Hockey: Brady Poreda’s late goal leads Greenfield past Westfield, 5-4 (PHOTOS)

Greenfield goalie Cooper Smith makes a glove save from this shot by Westfield’s Sean McMahon at Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield on Wednesday.

Greenfield goalie Cooper Smith makes a glove save from this shot by Westfield’s Sean McMahon at Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield on Wednesday. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

Greenfield forward Jake Jurek moves the puck up the ice against Westfield at Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield on Wednesday.

Greenfield forward Jake Jurek moves the puck up the ice against Westfield at Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield on Wednesday. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

Greenfield forward Jake Jurek scores on this shot against Westfield at Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield on Wednesday.

Greenfield forward Jake Jurek scores on this shot against Westfield at Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield on Wednesday. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

Greenfield forward Shawn Beckwith loads up a shot against Westfield at Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield on Wednesday.

Greenfield forward Shawn Beckwith loads up a shot against Westfield at Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield on Wednesday. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

Greenfield forward Chase Zraunig moves the puck up the ice against Westfield at Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield on Wednesday.

Greenfield forward Chase Zraunig moves the puck up the ice against Westfield at Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield on Wednesday. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

Greenfield forward Luca Siano is hacked by Westfield’s Nick Lacomb at Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield on Wednesday.

Greenfield forward Luca Siano is hacked by Westfield’s Nick Lacomb at Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield on Wednesday. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

Greenfield forward Shawn Bauman puts a shot on goal against Westfield at Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield on Wednesday.

Greenfield forward Shawn Bauman puts a shot on goal against Westfield at Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield on Wednesday. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Staff Writer

Published: 01-29-2025 8:29 PM

GREENFIELD — If high scoring hockey games are your thing, Collins-Moylan Arena in Greenfield was the place to be on Wednesday. 

Greenfield hosted Westfield in a Berry Division showdown and the goals came early and often. The Wave led 3-2 after 15 minutes but the Bombers stormed back to tie things up a four going into the third period. 

As expected, the defense picked up in the third period as both teams clamped down in an attempt to not allow the go-ahead goal. That came with 3:12 to go, as Green Wave Brady Poreda found the back of the net. Westfield was unable to answer, as Greenfield pulled out a 5-4 victory. 

“That’s exactly what you want from a high school hockey game,” Green Wave coach Adam Bouchard said. “You come in here, it’s two great teams, coached great and each student-athlete on both sides wants to work hard and perform for one another. Take nothing away from the Bombers of Westfield — they played a great game — but when we do things the Green Wave way, great things happen.” 

The win is the first time Greenfield (9-4-1) has beaten Westfield since 1994. 

“All hats off to the student-athletes on the Green Wave,” Bouchard said. “They work extremely hard. We push them and work them very hard in practice. We like to be a very disciplined program and I think that shows in how we play.” 

Continuing to rack up wins in the Berry Division continues to give the Wave confidence, especially considering Westfield (9-2-3) had the top record in the league heading into Wednesday. 

“It feels great,” Poreda said. “It’s been a long time. West Side was our first win ever against them. Beating these Berry teams feels great, especially being a Div. 4 school.” 

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It was a great play on the rush that set up Poreda’s game-winner. 

Jake Jurek got the puck on the rush, with Poreda streaking up alongside him. The Westfield defender took Jurek and the senior slipped a pass to the middle to Poreda, who knocked it home to give Greenfield the late lead. 

“I saw it was a 3-on-1,” Poreda said. “He took Jurek because he’s the main goal scorer. I sauced out the stick and it was just a little backhand.” 

The save of the game came from Greenfield’s Cooper Smith with 2:03 to go. The Bombers broke behind the Wave defense, creating a breakaway. Smith stonewalled the attempt, keeping Greenfield ahead. Westfield hit the post after pulling the goalie but Smith — who finished with an impressive 39 saves — didn’t allow another in to seal the victory. 

“In that last two minutes, we changed lines about 14 times just to keep the legs fresh to keep everyone in as much as we should,” Bouchard said. “This is why we skate. You have to believe in the we and that’s what they did.” 

Westfield got on the board just 2:47 into the contest, as Cody Bard tapped in a pass sent over to him by Joe Maffia to give the Bombers the early lead. 

Greenfield settled in and began controlling possession, culminating in Jake Jurek firing a shot that was saved, but the puck deflected off the goalie and trickled into the goal to even the score with 7:44 to go in the frame. Luca Siano and Chase Zraunig had the assists. 

Maffia put the Bombers ahead with 4:06 to go in the frame, firing in a shot on the rush off a dish from Rick Moritko. 

It was all Greenfield to close out the first period. Defenseman Will Petrin corralled the puck and launched a pass up ice to Jurek, where the senior used his speed and blistered a shot in from the slot to tie things with 1:49 to go in the frame. Matt Garvin was credited with a helper on the play. 

With 48 seconds left in the first, Greenfield’s Brady Poreda found himself in the perfect spot on the ice. Kaleb Betit put a shot on goal from the right circle that dinged off the post, but the puck deflected right onto Poreda’s stick on the left side of the net and the junior was able to tap it home to give the Wave a 3-2 lead after 15 minutes. Siano also picked up an assist on the goal. 

“Rebounds were there,” Poreda said. “He was kicking them out there. Far pad, if it’s on the ice it’ll be right there to shoot.” 

The scoring didn’t stop in the second. Bomber Nick Lacomb used his wheels get behind the Greenfield defense and was able to put a move to beat Greenfield keeper Cooper Smith that tied things at three with 10:48 to go in the period. 

Three minutes later on the power play, Westfield — which controlled the puck for nearly the entire first minute of the man-up situation — capitalize, as Maffia sniped a shot from the right circle that put the Bombers ahead. 

With 4:57 to go, Greenfield went on its own power play and made Westfield pay for it. With 39 seconds to go on the man-up situation, Jurek sent a cross crease pass to Siano, who knocked it home to tie things up, 4-4.