Boys’ hockey started off the season with a 2-0  win in their home opener against Marlboro in the first round of the annual Boro’s Cup on December 12.

The Boro’s Cup is an annual tournament hosted at Northstar Ice Sports where Algonquin, Wachusett, Marlborough and Westborough all battle for the beloved title of Boro’s Cup champion.

The team started with a tight defense, spending most of the first period on offense. Sophomore Henry Antino scored the first goal during the second period with an assist from junior Jack Thibodeau.

“We really shut them down defensively and our defense did a great job of preventing quality shots and shots in general,” senior assistant captian Curtis Pietropaolo said.

With over a minute left to spare in the third period, Pietropaolo scored an empty net goal with an assist from junior Griffin Sambrook, bringing the T-Hawks up 2-0.

The team had attempted a total of 41 shots over the course of the game, whereas Marlborough was only able to attempt eight shots.

“We were able to control the puck and really dominated time of possession, which didn’t allow them to get many scoring chances,” senior captain Nolan Kimball said.

The team hopes to improve their shooting skills.

“We hope to improve on finishing our scoring opportunities,” Pietropaolo said.  “With around 41 shots on net, we should be producing more than two goals.”

After winning the 2017 Boro’s Cup, the team hopes to replicate the same success when they face Westboro in the finals on Saturday December 15 at 7 p.m..

“I think that it was a great way to start off the season and to advance onto the next round for a potential Boro Cup win,” Pietropaolo said. “It’s good to get wins early, build momentum and win the first game of the season because it is a great way to kick it off, but that’s not to say that we don’t need to improve.”