MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury Union High School boys’ hockey team came up short twice late last week, including in a pivotal home loss on Friday that jeopardized the Tigers’ chances for a home quarterfinal with three games remaining. MUHS plays at Colchester and Essex this week and wraps up the regular season by hosting South Burlington on Feb. 25.
In that game visiting Stowe (11-6) defeated the Tigers, 6-5, dropping MUHS to 9-8. A win would have moved the Tigers into fourth place in Division I, but instead they trail both the Raiders and fifth-place Spaulding (9-5-1) in sixth.
The Tigers were playing their third game in five days, but still outshot Stowe, 27-17. But the Raiders scored three times in the final 7:11 of the second period to erase a 4-3 Tiger lead, and then held on for the victory as Stowe goalie Ethan Brown made 22 saves. Alex Tilgner, Atticus Eiden and Eames Eiden each scored twice for Stowe.
Ryan Nadeau’s hat trick lead the Tigers, Tucker Stearns recorded a goal and an assist, and Devon Kearns each chipped in with two assists. Goalies Zeke Hooper (four saves) and Eddie Hodde (seven saves) combined to stop 11 shots.
On Wednesday the Tiger coaches said their team played well, but host BFA-St. Albans improved to 13-3 by defeating the Tigers, 3-1, in a defensive battle. Three Bobwhites had a goal apiece, and goalie Seth Bushey made 13 saves. BFA’s tie-breaking second-period goal came on a power play. Nadeau scored for MUHS, and Hooper made 20 saves.