By Nancy Carter — Sports Contributor
The Concord-Carlisle boys hockey squad swept Acton-Boxborough this season with a 2-0 win on January 22. After that win and a loss to Waltham, the boys’ record was 9-2-1.

Sophomore Joe Grasso scored twice, and senior Jason Swaim made 24 saves in the shutout.

Defense prevailed in the first and second periods, including multiple penalty kills on each side. Swaim faced a few fast breaks and deflected several shots to keep AB off the board, and the Patriots tested their opponents with a flurry of chances at the four-minute mark of the second, but the game remained scoreless.

The Patriots came out flying in the third period. Among a series of scoring chances, senior forward Trevor Bailey got the puck on his stick in the slot, but the AB goalie, who was strong all night, stonewalled him.
After a penalty kill and a subsequent power play, CC finally capitalized. The power play unit moved the puck around, awaiting the perfect time to attack. Ohanian passed to Grasso, who scored from the point.

With under four minutes to go, AB put heavy pressure on CC’s defensemen and Swaim, who stymied AB at every turn. With just over a minute remaining, Grasso stole the puck from an AB attacker and skated into the offensive zone, ending his run by deking the goalie for a 2-0 lead.

The Patriots traveled to Waltham on January 25 for the second matchup of this season against the Hawks but fell 3-0. CC played in the first round of the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament on January 26, losing to Belmont, 5-1.
Their next game is scheduled for February 1.
