By MATT FELD
Needham freshman Jason Child showed Thursday night that he is ready for the bright lights.
Behind Child’s hat trick and a breakout fourth quarter offensively that saw the Rockets score six goals, Needham squeaked by Wayland 9-7 on Thursday night at Wayland High School.
Rockets’ Coach David Wainwright said he believes Child’s efforts are just the beginning of what should be a promising career.
“Jason is a nice little talent for us,” said Wainwright, “We are putting him in really challenging positions and he has been handling it really well. I am happy for him and I know he is happy about having the opportunity. He had an easier time than others finishing tonight.”
A defensive battle through three quarters of play, Needham (4-2) and Wayland found themselves locked in a three to three tie heading into the fourth quarter.
Two minutes into the final frame with the game locked at four, Brendan Walsh (3 G, 1 A) put the Rockets on top. Walsh penetrated the Warriors’ zone and fired from fifteen yards out giving Needham 5-4 lead.
Child gave Needham some breathing room just twenty seconds later as his shot from twelve yards out off a face off win bounced in front of the goal and in. Child’s goal put the Rockets up 6-4.
After the Warriors cut the Rockets advantage back down to one, 6-5, Child made sure Needham stayed in front for goal.
Child corralled a rebound off a missed shot and led the break. From fifteen yards out, Child let one loose on the break into the top left corner of the net, giving the Rockets a two-goal edge once again with less than eight minutes to go.
Evan Stavisky (4 G) pulled Wayland within one, 8-7, with less than two minutes to go, slinging one from five yards out on the left wing.
Walsh, however, sealed the victory for the Rockets as his empty net goal with fifteen seconds to go put the finishing touches on Needham’s 9-7 win.
“In the second half I think we all just got some more confidence shooting the ball at the net,” said Child. “We played with a lot of confidence in the fourth quarter and it was just a great team victory.”
Wayland struck first a little under five minutes into the first quarter as Daniel Keating ripped one from thirteen yards out on the extra man advantage to put the Rockets up 1-0.
The Rockets tied it up with less than a minute to play in the opening frame. Antonio Trabucco found a cutting Stephen Arrondo who reeled in the pass and finished in close tying the score at one.
Needham grabbed their first lead of the game late in the second quarter. Back-to-back goals, including one from Child, within the span of a minute gave the Rockets a 3-1 advantage
Stavisky, however, pulled the Warriors back even by halftime. Trailing 3-2 with under a minute to play in the half, the Warriors called timeout with possession in their own end.
Out of the timeout, Ben Travis flew up the right sideline and delivered a pretty cross-field pass to a cutting Stavisky, who punched it home with one second to go to tie the game at three going into the break.