But if we can get into that first round who knows? I’m definitely looking for my first tournament win as head coach. I think it's within reach this year.”

He certainly has a dedicated group determined to make that happen.

Leading the way for the Mustangs are quad-captains Evan Ciarlone, Carter Charron, Gabe Rudolph, and Nolan O'Keefe.

A senior forward, Ciarlone along with junior Nolan O'Keefe have been top six staples. A senior defenseman, Charron has been a key cog on the blueline. Goaltender Gabe Rudolph has been solid between the pipes. This core has given Medford a chance to win every game.

“They’ve been good leaders,” said coach O’Keefe. “Carter and Evan transferred to [Medford]. Gabe’s been here all the way through. And Nolan’s just a junior. We’re lucky we’ll have one of our leaders back for next year.”

The Mustangs leading scorer, Nolan O’Keefe fronts an explosive top line flanked by cousin Colin O’Keefe and senior Diego Menes. The trio developed an instant chemistry combining for 16 points over their first two games. They’ve remained red hot sporting 91 total points entering their final regular season game. A transfer student from BC High, Menes missed some time with injury but is back at full health for the tourney run.

“Diego all-around is probably the number one player on our team,” said coach O’Keefe.

A senior center, Ciarlone has also logged a ton of ice, with junior snipers James Camuso and Jacob Murdoch by his side.

A left winger, Camuso is regarded as the team’s seventh player, going above and beyond what was expected.

“He got really big and improved,” said coach O’Keefe. “He’s grew to about 6-feet tall. He’s been a huge surprise for us the past year. An excellent player, good teammate, and really helps around the rink, from moving nets to picking up pucks. The kid is always there.”

Charron anchors the defensive corps, with junior Colin Lee and sophomore Cam Lind also coming up clutch on the blueline.

“Colin Lee has had a really strong year,” said coach O’Keefe. “He’s been great for us, and very consistent.”

Junior forward Joe Russo along with senior defenseman Gabe Kennedy have given the team a refreshing boost with their next man-up mentality. Their added hustle has enhanced the team’s depth chart.

Meanwhile, Rudolph has been standout between the pipes. The talented netminder has been backed by junior Rowan Maywalt, giving the Mustangs a solid foundation to build from.

“These guys have been playing a lot, and we’ve been in every game,” said O’Keefe. “Hopefully we’ll ride Gabe all the way through from here.”