Easthampton forward Grayson Prevey-Catrambone, center, celebrates with forward Jae’vian Lopez (12) and defender Parker Christy (21) after scoring a goal against Chicopee at the Mullins Center on Friday in Amherst.
Easthampton forward Grayson Prevey-Catrambone (13) jukes Chicopee’s Jake Fournier, right, during the high school hockey game at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton forward Cal Gworek (11) keeps the puck from Chicopee’s Griffin Stefanik (6) during the high school hockey game at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton defender Parker Christy (21) keeps the puck from Chicopee’s Chris Walczak, left, during the high school hockey game at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton forward Jae’vian Lopez, right, attempts a shot past Chicopee goalie Landyn Dugan (31) during the high school hockey game at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton forward Grayson Prevey-Catrambone (13) controls the puck during the high school hockey game against Chicopee at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton forward Jae’vian Lopez, left, keeps the puck from Chicopee’s Griffin Stefanik (6) during the high school hockey game at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton forward Jimmy Bresnahan, right, looks to celebrate with his teammates after scoring a goal against Chicopee at the Mullins Center on Friday in Amherst.
Easthampton defenseman Zach Phakos (24) keeps the puck from Chicopee’s Braydon LaDuke, right, during the high school hockey game at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Chicopee’s Tyler Denison, left, grabs Easthampton forward Jimmy Bresnahan (18) during the high school hockey game at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton forward Minit Peterson (9) controls the puck during the high school hockey game against Chicopee at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton forward Jae’vian Lopez (12) checks Chicopee’s Griffin Stefanik (6) during the high school hockey game at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton defender Max Scribner (15) enters the ice before the third period during the high school hockey game against Chicopee at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton forward Jae’vian Lopez (12) controls the puck during the high school hockey game against Chicopee at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton forward Jae’vian Lopez (12) attempts a shot on goal during the high school hockey game against Chicopee at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton forward Anthony Torchia, right, keeps the puck from Chicopee’s Chris Walczak, left, during the high school hockey game at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton goalie Tommy Bixby (40) watches the puck as his teammates move down the ice during the high school hockey game against Chicopee at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton forward Anthony Torchia (26) keeps the puck from Chicopee’s Mason Peters (3) during the high school hockey game at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
Easthampton goalie Tommy Bixby, center, tracks the puck during the high school hockey game against Chicopee at the Mullins Center, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Amherst.
AMHERST – Threes are wild for the Easthampton hockey team.
The Eagles scored three goals during the third period in its 4-2 win against Chicopee to pick up its third straight victory, Friday afternoon at the Mullins Center.
Grayson Prevey-Catrambone collected three points for Easthampton, including a pair of third period goals, while Jae’vian Lopez finished with a goal and assist against the Pacers (3-7-2).
Prevey-Catrambone now leads the Eagles in goals (six) and points (10).
“Those two know how to work the puck,” Eagles head coach Tim Pfau said. “They work well together. They have chemistry on and off the ice. They’re finally starting to get it where you can play off the puck and find chances and that’s what [Prevey-Catrambone] did on that third goal, the game-winning goal. It was just beautiful.”
Prevey-Catrambone’s first of the night was a bottle-popping rocket shot from inside the near faceoff circle, which put the Eagles in front, 3-2, early in the frame.
Less than two minutes later, the Easthampton sophomore flung a loose puck on goal from behind the cage and the puck somehow trickled in, giving the Eagles insurance at 4-2.
Jimmy Bresnahan started the third-period scoring party for Easthampton with a strike 1:16 into action, in what was then the go-ahead, 2-1, goal.
Chicopee’s Chris Walczak tied the score 2-2 momentarily before Prevey-Catrambone willed his team to another victory.
“We said we had to get one [win] and we would roll,” Pfau said. “We’re a mixture of a young and seniors and juniors that weren’t playing to what their potential and capability was. It kind of put is in a ditch to start the year, but now, we’re good.”
Easthampton began the season winless through its first seven games, but five of those contests were separated by two goals or fewer.
Lopez opened the scoring for Easthampton with a shot that snuck in through the five-hole, putting the Eagles ahead, 1-0, midway through the first period.
The Pacers didn’t net the equalizer until late in the second stanza on a goal from Jake Fournier.
Easthampton goalie Tommy Bixby also had a strong game for the victors.
These two teams previously met back on Jan. 11—also at Mullins–but it was Chicopee who skated away with the 3-2 overtime win. Tyler Denison’s two goals for the Pacers proved to be the difference in that one. Denison’s golden goal came 1:36 into OT.
At 3-6-1, the Eagles know that there’s no wiggle room left in order to qualify for the postseason. With that, Easthampton hopes this winning streak doesn’t stop anytime soon.
“We can’t lose anymore because we had a rough start, so we have to keep it going” Pfau said. “We can’t lose. We have to battle every shift, every game, that’s the message. We know that we can win. We were rusty at the start but I think we’re cruising now.”
Ryan Ames is a sports reporter at the Gazette. A UMass Amherst graduate, he covers high school and college sports and is on the UMass hockey beat. Reach him at rames@gazettenet.com and follow him on Twitter/X...
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