Hopedale, MA — Wachusett continues to battle hard and play closely contested games while missing some of their top players out of the lineup. On Wednesday, the team traveled to the Blackstone Valley IcePlex to take on Hopedale. Dennis Jardine would get the Mountaineers on the scoreboard in the first period. Thomas Willman passed to Tanner Watkins at the point. Watkins fired a low hard shot to the high slot where Jardine was able to tip it into the top left corner of the net putting Wachusett up 1-0 at the 10 minute mark of the first. Hopedale would score just 1 minute later and they would add the only goal of the second period so the Mountaineers found themselves trailing 2-1 entering the third. At 4:31 of the third, Parker Meyer took a pass from Willman and carried the puck down the right side. He centered a pass to Jardine for a one-time shot to the back of the net, tying the game at 2. Willman would put Wachusett ahead 3-2 just 55 seconds later, sniping a wrist shot past the Hopedale goaltender. That goal was also assisted by Meyer. Hopedale would score two late goals to take a 4-3 lead late into the 3rd. With just 16 seconds left, the faceoff was in the Hopedale end. Wachusett pulled their goalie for a 6 on 5 advantage. Meyer won the draw back to Braeden McKenzie who slid it across the point to Willman. After getting his first shot blocked, Willman fired a second shot through traffic. Xavier McManus got a stick on it and Matt Bjorkman banged it home to tie the game at 4 with 3.3 seconds remaining in the game. The game would go to Overtime where the teams play 4 v 4. Wachusett dominated the overtime period in terms of possession and shots on net, but one costly turnover in their own end led to Hopedale game-winning goal. The team is now 7 and 4 on the season and will play the Auburn Rockets at the DCU Center on Saturday afternoon at 2:30.