Despite 2 Leads, Mansfield Defeated by Franklin in D2 South Semifinals

Twice the Mansfield Hornets led against the Franklin Panthers in the semifinal round of the MIAA Division 2 South hockey tournament but no matter what the Hornets did, the Panthers would not go away. Coming back twice, Franklin beat the Hornets for the second time in three games this season with a 4-3 win at Gallo Arena in Bourne.

Mansfield got on the board first at 6:04 of the first period when a pass across the slot from Kevin Flynn to Brendan Murphy found the back of the net and gave the Hornets a 1-0 lead.

The Panthers however, would comeback fierce with two goals only seconds apart. Randy Gilbert’s goal near the far post tied the game with 3:52 left in the first and Aiden Isberg rush to the net gave Franklin the lead only 15 seconds later.

Later in the second period, Mansfield tied the game at 2-2 when  Will Kelleher scored on the power play at 4:30. Like Franklin, the goals came in pairs for Mansfield when Jared Collins hit the post on the rebound shot but lit the lamp on the second rebound and put Mansfield up by one with 10 minutes to play in the second period.

Despite going on the power play with less than a minute remaining in the second, the Hornets found themselves in an unlucky situation after Cam Curley turned a neutral zone turnover into a breakaway short-handed goal that tied the game 3-3.

A third period rebound goal from Alec Borkowski gave the lead back to Franklin as the Hornets struggled to find a third equalizing goal in the final period. Despite pulling goalie Rich Shipman with less than a minute to play, the Hornets could not make anything happen with the man advantage as Franklin advanced to the D2 South finals.

“They (Franklin) got the extra bounce. That’s it, it's the bounce and they got it,” Mansfield head coach Rick Anastos said of the final Franklin goal. “That last goal was not one of their better goals but they got it.”

For Mansfield and Franklin, the winter sports season has been nothing short of exciting. With the two teams playing in an overtime thriller in the basketball tournament and with a tie and a Franklin win during the hockey regular season, a win for Mansfield would of been extra meaningful against their Kelley-Rex division rivals.

“It would of been sweet to beat them so the fact it it was Franklin and there is a little bit of rivalry, I wish we could of come out on top,” Anastos said.

While Mansfield’s season is over, the Panthers will play Oliver Ames at the Gallo Arena on March 12 for the D2 South championship. The winner will face the D2 North champion at the TD Garden for the state title on March 17.