VIDEO: Ben Paterson scores shorthanded goal for Franklin boys hockey
Franklin trailed St. John’s Prep 1-0 in the second period, but Ben Paterson leveled the game with a shorthanded goal assisted by Anthony Lampasona.
FRANKLIN – Ben Paterson rarely leaves the ice.
He starts for Franklin’s boys hockey team and plays on the Panthers’ power play and penalty kill.
“Even when he’s gassed, he’s asking to get back out there,” Franklin coach Chris Spillane said. “We’ve tried to pull him back.”
Good luck. Paterson has skated as long as he’s walked. His father Dan grew up in Canada. He put sticks in his four kids’ hands, and they never set them back down. Ben played on the family’s outdoor rink with his four older siblings, fighting for any shred of the puck.
“My siblings definitely gave me a hard time and made it tough for me,” Ben said. “They made me get a little more drive in me.”
A hockey family
Hockey always felt like family. The Patersons regularly watch any NHL game they can, especially their favorite Toronto Maple Leafs. Family also includes the other Panthers that Ben spends as much time as he can around both in and out of the rink.
“I love my teammates. I love I love being at the rink skating. If I could spend all day here, I would,” Paterson said. “This is where I want to be.”
It’s where he belongs. Paterson was named the Hockomock MVP a season ago as a junior when the Panthers reached the Division 1 Sweet 16. He compiled 17 goals and 22 assists then and has been even better this season.
Peterson leads Division 1 and ranks second in the state with 48 points. His 27 goals are tied for second. He notched his 100th point on Feb. 4 against Reading.
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“He’s been pretty consistent, but his game has reached a new level this year,” Spillane said. “He’s the one player that sticks out on the ice that can do everything.”
Unstoppable
Peterson has collected a point in 20 of Franklin’s 21 games. The Panthers (13-8) ended the year with a tight 3-1 loss against the state’s top team St. John’s Prep on Wednesday at home. They’ll await their seed in the state tournament but were ranked 12th in Tuesday’s final update.
“We can compete with anyone in the state if we play our game,” Franklin senior Anthony Lampasona said.
Lampasona combined with Paterson For Franklin’s only goal against the Eagles, a shorthanded tally in the second period that tied the game at 1. They broke out of the defensive zone…
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